A meeting of the Roscommon Historical and Archaeological Society will take place on Tuesday 11th February at 8pm in the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre. Following at 8.30pm a lecture will take place given by Declan Kavanagh on the exploits of the famous Sharkey sisters Una and Lena of Strokestown who were active in the War of Independence and the Civil War. They were active members of Cumann na mBan. Their shop premises were the meetings HQ during the Count Plunkett ‘Election of the Snows’ in 1917. They were involved in Cumann na mBan from its inception and took huge risks transporting arms and intelligence messages, training and administering first-aid to wounded volunteers. They ran a busy shop at the bottom of Church St. Their premises were known as the American Novelty Store and sold everyday goods as well as haberdashery, jewellery, religious goods, hardware items, and housing a well-stocked library. They had fearless resistance to British Rule in Ireland and spent time in prison in Longford, Sligo, Mountjoy and Strokestown Demesne (in the basement).
All welcome to this interesting lecture.
– Albert Siggins, Secretary of Roscommon Historical and Archaeological Society
