Michael Griffin (18 September 1892 – 14 November 1920) was an Irish Catholic priest who was murdered during the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...

. Griffin was born in the townland of Gurteen,

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

, to Thomas George Griffin, a farmer, and Mary Coyne (also Kyne). In the 1901 and 1911 censuses, the family was recorded as living in the neighbouring townland of Gortnacross. Griffin's father had been serving as the

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

Galway County Council Galway County Council ( ga, Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe) is the authority responsible for local government in County Galway, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housin ...

when he died in 1914; he had also been associated with the

Irish National Land League The Irish National Land League (Irish: ''Conradh na Talún'') was an Irish political organisation of the late 19th century which sought to help poor tenant farmers. Its primary aim was to abolish landlordism in Ireland and enable tenant farmer ...

, along with the political movement of its founder,

Charles Stewart Parnell Charles Stewart Parnell (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1875 to 1891, also acting as Leader of the Home Rule League from 1880 to 1882 and then Leader of the ...

, and was imprisoned for his activities in the 1880s. Griffin was ordained at

St Patrick's College, Maynooth St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland. ...

in 1917. A priest of the Diocese of Clonfert, he served in the

Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora The Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora ( ga, Deoise na Gaillimhe, Chill Mhic Duaich agus Chill Fhionnúrach) is a Roman Catholic diocese in the west of Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Tuam and is subject ...

. In June 1918, the curate was transferred from the parish of Ennistymon, County Clare, to Rahoon, Galway City. On the night of 14 November 1920, during the

Irish War for Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...

, Griffin, a known

Irish republican Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The develop ...

sympathiser, left his home at 2 Montpellier Terrace but never returned. "After being lured by British forces to leave the house, it’s thought he was taken to Lenaboy Castle, on Taylor’s Hill, where

Auxiliary Auxiliary may refer to: * A backup site or system In language * Auxiliary language (disambiguation) * Auxiliary verb In military and law enforcement * Auxiliary police * Auxiliaries, civilians or quasi-military personnel who provide support of ...

forces were stationed. There, he was questioned and ultimately killed." On 20 November, his body was found in an unmarked grave in a bog at Cloghscoltia near

Barna Barna (Bearna in Irish) is a coastal village on the R336 regional road in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It has become a satellite village of Galway city. The village is Irish speaking and is therefore a constituent part of the regions ...

; he had been shot through the head. The day after Griffin's body was discovered, the

Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday may refer to: Historical events Canada * Bloody Sunday (1923), a day of police violence during a steelworkers' strike for union recognition in Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia * Bloody Sunday (1938), police violence agai ...

massacre occurred in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. On 23 November, after Griffin's funeral mass at St Joseph's Church, the funeral cortege processed through the streets of Galway. Three bishops, 150 priests and in excess of 12,000 mourners participated. The priest was buried in the grounds of

Loughrea Cathedral The Cathedral of St. Brendan, Loughrea, is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clonfert. Though designed in neo-gothic style, it arguably houses the most extensive collection of arts and crafts and Celtic Revival artifacts of ...

. Griffin was most likely killed by the

Auxiliary Division The Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC), generally known as the Auxiliaries or Auxies, was a paramilitary unit of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) during the Irish War of Independence. It was founded in July 1920 by Major ...

of the

Royal Irish Constabulary The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...

(RIC). Due to his known Irish republican sympathies, he would have been a target for reprisal killing by Crown forces, who had already committed several such killings in Galway in the preceding months. He had given the

last rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. They may be administered to those awaiting execution, mortall ...

to IRA volunteer Seamus Quirke, who was shot and killing by the RIC on 9 September 1920, and took part in the

funeral mass A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

for

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...

councillor and local businessman Michael Walsh, who was killed by a group of armed men "with English accents" who claimed to be "English secret service men" on 19 October 1920, just weeks before Griffin was murdered. The leader of the

Irish Parliamentary Party The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP; commonly called the Irish Party or the Home Rule Party) was formed in 1874 by Isaac Butt, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish national ...

Joseph Devlin Joseph Devlin (13 February 1871 – 18 January 1934) was an Irish people, Irish journalist and influential Irish Nationalism, nationalist politician. He was a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for the Irish Parli ...

, raised the issue of Griffin's disappearance in the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 mem ...

, claiming "it is clear that it was the officers of the Crown who have kidnapped this clergyman." In response, the

Chief Secretary for Ireland The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant, and officially the "Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant", from the early 19th century un ...

Sir Hamar Greenwood described Griffin to the House of Commons as "an extreme Sinn Feiner" who allegedly "told his congregation that some among them were as bad as the "

Black and Tans Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...

." However, Greenwood professed ignorance as to the involvement of the Auxiliary Division in Griffin's disappearance, stating "I do not believe for a moment that this priest has been kidnapped by any of the forces of the Crown. It is obviously a stupid thing that no forces of the Crown would do." Devlin quickly retorted " at is just what they would do." Another Irish

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

Jeremiah McVeagh Jeremiah McVeagh (1870/73 – 17 April 1932) was an Irish nationalist politician and Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was the son of Thomas McVeagh, shipowner, and was educ ...

, openly accused Greenwood of complicity, claiming " was your own men, your minions, who committed the murder. You know it." After his resignation, the former commander of the Auxiliary Division,

Frank Percy Crozier Frank Percy Crozier (1 January 1879 – 31 August 1937) was a British military officer. His first military experience was in the Second Boer War (1899–1902) and with the Royal West African Frontier Force in Nigeria. During World War I, he com ...

, subsequently admitted to the press "that Auxiliaries had murdered Father Griffin". A group of enthusiasts gathered together in Galway in the spring of 1948 to form a football club and they decided unanimously to name the club " Father Griffins". There is also a road in Galway City called "Father Griffin Road".

See also

References

Further reading