It is easy to forget that all around the country in small towns and villages Volunteers had drilled and practised for a Rebellion for more than two years. The Volunteers in Tuam were no different,
despite a depleted group following the ‘split’ and not having a great deal of
local support the Tuam Volunteers still came out for manoeuvres during Easter
Week 1916. MacNeill’s countermanding
added confusion to the situation, communication difficulties and surveillance
by the R.I.C. forced the Tuam Volunteers to disband at daybreak Wednesday 26th
April 1916. The following is an account
of their activities and Liam Langley’s involvement during that week.
The situation in Galway was no different to that
in the rest of the country in the week prior
According to John Hosty’s statement there was
confusion over the order, a meeting was held of commandants and captains of
the Irish Volunteers (all were also IRB members) to decide what to do, Liam
Langley (Centre, IRB Circle North Galway, O/C Tuam Company, Galway Brigade IV, VP Na Fianna Éireann) was in attendance. John Hosty was dispatched to Dublin on
the mail train at midnight to see Eoin MacNeill (Irish Volunteers) and
confirm whether the order was genuine or not. However George Nichols
(Solicitor and IRB Centre Galway) secretly requested Hosty to go straight to
Pearse and advise him what was happening in Galway and get clear instruction
as to how to proceed (IRB) (Hosty, WS373). However by Saturday night most
battalions in Galway were aware that they were being called out for major
muster on Easter Sunday.
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Eoin MacNeill’s subsequent countermanding on Holy Saturday night put a
stop to activities. His message was published in the national papers on Easter
Sunday morning, it read, ‘all parades of Volunteers arranged for the weekend
were cancelled’. On Saturday evening/night dispatches were also sent
around the country by McNeill with the order. McNeill’s order led to
confusion and uncertainty in Galway, Tuam and around the country in general
(Dunleavy, WS1489).