Category: Rallies
Reports and reflections from every clan rally since 1990 — the modern continuation of an ancient assembly. Each gathering is its own seanchas, written down so the next one can build on it.
From Rally to Homecoming
A note from the Taoiseach. For seventy years we called these gatherings rallies. Going forward, the O’Dubhda clan
The 2025 Rally — Silver Jubilee of the Inauguration
The 2025 rally marked the Silver Jubilee of the Brehon inauguration. Sean O’Dowda Stephens was inaugurated Taoiseach on
The 2022 Rally — Covid-Delayed Gathering
The rally scheduled for October 2021 had been shelved by Covid, and when the clan finally returned to Enniscrone in October 2022, Kieran O’Dowd had held the Taoiseach’s office longer than anyone in the modern era. She passed the White Wand to Colum O’Dowd; the clan elected a new Tánaiste — Sean O’Dowda Stephens of Canada — for 2025. At a glanceDates: 5 – 9 October 2022 · Base: Ocean Sands Hotel, EnniscroneNotable moments: Colum O’Dowd inaugurated; Ollamh Conor MacHale awarded the Clans of Ireland Order of Merit; Sean O’Dowda Stephens (Canada) elected TánaisteLecture: Dr Marion Dowd on Tormore Cave, the Civil War hideout in Sligo. Back Together Members arrived in Enniscrone from the afternoon of Wednesday 5 October, some using the free day to visit the Enniscrone Castle ruins and others going further afield to Castleconnor. The genealogy clinic ran all afternoon. The rally itself opened that evening in the hotel ballroom with finger food, chicken and chips, and the first real chance in almost four years for the clan’s dispersed members to meet each other again. During the opening session, the Ollamh, Conor MacHale, was congratulated on being awarded the Order of Merit by Clans of Ireland for long service to Irish history and genealogy. Tánaiste Colum O’Dowd gave a short and affectionate lecture on the clan’s genealogy, entitled ‘Back to Adam’ — via history, legend, and mythology, which the audience found about as gripping as a Gaelic seanchaí. Marion Dowd & Tormore Cave The main lecture was delivered by Dr Marion Dowd — Tormore Cave: Sligo’s Civil War Hideout. In 1922, she explained, a group of IRA volunteers had used the cave to avoid Free State troops, supplied by local sympathisers. The talk closed the circle that the 2018 lanterns had opened: caves as refuges, for our own ancestors as much as for anyone. Thursday & Friday Thursday’s two tours split between the O’Dubhda castles of Tireragh (with Ardnaree Friary, Rosserk Friary, Foghill and Killala) and the Céide Fields. That evening the clan chose between Irish-language class, whiskey tasting and a lesson on how to pour a pint of Guinness. Thursday closed with Remembrance Lanterns on the patio again, now a standing tradition. Friday opened with a Council of Chieftains meeting reviewing the charitable status of the clan, and an 11am general meeting. Taoiseach Emeritus Mike Dowd sent apologies from Australia. A presentation was made to Paddy Tuffy, the local historian, for his attendance at every rally since 1990. The committee was re-formed: Kieran O’Dowd as Marketing Officer and Events Planner, Colum O’Dowd as Treasurer, Carianne Rochford as Secretary, Terry Rochford as Sergeant-at-Arms. Sean O’Dowda Stephens of Canada was elected Tánaiste, to be inaugurated at the 2025 rally. The Inauguration The inauguration of Colum O’Dowd as the seventh modern Taoiseach followed immediately after the general meeting. The White Wand was again passed through the hands of every member before being raised over Colum’s head by the outgoing Taoiseach, Kieran. Colum passed the Tánaiste’s standard to Sean; Kieran passed the Taoiseach’s standard to Colum, to the applause of the assembled Ó Dubhda. The Banquet at Belleek The banquet at Belleek Castle was held with the ceremonial sword of Clans of Ireland on display (courtesy of the chairman, Gearóid Ó Ceallaigh) — a claymore-style claíomh mór used for ceremonial purposes. Comment was made, during dinner, of the number of young people in the room: a sign of hope for the future. Kilglass Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann provided music and Irish dancers; transport carried the clan back to Enniscrone afterwards, with only the dwellers in Belleek Castle’s own rooms staying the night. Further Reading Thomas J Dowds, The O’Dubhda Gatherings: A History (forthcoming) — chapter 12 Related: 2018 Rally (previous) · 2025 Rally (next) ← Previous Rally The 2018 Rally — Kieran O’Dowd, First Woman Taoiseach Next Rally → The 2025 Rally — Silver Jubilee of the Inauguration
The 2018 Rally — Kieran O’Dowd, First Woman Taoiseach
On Saturday, 6 October 2018, on the beach behind the Ocean Sands Hotel in Enniscrone — in sight of the harbour from which so many O’Dowds had left — Kieran O’Dowd was inaugurated Taoiseach of Tireragh, the first woman to hold the office. At a glanceDates: 4 – 7 October 2018 · Base: Ocean Sands Hotel, EnniscroneNotable moments: Clan Constitution adopted; inauguration of Kieran O’Dowd — first female Taoiseach; Remembrance Lanterns released over Killala BayGuest speaker: Dr Marion Dowd, archaeologist — The Archaeology of Darkness. The Gathering Early arrivals filled Thursday afternoon with a hike to Castleconnor or a walking tour of Enniscrone. Colum O’Dowd and Conor MacHale held a genealogy clinic. The Thursday evening meet-and-greet became an O’Dubhda history talk, and Pascal O’Dowd’s composition in honour of the clan was the piece of music most talked about the next day. Friday’s Tours Two parties set out. The first took the castles of Tireragh — the ruins of the O’Dubhda strongholds that the clan was now rebuilding on its website — and returned via Ardnaree Friary, Rosserk Friary, Killala and Foghill (the landing-place of St Patrick), stopping at the new whiskey distillery in Ballina. The second drove to Strokestown’s Famine Museum and on to Rathcroghan, arriving too late to reach the Daithí stone but in time to walk the ring-forts. Marion Dowd & the Lanterns That evening, Dr Marion Dowd of IT Sligo — whose excavation in County Clare had pushed back the date of human presence in Ireland by 2,500 years — gave a lecture on the archaeology of Irish caves: from refuge to hermitage to home. The session ran late with questions. Afterwards the whole clan moved to the patio behind the hotel and released lighted lanterns that drifted over Killala Bay toward Benbulben. Marion, at her first rally, enrolled as a member that evening. The Inauguration & the Constitution The Council of Chieftains met at 9am on Saturday, chaired by Taoiseach Andrew Dowds, and approved a draft Clan Constitution that the members adopted in open session. Tánaiste Colum O’Dowd was elected as successor. In the afternoon the entire clan walked onto the beach for the inauguration of Kieran O’Dowd as the sixth modern Taoiseach — the first female Taoiseach in the history of the office. Ollamh Conor MacHale passed the White Wand round the gathering and returned it to the retiring Taoiseach, Andrew, who held it over Kieran’s head. As she turned round three times, the clan shouted Ó Dubhda! Ó Dubhda! Ó Dubhda! over the sound of the sea. As they walked back to the hotel afterwards, Taoiseach Emeritus Thomas Dowds remarked to Kieran that it was a fitting site — “one of the last Irish things her ancestors would have seen as their ship sailed out into the Atlantic.” The Banquet The feast was again at Belleek Castle, with a trio led by Seamie O’Dowd providing traditional music. Transport carried the happy and tired clan back to Enniscrone afterwards. Sunday’s parting glass, at noon, was a quieter affair than most — the gathering had left everyone with quite a lot to think about. Further Reading Thomas J Dowds, The O’Dubhda Gatherings: A History (forthcoming) — chapter 13 Robert Hensey & Marion Dowd (eds), The Archaeology of Darkness (Oxbow, 2016) odubhdaclan.com archive entry (members only) ← Previous Rally The 2015 Rally — Silver Anniversary Next Rally → The 2022 Rally — Covid-Delayed Gathering
The 2015 Rally — Silver Anniversary
October 2015 marked the silver anniversary of the first hosting in 1990. About a hundred people bearing some variation of the Ó Dubhda name came to Enniscrone — including for the first time French-speaking Québec — for four days of lectures, tours, a banquet at Belleek Castle, and the inauguration of Andrew Dowds. At a glanceDates: 8 – 11 October 2015 · Base: Ocean Sands Hotel, EnniscroneAttendance: c. 100 from Ireland, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Qatar, Australia, the USA, Canada and QuébecNotable moment: Andrew Dowds inaugurated Taoiseach; Kieran O’Dowd elected as the clan’s first female Tánaiste. The Silver Anniversary The 2015 rally was the first to count itself in quarters of a century rather than in years. It was also the first to bring the Mac Firbhisigh memorial back to the table — the chair at Skreen had just been restored — and the first at which the clan brought its own blended whiskey to the banquet. Lectures That Year Dr Nollaig Ó Muraíle — Leabhar Mór na nGenealach, the Great Book of Genealogies of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh Proinsias Mag Fhionnghaile — Ancient Gaelic dress (and a live demonstration at the banquet) Mike Dowd — a new history of St Patrick Conor Mac Hale — the heritage of Ó Dubhda, with tours through the territory Tours & Sites Carrowmore megalithic cemetery and Moyne Abbey / Rosserk Friary / Ardnaree Friary The newly restored Mac Firbhisigh Chair at Skreen The megalithic tomb in the Castle Field, Enniscrone — site of the photographic portrait of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste Banquet at Belleek Castle with Tireragh Branch Comhaltas music and dance The Inauguration Andrew Dowds, from Cumbernauld, Scotland, was inaugurated as the fifth modern Taoiseach. Andrew is the son of Thomas J Dowds, the first elected Taoiseach of 1997 — making 2015 the first rally at which a son succeeded to the office held by his father four rallies earlier. Kieran O’Dowd, San Francisco-born but settled in Ireland, was elected Tánaiste: the first woman in the role. Her own inauguration was set for 2018. Voices & Visitors Among the platforms and speakers, Kieran O’Dowd brought a Californian white wine blended for the occasion; Mike Dowd’s new book on St Patrick set the tone for 2018’s return to Foghill. The banquet, at Belleek, included a presentation from a representative of Clans of Ireland — of which Clann Uí Dubhda had been a founder member. Further Reading Thomas J Dowds, The O’Dubhda Gatherings: A History (forthcoming) — chapter 12 odubhdaclan.com archive entry ← Previous Rally The 2012 Rally — Brendan J O’Dowd Inaugurated Next Rally → The 2018 Rally — Kieran O’Dowd, First Woman Taoiseach
The 2012 Rally — Brendan J O’Dowd Inaugurated
The 9th rally, October 2012, carried the inauguration of Brendan J O’Dowd of Castlebar — the first Irish-born Taoiseach of Tireragh since Tadhg Buí in 1595. The ceremony was held in the church at Enniscrone; the banquet, in the old hall, closed with traditional music from the Tireragh Comhaltas. At a glanceDates: 11 – 14 October 2012 · Base: Ocean Sands Hotel, EnniscroneNotable moment: Brendan J O’Dowd inaugurated — first Irish-born Taoiseach since 1595Tour: Rathcroghan, seat of Connacht’s kings and grave of Daithí. The Gathering Rally week opened with an afternoon excursion to Rathcroghan in Co. Roscommon — the ancient royal seat of Connacht, where the stone marker for Daithí, the last pagan Ard Rí and ancestor of the O’Dubhda, still stands over the ring-forts. The clan walked the souterrain at Oweynagat and visited the Strokestown Famine Museum on the way back. A second excursion took in Castlebar, the short-lived capital of the Republic of Connacht in 1798, the Museum of Country Life at Turlough House, the Mayo North Heritage Centre at Enniscoe, and the fine late-medieval Castletown / Cottlestown. Frank Tivan gave an evening talk on the deeper historical connections of the O’Dubhda to the sites visited. The Inauguration On Saturday, at the Enniscrone church, Brendan J O’Dowd of Castlebar was inaugurated as Taoiseach of Tireragh, succeeding Mike Dowd. Brendan, born in 1965 and raised near Culleens in Kilglass, became the first Irish-born Chieftain to hold the office since Tadhg Buí. Andrew Dowds of Cumbernauld, Scotland — son of Thomas J Dowds, the first modern Taoiseach — was elected Tánaiste. The MacFirbis Memorial Archaeologist Martin Timoney briefed the meeting on the MacFirbis memorial at Skreen, which had been temporarily removed for stonework and would be restored in May 2015. The great bardic family, ollamhs to the O’Dubhda chieftains for centuries, were the reason so much of the clan’s lore survives at all. Tours & Sites Rathcroghan Heritage Centre, Oweynagat souterrain, Strokestown Park Castlebar, the Museum of Country Life at Turlough, Enniscoe Castletown / Cottlestown — the late-medieval O’Dubhda tower-house Ardnaree Friary, Moyne Abbey, Killala, Foghill — St Patrick’s first Irish landing Further Reading Thomas J Dowds, The O’Dubhda Gatherings: A History (forthcoming) — chapter 11 odubhdaclan.com archive entry ← Previous Rally The 2009 Rally — Mícheál Ó Dubhda Inaugurated Next Rally → The 2015 Rally — Silver Anniversary
The 2009 Rally — Mícheál Ó Dubhda Inaugurated
October 2009 brought about fifty clansmen to the Ocean Sand Hotel in Enniscrone — the oldest 84 (the retiring Taoiseach Edward P. O’Dowd), the youngest 7. The weekend closed with the inauguration of Mícheál Ó Dubhda (Mike Dowd) of Brisbane as the fourth modern Taoiseach. At a glanceDates: 8 – 11 October 2009 · Base: Ocean Sand Hotel, EnniscroneAttendance: c. 45 – 50 — Irish, American, Australian, Scottish, Canadian and Dutch/South-African branchesNotable moment: Mícheál Ó Dubhda (Brisbane) inaugurated Taoiseach; Brendan J O’Dowd (Castlebar) elected Tánaiste. The Gathering The Ocean Sand replaced the Atlantic Hotel as the clan’s base for the first time — a move that would last for the next four rallies. Thursday evening’s welcome reception included short talks on recent genealogical research and an enlarged version of the clan’s travelling exhibition. Friday brought a genealogy workshop and an afternoon walk at Enniscrone Castle, with the evening reserved for the Council of Chieftains. Saturday: The Céide Fields A bus excursion carried the party up the coast to the Céide Fields, described by its guides as the largest Neolithic settlement in the world — a pattern of stone walls preserved under blanket bog for almost five thousand years. The audio-visual display and the cliffside walk won the day, even in October weather. Back in Enniscrone that evening, the clan business meeting held its elections and the formal banquet followed. The Inauguration Mícheál Ó Dubhda — Mike Dowd, born in Ireland and long settled in Brisbane, Australia — was inaugurated Taoiseach of Tireragh, succeeding Edward P. O’Dowd. Brendan J O’Dowd of Castlebar was elected Tánaiste, setting up what would be, in 2012, the inauguration of the first Irish-born Chieftain since Tadhg Buí. Voices & Visitors Michael O’Dowd of the Netherlands wrote the contemporary account of the gathering: ‘4 Aussies, 12 Yanks, 8 from Scotland, 10 Irish, 4 Canadians, 4 Dutch (South African branch).’ Sunday closed with Mass, a parting glass, and visits to the castle for those with another day to spare. Further Reading Thomas J Dowds, The O’Dubhda Gatherings: A History (forthcoming) — chapter 10 odubhdaclan.com archive entry ← Previous Rally The 2007 Flight of the Earls Commemoration Next Rally → The 2012 Rally — Brendan J O’Dowd Inaugurated
The 2007 Flight of the Earls Commemoration
In September 2007, a delegation from the O’Dubhda Clan joined the national commemoration at Rathmullan on the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls — the 1607 departure that ended the old Gaelic order and, for a time, the independent chieftainships it contained. At a glanceDate: 14 September 2007 · Location: Rathmullan, Co. DonegalOrganisers: Rathmullan & District Local History Society with Donegal County CouncilWhy it mattered: The Flight of 1607 sealed the end of the world in which O’Dubhda Taoisigh had been inaugurated at Cahirmore. What Was Being Remembered On the night of 4 September 1607, Rory O’Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, and Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, sailed from Rathmullan on Lough Swilly with their families and a small retinue. They never reached Spain. Their ship was driven by storms into France, and they made their way from there to Rome. The Flight emptied Ulster of its Gaelic leadership and cleared the way for the Ulster Plantation. For the O’Dubhda, whose chiefs had been inaugurated by the O’Caomháin only a generation earlier at Cahirmore, the Flight marked the close of the world in which such ceremonies were politically meaningful. The Commemoration Rathmullan & District Local History Society, with Donegal County Council, organised a weekend of lectures, walks and a formal ceremony on the quay. The O’Dubhda Clan sent a party including Taoiseach Edward P. O’Dowd, Taoiseach Emeritus Thomas J Dowds, and the Ollamh, Conor MacHale. A wreath was laid at the memorial overlooking the lough from which the earls departed. Further Reading Thomas J Dowds, The O’Dubhda Gatherings: A History (forthcoming) Rathmullan & District Local History Society — commemoration archive Related: 2006 Rally — the preceding gathering. ← Previous Rally The 2006 Rally — Edward P O’Dowd Inaugurated Next Rally → The 2009 Rally — Mícheál Ó Dubhda Inaugurated
The 2006 Rally — Edward P O’Dowd Inaugurated
The seventh rally, 15 – 17 September 2006, held its business in the back room of Roper’s Pub (the Atlantic Hotel was being refurbished) and closed with the inauguration of Edward P. O’Dowd of Chicago as the third modern Taoiseach at Enniscrone Castle. At a glanceDates: 15 – 17 September 2006 · Base: Roper’s Pub, EnniscroneAttendance: From Australia (ACT, Queensland), Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland and across the USANotable moment: Inauguration of Edward P. O’Dowd of Chicago; Mícheál Ó Dubhda (Brisbane) elected Tánaiste. The Gathering Registration on Friday included a welcome pack: the clan newsletter, a copy of the O’Dubhda History, a programme, a lapel pin presented by Taoiseach Richard Dowd, and a first drink on the house. The exhibit that year was stronger than any before it — manuscripts dated 1160, 1397 and 1650, and materials on Baron O’Dowda and the more than forty recorded surname variants. Saturday: Two Coaches, Six Sites Two minibuses worked through the day’s itinerary. The O’Dubhda Mermaid Rocks at Scurmore; the thirteenth-century ruins of Castleconnor; the fifteenth-century Moyne Abbey, where Fr John (Seán) Ó Dubhda was martyred; Kilcummin, the French landing place of 1798; and the Neolithic Céide Fields above the Atlantic cliffs. Dinner that evening was at Murphy Brothers’ restaurant in Ballina. The Inauguration Sunday morning began with a memorial Mass for deceased clan members, celebrated by Fr Michael Doody SJ. The Council met and confirmed Mícheál Ó Dubhda (Mike Dowd) of Queensland as the incoming Tánaiste. The members then moved to Enniscrone Castle for the inauguration of Edward P. O’Dowd of Chicago. Following the now-established form, the White Wand was passed hand-to-hand through the gathering before being raised over Edward’s head by the Ollamh. At the same meeting the rule was unanimously adopted that retiring Taoisigh should henceforth hold the title Taoiseach Emeritus as permanent members of the Clan Council. Tours & Sites Mermaid Rocks at Scurmore Castleconnor, Roslee Castle, Easkey, the Split Rock of Killeenduff Grangemore Castle (16th c.) and Skreen — Mac Fhirbhisigh country Rathlee Tower (c.1803) and the cliff-walk at Rathlee Castle Further Reading Thomas J Dowds, The O’Dubhda Gatherings: A History (forthcoming) — chapter 8 odubhdaclan.com archive entry ← Previous Rally The 2003 Rally — Richard F Dowd Inaugurated Next Rally → The 2007 Flight of the Earls Commemoration
The 2003 Rally — Richard F Dowd Inaugurated
The sixth gathering, September 2003, was above all a handover. Thomas J Dowds’ six-year term came to a close at Enniscrone Castle as he passed the White Wand to his Tánaiste, Dr Richard F Dowd of New Jersey — the clan’s second modern Taoiseach. At a glanceDates: 12 – 14 September 2003 · Base: Atlantic Hotel, EnniscroneNotable moment: Inauguration of Dr Richard F Dowd at Enniscrone CastleBook launch: Inishcrone and O’Dubhda Country by Conor MacHale at the MacFirbis Centre, Kilglass. The Gathering Registration and a welcome reception were again at the Atlantic Hotel on Friday evening. The weekend had the settled feel of a tradition — a Saturday morning tour of the Turlough Park Museum of Country Life, the Mermaid Rocks at Scurmore, and Castleconnor, followed by an evening clan council. At the MacFirbis Centre in Kilglass, Conor MacHale launched Inishcrone and O’Dubhda Country, the fuller account of the territory and its history. Transport was laid on between the hotel and the MacFirbis Hall so that no one missed the launch. The Inauguration On Sunday afternoon the clan gathered at Enniscrone Castle — the fortress last held by O’Dubhda forces in the seventeenth century — for the formal inauguration of Dr Richard F Dowd as Taoiseach of Tireragh. The ceremony followed the Brehon form adopted at Cahirmore in 2000: the White Wand was passed through the hands of every member present before the Ollamh, Conor MacHale, held it over the new Taoiseach’s head. Richard Dowd, of New Jersey, became the first American-born holder of the office. Tours & Sites Moyne Abbey, Rosserk Friary, Ardnaree Friary and Rathmullcah — the great friary corridor of Tireragh Scurmore / Mermaid Rocks and Castleconnor The closing banquet at Belleek Castle, with transport laid on both ways. Voices & Visitors Thomas Dowds, now Taoiseach Emeritus, remained at the heart of the Council. Ed O’Dowd of Chicago was named Tánaiste-elect, setting the succession for 2006. Paddy Tuffy, still at every rally, was acknowledged for his unbroken service to the local committee. Further Reading Thomas J Dowds, The O’Dubhda Gatherings: A History (forthcoming) — chapter 7 Conor MacHale, Inishcrone and O’Dubhda Country (2003) — launched at this rally odubhdaclan.com archive entry ← Previous Rally The 2000 Millennium Rally & First Inauguration in 400 Years Next Rally → The 2006 Rally — Edward P O’Dowd Inaugurated
The 2000 Millennium Rally & First Inauguration in 400 Years
On a September Sunday in 2000, in an Iron-Age ring-fort above Lackan Bay called Cathair Mór, Conor MacHale held the White Wand over Thomas J Dowds’ head, and the assembled clan shouted ‘Ó Dubhda! Ó Dubhda! Ó Dubhda!’ across the same ground where the ceremony had last been performed in 1595. At a glanceDates: 1 – 3 September 2000 · Base: Atlantic Hotel, EnniscroneAttendance: The largest rally yet — members from every inhabited continentNotable moment: First Brehon inauguration of an O’Dubhda Taoiseach in 400 years. The Millennium Rally Hotels and guesthouses in Enniscrone were full. O’Dubhdas had come from Australia, the United States, Europe and Africa to mark a new century and a new chapter. The Atlantic Hotel reception brought together the regulars — Ed from Chicago, Seán from Kerry — and introduced new names, including seven-month-old Aimee Louise Stanton from Dubai. Friday’s session centred on Dr Peadar O’Dowd’s illustrated talk on the Uí Dubhda’s role in North Connacht, and an evening ceilidh that ran long. Saturday: The Castles & Ballymote The Saturday historical tour worked through the ancestral sites: Ardnaree Friary, Skreen, Castleconnor and Roslee Castle, Easkey. The group then drove south to Ballymote Castle — where the last Taoiseach, Tadhg Buí, had led his troops to join Red Hugh O’Donnell before the march to Kinsale in 1601. With permission from the caretakers, the Ó Dubhda standard was raised alongside O’Donnell’s at the gate of the castle. That small gesture — four centuries late — set the tone for the next day. The Inauguration at Cahirmore On Sunday the clan climbed to Cahirmore, the hilltop ring-fort that had once been held by the O’Caomháin family, hereditary marshals to the O’Dubhda. Following the rite recorded by John O’Donovan and, earlier, in the Great Book of Lecan, the Chieftain-elect climbed to the highest point of the hill and turned round three times. Ollamh Conor MacHale held the White Wand over his head, confirming his title. Richard F Dowd from New Jersey was inaugurated as Tánaiste. The assembly, arranged in rings around the fort, called out Ó Dubhda! Ó Dubhda! Ó Dubhda! three times as the wind rose from the bay. Where in earlier centuries the new Taoiseach would have received tribute from his people, in 2000 a collection was taken up to be donated to a local charity. The banquet followed at Belleek Castle. Voices & Visitors The Taoiseach remarked afterwards that it had taken four hundred years to hold this ceremony again. It is a mark of how well the clan had grown that, within a single weekend in 2000, it was able to be done at all. Further Reading Thomas J Dowds, The O’Dubhda Gatherings: A History (forthcoming) — chapter 6 Conor Mac Hale, The O’Dubhda Family History (1990) — the scholarly basis for the ceremony John O’Donovan, The Genealogies, Tribes and Customs of Hy-Fiachrach (1844) — the inauguration rite described odubhdaclan.com archive entry ← Previous Rally The 1998 Bonniconlon Commemoration Next Rally → The 2003 Rally — Richard F Dowd Inaugurated
The 1998 Bonniconlon Commemoration
On 5 July 1998, on a bright summer Sunday at Bonniconlon, the Taoiseach of Ireland — Bertie Ahern, fresh from the Good Friday negotiations — unveiled a memorial to Colonel Baron James O’Dowda, hanged at Killala in 1798. The clan’s Taoiseach-elect and members from five countries were present. At a glanceDate: 5 July 1998 · Location: Bonniconlon, Co. MayoGuest of honour: An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TDCommemorates: Col. Baron James Vippler O’Dowda, hanged after General Humbert’s surrender; the O’Dowdas of Bonniconlon who lost their estates refusing to collect rents from starving famine tenants. What Was Being Remembered Baron James Vippler O’Dowda had inherited the title through an uncle in Germany, married Temperance Fitzgerald of Mount Tallant, and thrown himself into improving the Bonniconlon estate — roads, a coach service from Ballina to Castlerea, a shortened line from Ballina to Banada. When General Humbert landed at Killala in August 1798, Baron O’Dowda rallied to the Irish cause. He was among the garrison left to hold Killala when the French marched on Castlebar. A month later, after the rising collapsed at Ballinamuck, Major-General Trench’s forces took Killala. On 23 September 1798, in the park behind Killala Castle, the Baron was court-martialled and hanged. A generation later the Bonniconlon branch of the O’Dowdas lost their estates entirely, having refused to collect rents from tenants starving in the famine of 1845–49. The Bonniconlon memorial honours both acts of conscience. The Unveiling An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD travelled directly from the Good Friday Agreement negotiations to preside. A party representing the O’Dubhda Clan came from Ireland, Scotland, the United States, Australia and Canada, led by the Taoiseach-elect, Thomas J Dowds, and his wife Cathie. The stone was carved with an inscription taken from an older memorial at the site: “Sacred to the memory of Temperance O’Dowda, alias Fitzgerald, who departed this life…” — joining Baron James and his wife Temperance, finally, to the land they had tried to keep alive. Afterwards Later in the year, clan members travelled to County Longford for the Battle of Ballinamuck re-enactment, where the General’s Franco-Irish army had finally surrendered, and where Baron O’Dowda had been condemned. Further Reading Thomas J Dowds, The French Invasion of Ireland 1798 (Dublin, 2000) Thomas J Dowds, The O’Dubhda Gatherings: A History (forthcoming) odubhdaclan.com archive entry Related: 1997 Rally — where the memorial project was adopted by the Clan. ← Previous Rally The 1997 Rally — First Taoiseach Elected Next Rally → The 2000 Millennium Rally & First Inauguration in 400 Years
