90th anniversary of 11 Waterford men fighting in the Spanish Civil War

In 1936, 11 Waterford men left home to go and fight in the Spanish Civil War as part of the Fifteenth International Brigade. They didn’t do it for the money; in fact, only unmarried men were allowed to join the brigade, “a clear indication that they wouldn’t be looking after the young men’s families if something were to happen or indeed, they wouldn’t be looking after the young men if he was seriously injured.” This is according to Emmett O’Connor, son of Patrick O’Connor, one of the men who fought in the Spanish Civil War.

The men also didn’t do it so they could have a holiday in Spain. Dr O’Connor, a senior lecturer at Ulster University, said that the men spent 60 days on the front lines without a break. 

“That was just due to bad organisation.” 

Because of these conditions, the International Brigade experienced a high desertion rate – “who’s to say how any of us would have responded?” Dr O’Connor asked. Just one of the Waterford men deserted.

There was just one fatality out of the Waterford men, Mossie Quinlan, who was killed at Jarama. This is pretty good compared to the 30% of Irish men who were killed in the 15th International Brigade, compared to the World War One fatality rate of 13%.

Finally, the men didn’t go over for the glory. Dr O’Connor explained that it was not hugely popular to support the communists in the Spanish Civil War, with two thousand Blueshirts fighting on the side of Franco. It was not until 1986 that the first commemoration of the Irishmen who fought on the communist side of the Spanish Civil War was held. 

Honouring these men has been important to Mayor Cllr Seamus Ryan for over 20 years. He was on the founding committee to get a landmark in Waterford dedicated to the 11 men. He unveiled the monument back in 2004 and it was his first act as Mayor of Waterford. Now his second term as Mayor is coming to an end, and celebrating those men with a new plaque will be one of his last public engagements.

What inspires Mayor Ryan about these men is their unbreakable commitment to their beliefs. Talking about how these men in their early twenties and late teens travelled to a totally unknown country, knowing they might never have returned home, he asked the Waterford News & Star, “Would we do it now? I’m not too sure.” 

Former WLRfm and RTÉ journalist, as well as former secretary of the union FORSA, Eoin Ronayne, unveiled a new photo exhibition of locations in Spain where these men would have fought.

The photo exhibition began as a passion project. Over long weekends and weeks snatched away, Eoin spent four years driving the length and breadth of Spain, photographing battle sites and visiting tiny Spanish villages, trying to get a sense of what those men went through.

He told the audience at the exhibition launch what he learned from his time studying the stories of these men, “They were prepared to do that, what am I prepared to do now? We need to try to realise what these men knew. We are at a point of change, and the change can go one way or the other. These men saw the change; they picked the right side. The world was in horror a few years later because of the people they fought against.” 

Eoin is a self-taught photographer, although you would not know that to look at his photographs. They contain a texture of starkness that many professionals would envy. His choice of printing the photographs is perhaps an indulgence of nostalgia, but his use of light in those photographs is superb. Even without knowing the complete history of each location, the average viewer will enjoy the exhibition, which runs for free until May 6 in the Index Gallery in Waterford Central Library.

For history buffs or even just curious people, next Friday at 5pm, Eoin will be delivering a lecture about the 11 men. Meet at the monument dedicated to the men near Journi Credit Union for a commemoration ceremony, then follow the group to the lecture theatre. The event is free to attend, but you must register on Eventbrite. After the lecture, the group will be going to Jordan’s Bar for storytelling and spoken word at about 6.30pm, all are welcome.