FLAGMOUNT’s Annie O’Mara will be commemorated this weekend by the East Clare Memorial Committee.
Company Captain of the Flagmount Cumann na mBan during the War of Independence, Annie’s life, courage and legacy will be commemorated this Easter Sunday together with her sister Bridie and brothers, Henry and Tommy.
Each year for over 100 years, the East Clare Memorial Committee has honoured individuals from the East Clare area who contributed to the struggle for Irish independence and in 2026 Annie will be the primary focus.
A wreath will be laid in honour of Annie and her siblings by a member of her family at the East Clare Memorial Park in Tuamgraney, a site that stands not only as a place of reflection, but as a living testament to the intertwined efforts of the IRA and Cumann na mBan in securing independence in the twenty-six counties.
Annie’s inclusion in this year’s ceremony represents a conscious and meaningful recognition of the indispensable, and often under-acknowledged, role played by women during the revolutionary period.
Previously, the East Clare Memorial Committee have commemorated female figures including Cratloe’s Nan Hogan, Kathleen Foley (nee McCormack) from Clonlara and Annie Gleeson from Bodyke.
Rooted in Flagmount, Annie’s story is one of quiet authority and relentless commitment. “As Captain of the local Flagmount Company of the Cumann na mBan 6th Battalion, she stood at the heart of a vast support network that sustained the IRA in East Clare. From her family home, at once a shop, post office, intelligence centre, and safe house, she coordinated communications, gathered intelligence on Crown forces, transported dispatches across the countryside, and oversaw the storage and distribution of arms. Her sister Bride was also a member of Cumann na mBan, and her brothers Henry and Tommy, were significant figures in the local IRA,” recalled Tuamgraney historian Tomás Mac Conmara.
Her contribution extended far beyond support, Tomás explained. “She played a direct and decisive role in key operations, including the daring acquisition of rifles in Ballinasloe in 1919, and her home served as a refuge and operational base for IRA leaders such as Michael Brennan, Tomo Tuohy, Pat Houlihan and many others. She fed and sheltered Volunteers, tended to the wounded, safeguarded funds for the republican cause, and acted as a scout during active operations. Her courage was perhaps most strikingly revealed in November 1920, when she confronted British forces who had taken the local curate Fr John Kennedy hostage, an intervention that is widely believed to have saved his life. Such acts, carried out in full knowledge of the risks involved, marked her as a figure of considerable resolve. Indeed, it was later recalled that Crown forces ‘hated her as much as they did her brother Henry’ himself a senior IRA figure.
Cathaoirleach of the East Clare Memorial Committee, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) stressed the importance of recognising figures like Annie. “Annie O’Mara represents the very backbone of the struggle for independence in East Clare. While many of the men carried arms, it was women like Annie who carried the movement itself, through intelligence, organisation, and courage”.
Cllr Hayes continued, “This commemoration is about restoring balance to our understanding of the past. The story of independence is not complete without acknowledging the central role of Cumann na mBan. As a committee we have led the widening of recognition for many years and decades within the county. Like many of the women and men involved, Annie’s life reminds us that leadership often operates without recognition, but never without impact”.
Tuamgraney’s setting recognises both the IRA and Cumann na mBan and is “especially fitting. It reflects the shared sacrifice that defined that generation and ensures that their legacy is carried forward with dignity and respect. It is even more poignant given that her brother, Tommy O’Mara, played a key role in developing the site as a Memorial park in the 1950s,” Cllr Hayes stated.
The annual Easter ceremony will take place at Tuamgraney on Easter Sunday at 10.00am at the memorial park in Tuamgraney. A further ceremony will be held at the grave of the Scariff Martyrs, outside Sacred Heart Catholic church outside Scariff town, commencing at 11.00am. On Easter Saturday, a commemoration will be held for the Martyrs at 17:00 on Killaloe Bridge where they were killed by British forces.
