32CSM Scotland: September 2010

Volunteer Charles Carrigan

Charles Carrigan was born in Glasgow of Irish parents. He came to Dublin a few months before the Rising. He possessed rare mental gifts and managed while working at his trade as a tailor to attend night classes. He became proficient in French and Latin, and also studied Irish. At 16 years of age he was President of the United Irish League in Denny Stirlings. He returned to Glasgow and was much in demand as a lecturer on literary subjects. He severed his connection with the U.I.L. and joined Sinn Fein. He was also an enthusiastic Gaelic Leaguer. About a year before the Rising he returned to Ireland, and came to live in Dublin. He was killed while fighting in Henry Street, on April 28th, which, by a sad coincidence, was his thirty-fourth birthday. He fell beside The O'Rahilly and is buried in the 1916 plot in St Paul's Glasnevin.

On Easter Sunday, March 31^st 1929, in the presence of several thousand people, the Easter memorial was unveiled by Frank Ryan, then O/C Dublin Brigade, I.R.A.. Before the ceremony, the people had marched from the city in procession with six bands to play them on their way.