Waterford honours her Anti-Fascists

Irish Spanish Civil War veteran Michael O'Riordan will be present for the unveiling

"No Pasaran!" will be engraved on a memorial sculpture in Waterford City this summer. At a meeting of nearly 150 people in City Hall on 25 March an appeal was launched to fund a monument to the eleven Waterford Volunteers who fought in the International Brigade in the anti-fascist war in Spain in 1936-'38. The appeal, which needs about €15,500, has the unanimous support of Waterford City Council and is expected to attract funds from a number of trade unions.

Waterford, with its strong reputation for trade union organisation, provided the largest single contingent of Irish International Brigaders. Irish Volunteers from all 32 counties proved to be exemplary soldiers in defence of the Spanish Republic against Franco's fascist rebellion in a bitter war that raged as a prelude to World War II.

The 275 Irish Volunteers served in either the Connolly Column, the British Battalion, the US originated Abraham Lincoln Brigade and the Canadian unit, the Mackenzie-Papineau (MacPaps). The majority of the Irish Volunteers had travelled from Britain, America, Canada and even Australia.

The Irish International Brigade Volunteers saw a fatality rate of nearly 27%, with 74 dead. From the moment the first Volunteers arrived until the withdrawal of the International Brigade in September 1938, they were in battle. One of the first Irish killed was Tommy Patten, from Achill. Arriving in October 1936, he quickly joined in Madrid's defence, going missing in action, presumed killed, on 16-17 December.

Even as things wound down, casualties occurred. Negrin, Prime Minister of Spain, announced the withdrawal of the International Brigades on 21 September 1938. On the night of 22-23 September there was a fascist attack. Jack Nalty, George Gorman, Henry McGrath and Liam McGregor died. The extent of this battle can be grasped from the numbers. The battalion went into action with 377 soldiers, including 106 British or Irish. By 24 September there were 173 left, 58 either British or Irish. The other 204 were either dead, missing or POWs; this was truly a bitter war.

The sculpture, to be called "No Pasaran" (they shall not pass), will stand on the public open space in front of the City Engineer's office on The Mall, next to City Hall in the heart of the city, visible to all traffic passing through Waterford. It will take the form of three blocks of granite, imported from Castille and weighing more than six and a half tons, "designed to convey something of the heroism and commitment of the Waterford men" in the words of the sculptor. It will bear the words "No Pasaran" and the names of the eleven Waterford International Brigaders.

Wexford man Michael Warren, who has a Spanish wife, is a member of Aosdana and his distinctions include the Decoration of Cultural Merit awarded by Ecuador and Madrid's Medalla al Merito Artistico. His sculptures are on display in Japan, Latin America, Europe and in Ireland.

It was thought that there were only ten Waterford Volunteers until Peter O'Connor's son Dr Emmett O Connor, one of Ireland's leading labour historians, recently discovered an eleventh, Harry Kennedy. One, Mossie Quinlan, was killed on the Jarama front. The original ten are already commemorated on an exquisite plaque of Waterford Crystal which hangs in the ATGWU Hall in Keyser Street.

Those wishing to donate should make out cheques or euro drafts to Spanish Civil War Memorial, a/c 77000030 sort code 93-41-19 and send them to Allied Irish Banks, Waterford, Ireland. It is hoped that the sculpture will be ready for unveiling on 9 July in the presence of the two surviving Irish veterans of the International Brigade, Michael O'Riordan, author of The Connolly Column, and Bob Doyle, who resides in London, both of whom recently attended the 65th Anniversary of the Battle of Ebro commemorations in Catalonia. British International Brigader Jack Jones, the renowned trade unionist and pensioners' leader, will also attend.