Sean Hales centenary marked with weekend of diverse events

BRIGADIER General Sean Hales was a man of peace who had no wish to annihilate anybody, attendees were told last Friday night in the Munster Arms Hotel in Bandon, at the official launch of the Sean Hales Centenary Commemoration weekend.

From December 9th to 11th, the weekend will host a series of events to remember the TD and Ballinadee native who was assassinated outside the Ormond Hotel by anti-treaty men on December 8th 1922, while on his way back to Dáil Eireann in a cab. 

He was later buried in the family plot at St Mary’s Cemetery in Innishannon, following his State funeral in Dublin.

The weekend events include an historical lecture on the life of Sean Hales by Lis Gillis and UCC history lecturer Gabriel Doherty, while a prayer service will also take place at his grave in Innishannon the following day. 

An anniversary mass will take place in Ballinadee on Sunday morning while a special commemoration event including full  military honours and and an oration to be delivered by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Conveney will take place at the Sean Hales Monument in Bandon on December 11th at 2pm.

Chair of the committee Miah Collins paid tribute to all the committee members who have worked so hard in preparing for the centenary commemoration weekend and a special mention was made for committee member Bill O’Reilly, who died earlier this year.

‘He led us onto do things that we would not have done, and words can’t express how we felt after he died, but we are delighted his family are here tonight,’ said Miah.

Guest speaker at the launch was broadcaster Sean Keane who spoke about the fragility of peace and how we are all survivors of ‘great generational trauma’ which, he said, is common to all people, all over the world.