Stone replaced at grave of Colonel Thomas J. Kelly, Fenian and US Civil War leader in Woodlawn Cemetery
On Saturday, 31st May 2008, which was forecast to be a rainy afternoon, a large number of intrepid souls braved the sometimes heavy rain to hear Martin Lyons, lifelong Irish Republican activist, open the ceremonies to dedicate the new stone marker on the grave of his kinsman and fellow Galway man, the Fenian leader, Colonel Thomas J. Kelly, in The Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. Among those in attendance were a 91-year old native of Mountbellew, and a collateral descendant of Kelly.
Participating in the program were all well known supporters of the cause of Irish Freedom including: the main speaker, Liam Ó Murchú, former Editor of the National Hibernian Digest; Martin Galvin, who read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic; Tommy Enright who explained his choice of music for the occasion; Charlie Laverty, President Emeritus of the New York Irish History Round Table and historian for the Fenian Graves Project; Éamonn Griffin of the National Graves Association, who traveled from County Wexford for the occasion; and, Kevin Kennedy, who laid a wreath at the new headstone that was unveiled by Martin Lyons.
American Civil War re-enactors in full 1863 uniform from a variety of regiments including 150th New York, 11th Connecticut and 27th New York, under the command of Peter Bedrosian, mustered behind the colors of the 150th New York to perform the very stirring graveside ritual of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) for their fallen comrade, Thomas Kelly. Kelly was a member of a New York City GAR Post, which had placed a marker on his grave. The GAR ritual included the firing of three volleys (blanks) from some 21 muskets.
The stone was also blessed by a priest, arranged by Kevin Kennedy.
The 16 yr old Eugene Hogan Bender, winner of the 2007, North American (under 16) Fiddle Championship of the Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann, closed the ritual with a most memorable rendition of “The Bold Fenian Men”, followed by a verse of “God Save Ireland!”
Officer S Hogan from the New York Police Emerald Society Pipe Band then played “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” as a lament for Kelly.
Martin Galvin, one time Editor of The Irish People, gave a brief, but stirring, oration, in which he cited John Devoy’s comments, in Recollections of an Irish Rebel, regarding the death of Thomas Kelly, who had been in declining health in his last years and died in relative obscurity. Devoy pointed out that one of Ireland’s greatest heroes deserved better, and Galvin said that Devoy should be glad that Kelly finally got the honors he deserved, albeit a century later.
Special thanks are due to Mike Bennett and the Admiral Worden Camp 150 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil war for procuring the new, polished granite stone for Kelly, and to Ed Dunn of the Board of Directors of the Veteran Corps of the 69th Regiment of New York and to Jim Stagnitta of All Faiths Monuments of Glendale, New York for arranging for the inscription to be cut into the stone.
The event was declared closed by chairman Martin Lyons after the Last Post was played.
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