BALLYBOFEY man, Brian Anderson has spent the past 20 years of his life travelling around Ireland, researching and collating information which he has now compiled into
his first history book ‘Gone But Not Forgotten, Donegal’s Republican Dead’.
The 350 page book is a reflection on a very important period of Irish history, one that Brian describes as “a time many have forgotten”.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Brian Anderson said the inspiration for his book emerged following the lack of local history lessons when he was at school.
“When I went to school, history stopped in 1916. You never learnt about anything that happened during the Civil War or the War of Independence.
“As I got older, I went to the memorial march in Drumboe every Easter and I always would hear the Roll of Honour being called out. The only reason I knew about the Drumboe Martyrs was because I’m a Ballybofey man, I never knew about anyone else so I started looking into it,” he said.
Forty two Republican Volunteers who have died in action or of illness due to fighting between 1900 to 2000, make up the Roll of Honour.
Brian has extensively researched this topic and has gathered vast amounts of information via Irish newspaper archives, military archives, by visiting graveyards and by talking to the families of those involved.
In this book, Brian looks into the lives of the 42 Republican Volunteers with a Donegal connection that gave their lives in Republican campaigns throughout the 20th Century.
The book gives information on the Volunteers’ lives, an insight on who these people were, from where they came, what they did and where they were finally laid to rest.
The book also contains portraits and pictures, some 100 years old, along with songs and poems that have been written commemorating them.
The grave of Hugh Gallagher, who was shot dead by Free State Forces while trying to escape from Drumboe Castle during the Civil War.
‘Gone But Not Forgotten, Donegal’s Republican Dead’ is €25 and will be available in all local book shops from the start of next week.
The book will be available in The Four Masters Bookshop in Donegal Town, Bookmark in Letterkenny, Alexanders, Mr G’s and Supervalu in Ballybofey, Mac’s newsagents in Buncrana, Eolas in Glencolmcille and it will also be available from bookshops in Derry.
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