Liam Pilkington
Encyclopedia
Liam Pilkington also known as William Pilkington and Billy Pilkington, served in the Irish Republican Army
(IRA) during the Irish War of Independence
. Pilkington served the IRA as General Officer Commanding
(GOC) of the 3rd Western Division IRA from 1921 to 1923. After the conclusion of the Irish War of Independence Pilkington joined the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War
. He attempted to become a politician for a short while, but was ultimately unsuccessful. After the disillusionment of the Irish Civil War, Pilkington became a Catholic
priest, for the remainder of his life. He remained faithful to the All Ireland Republic and died in Liverpool
, England
.
on 2 June 1894. He received his education at the local Marist Brothers
' convent school and the Day Trades Preparatory School. Later he was a student at the Department of Agriculture Forestry College in County Wicklow
. When the Irish War of Independence began the College was closed and Pilkington was forced to return to Sligo. He then gained employment with Wehrly Brothers Ltd. (a jewellery and watchmaking store) in Sligo.
and Cliffony in County Sligo), the IRA ambushed a nine-man Royal Irish Constabulary
patrol, killing four (Sergeant Patrick Perry, Constable Patrick Keown, Constable Patrick Laffey, Constable Patrick Lynch) and wounding two others (Constables Clarke and O'Rourke). The IRA ambush was led by Sligo Brigade Commanding Officer
(O/C) William Pilkington. On 4 September 1922, Anti-Treaty IRA unit under Liam Pilkington took the Dromhaire barracks, in County Sligo, because the Free State
garrison in the Dromhaire barracks surrendered. On 6 April 1922 a meeting to be addressed by Arthur Griffith
in Sligo was proclaimed by local Anti-Treaty IRA divisional commander, Liam Pilkington. Pilkington's troops took over a number of buildings in the town. Sean MacEoin brought Provisional Government
troops from Athlone and on the day of the meeting, he was joined by further troops led by JJ "Ginger" O'Connell
. A tense situation ensued but, at the last minute, Pilkington backed down and the meeting went ahead.
candidate, polling only 2089 first preference votes.
and three miles from Mullinahone
). Present were Frank Aiken
, Liam Pilkington (replacing Liam Lynch), Sean Hyde, Sean Dowling, Bill Quirke, Tom Barry
, Tom Ruane
(replacing Michael Kilroy
), Tom Sullivan (replacing Sean Lehane), Sean McSwiney, Tom Crofts, P. J. Ruttledge
and Sean O'Meara (substitute for Seamus Robinson). Frank Aiken was elected Chief-of-Staff and an Army Council of Aiken, Pilkington and Barry was appointed, although Macardle says that Sean Hyde was also included. Aiken proposed that peace should be made with the Pro-Treaty Government on the basis that "The sovereignty of the Irish Nation and the integrity of its territory is inalienable". This was passed by nine votes to two.
. He joined the Redemptorist Order and became known as Father William Pilkington CSsR
. Pilkington served as a priest in the Diocese of Cape Town, South Africa
, priest of Monmouthshire
, Wales
, bishop of Eton
and bishop of Childwall
, Liverpool
, England
. He continued in his role as a Catholic priest for the remainder of his life.
and the IRA Veterans of America in New York
where he said he was returning to the mission fields of Africa
, but he remained faithful to the All Ireland Republic. He died on 26 March 1977 and was buried in Liverpool
, England
.
Vernon Street in Sligo
was renamed Pilkington Terrace in is named in his memory.
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
(IRA) during the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
. Pilkington served the IRA as General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
(GOC) of the 3rd Western Division IRA from 1921 to 1923. After the conclusion of the Irish War of Independence Pilkington joined the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
. He attempted to become a politician for a short while, but was ultimately unsuccessful. After the disillusionment of the Irish Civil War, Pilkington became a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest, for the remainder of his life. He remained faithful to the All Ireland Republic and died in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Early life
Pilkington was born in SligoSligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
on 2 June 1894. He received his education at the local Marist Brothers
Marist Brothers
The Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary, are a Catholic religious order of brothers and affiliated lay people. The order was founded in France, at La Valla-en-Gier near Lyon in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest of the Society of Mary...
' convent school and the Day Trades Preparatory School. Later he was a student at the Department of Agriculture Forestry College in County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. When the Irish War of Independence began the College was closed and Pilkington was forced to return to Sligo. He then gained employment with Wehrly Brothers Ltd. (a jewellery and watchmaking store) in Sligo.
Military career
Several notable incidents occurred in Pilkington's military career. On 25 October 1920 at Moneygold, eight miles from Sligo (between GrangeGrange
-Buildings:* Grange House , Bo'ness, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906* Hamilton Grange National Memorial, a historic house in New York City...
and Cliffony in County Sligo), the IRA ambushed a nine-man Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
patrol, killing four (Sergeant Patrick Perry, Constable Patrick Keown, Constable Patrick Laffey, Constable Patrick Lynch) and wounding two others (Constables Clarke and O'Rourke). The IRA ambush was led by Sligo Brigade Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
(O/C) William Pilkington. On 4 September 1922, Anti-Treaty IRA unit under Liam Pilkington took the Dromhaire barracks, in County Sligo, because the Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
garrison in the Dromhaire barracks surrendered. On 6 April 1922 a meeting to be addressed by Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922, and was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations in London that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.-Early life:...
in Sligo was proclaimed by local Anti-Treaty IRA divisional commander, Liam Pilkington. Pilkington's troops took over a number of buildings in the town. Sean MacEoin brought Provisional Government
Provisional Government of Southern Ireland
The provisional Government of Southern Ireland was the provisional government for the administration of Southern Ireland between 16 January 1922 and 6 December 1922. The government was effectively a transitional administration for the period between the ratifying of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the...
troops from Athlone and on the day of the meeting, he was joined by further troops led by JJ "Ginger" O'Connell
JJ "Ginger" O'Connell
JJ Ginger O'Connell was a Lieutenant General in the Irish Defence Forces.Born in county Mayo and educated at University College Dublin, he spent the years 1912-1914 in the United States Army....
. A tense situation ensued but, at the last minute, Pilkington backed down and the meeting went ahead.
Political career
On 27 August 1923, Pilkington ran unsuccessfully in the general election for the 4th Dáil as a RepublicanIrish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
candidate, polling only 2089 first preference votes.
Anti-Treaty IRA
Pilkington was a prominent member of the Anti-Treaty IRA for many years, but his most important role as part of the Anti-Treaty IRA came on 20 April 1923. The Executive of Anti-Treaty IRA met in Poulacappal (four miles southwest of CallanCallan
-People:Callan is the birth place of some famous people, namely:* Edmund Ignatius Rice, founder of the Irish Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers* Callan also has links with Asa Griggs Candler's family and the Coca-Cola company....
and three miles from Mullinahone
Mullinahone
Mullinahone is a village in the barony of Slievardagh, South Tipperary in Ireland. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.The Irish Census of 2006 recorded the village as having a population of 372.-Location and access:...
). Present were Frank Aiken
Frank Aiken
Frank Aiken was a commander of the Irish Republican Army and later an Irish politician. A founding-member of Fianna Fáil, Aiken was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1923 and at each subsequent election until 1973...
, Liam Pilkington (replacing Liam Lynch), Sean Hyde, Sean Dowling, Bill Quirke, Tom Barry
Tom Barry
Thomas Barry was one of the most prominent guerrilla leaders in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence.-Early life:...
, Tom Ruane
Tom Ruane
Tom Ruane was Captain of the Second Western Division of the Irish Republican Army, from 1916-1920.-Background:Ruane was a native of Carnmore, County Galway, and joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1908. He was already an active sportsman with the G.A.A.. his position being full-back...
(replacing Michael Kilroy
Michael Kilroy
Michael Kilroy was an Irish politician and guerrilla leader. He was an Irish Republican Army officer in his native County Mayo, during the Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War...
), Tom Sullivan (replacing Sean Lehane), Sean McSwiney, Tom Crofts, P. J. Ruttledge
P. J. Ruttledge
Patrick J. Ruttledge was an Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1921 as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála for Mayo North and West. He opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 and joined the Republican forces. He was re-elected to the Dáil again in 1923 for Mayo North and in a further...
and Sean O'Meara (substitute for Seamus Robinson). Frank Aiken was elected Chief-of-Staff and an Army Council of Aiken, Pilkington and Barry was appointed, although Macardle says that Sean Hyde was also included. Aiken proposed that peace should be made with the Pro-Treaty Government on the basis that "The sovereignty of the Irish Nation and the integrity of its territory is inalienable". This was passed by nine votes to two.
Catholic priest
Pilkington became a Catholic priest after his foray into politics and due to the disillusionment of the Irish War of IndependenceIrish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
. He joined the Redemptorist Order and became known as Father William Pilkington CSsR
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
. Pilkington served as a priest in the Diocese of Cape Town, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, priest of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, bishop of Eton
Eton, Berkshire
Eton is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor and connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The parish also includes the large village of Eton Wick, 2 miles west of the town, and has a population of 4,980. Eton was in Buckinghamshire until...
and bishop of Childwall
Childwall
Childwall is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. It is located to the south of the city, bordered by Gateacre, Wavertree, Belle Vale, Broadgreen, Bowring Park and Mossley Hill...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He continued in his role as a Catholic priest for the remainder of his life.
Later life, death and legacy
In 1954 he was guest of honour at a dinner sponsored by Clan na GaelClan na Gael
The Clan na Gael was an Irish republican organization in the United States in the late 19th and 20th centuries, successor to the Fenian Brotherhood and a sister organization to the Irish Republican Brotherhood...
and the IRA Veterans of America in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he said he was returning to the mission fields of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, but he remained faithful to the All Ireland Republic. He died on 26 March 1977 and was buried in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Vernon Street in Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
was renamed Pilkington Terrace in is named in his memory.