Volunteer Patrick Thompson To Be Remembered In Finea

Due to a blunder at this end the following piece from the 1916 Societies failed to run when it should have. While it is too late as notice of the event there is material in the piece relating to the life of Volunteer Patrick Thompson which many of our readers will find interesting.

The Spirit of Irish Freedom Society Westmeath will unveil a new memorial to Volunteer Patrick Thompson this Sunday in Finea at 3pm sharp. Tommy McKearney will give the main oration and all are welcome.
Volunteer Patrick Thompson
Volunteer Patrick Thompson was a native of Lisnadarragh, Finea, and was a well known farmer in the area. He was shot dead by an RIC Constable in the village of Finea on 6th October 1920, aged just 34 years.

Patrick Thompson was a member of the Finea Company IRA. Members of the Finea Company worked closely with the infamous North Longford Flying Column, who had an outpost near Finea at the time. They regularly used the local Volunteers to provide information on the movements of the RIC and military and for backup in their operations along the Longford, Westmeath and Cavan border area.

On 6th October 1920, RIC Constable Henry Corbett was seen drinking in a Public House in Finea. One of the locals, who witnessed Corbett brandishing his weapon in Fitzgerald’s Public House earlier that evening, contacted the local Volunteers that Corbett was in town drinking and was armed.

Volunteer Patrick Thompson was sent to the village to watch the movements of Constable Corbett. As weapons were scarce at the time, it was planned that other Volunteers would join Thompson to ambush Corbett on his way home and relieve him of his weapon.

At about 9.55pm, Patrick Thompson was talking to another man on the main street when he saw Corbett across the way. Thompson crossed in pursuit, following him in the direction of the bridge. As Thompson approached, Corbett drew his weapon and fired three shots at him. One bullet hit Vol. Patrick Thompson in the chest, killing him instantly.

Corbett left the scene immediately and headed to the RIC Barracks in Kilnaleck, where he applied for four days leave. When the other Volunteers arrived in the village, in the darkness they didn’t see Volunteer Thompson lying dead in Connolly’s yard, nor any sign of Constable Corbett. And so they called off the operation and returned to base.

Patrick Thompson’s body was found, lying in a pool of blood, by a passerby at approximately 7am the next morning.

3 comments:

  1. Cheers Anthony and yeah, it was still worth running regardless due to the nature of the information in relation to the Volunteer in question.

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  2. very good post, yes, good to have that piece of history.

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  3. Kevin a chara, I wrote the piece you made mention of, the analysis of how OIOV can challenge the global capitalist matrix. It'll be in our magazine which comes out this weekend but will also be on TPQ ASAP after that

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