WEXFORD BOROUGH District has announced plans to name a new neighbourhood park the ‘Min Ryan Park’ in honour of local woman Mary Joesphine (Min) Ryan of Tomcoole, near Taghmon.
The new 18-acre park, which will be situated at Killens, near the new Loreto Secondary School, will be named after the local woman who, together with her husband General Richard Mulcahy, her siblings and extended family, played a significant national role during the 1916 Rising and its aftermath.
Min Ryan was from a prosperous family who farmed at Tomcoole and was educated by the Loreto nuns in Wexford and qualified as a teacher from the Royal University and University Colege Dublin. Min established the London branch of Cumann na mBan, while she and several of her 11 brothers and sisters were active in the Rising and the conflicts that followed.
During the Rising Min and her sister Phyllis acted as couriers to the GPO garrison. Min was romantically involved with one of the signatories of the Proclamation, Seán McDermott, who was executed for his part in the 1916 Rising. Min visited McDermott in his cell in Kilmainham Jail at midnight on May 12, 1916 shortly before his execution.
McDermott was close to all the Ryan family including Min’s eldest sister Kate and her youngest sister Phyllis, both of whom subsequently married Seán T. O’Kelly who served as Tainiste and the second President of Ireland. In his last letter, written to his own family, McDermott said: “If I think of any other things to say I will tell them to Miss (Min) Ryan, who in all probability, had I lived, would have been my wife.”
At the monthly meeting of the Wexford Borough District, Chief Executive Tom Enright briefed the Wexford Borough Members on a philanthropic proposal by the Mulcahy family, represented by Min Ryan’s son, eminent cardiologist Professor Risteárd Mulcahy and her grandsons, businessman Mr. Richard Mulcahy and cardiologist Dr. David Mulcahy to provide a very generous donation of €200,000 towards the development of the new large neighbourhood park in honour of Min Ryan.
In 1919 Min married Richard Mulcahy. He had been second-in-command to Thomas Ashe (who would later die on hunger strike) in the defeat of the armed Royal Irish Constabulary at Ashbourne, County Meath during the Easter Rising in 1916. Arrested after the Rising, he was interned at Knutsford and at the Frongoch internment camp in Wales until his release on the December 24, 1916. Mulcahy took command of the pro-Treaty forces in the Civil War after the killing of Michael Collins. He was leader of Fine Gael 1944-48.
Min Ryan died at the age of 92 in 1977, six years after her husband.
Members of the Mulcahy family attended the meeting of the Borough District where they presented a detailed account of Min Ryan’s life and the major role played by the Ryan and the Mulcahy families in the 1916 Rising, the foundation of the State and its early governance.
Richard Mulcahy said: “Our family is delighted to have the opportunity to support Wexford’s newest neighbourhood park and in doing so, pay tribute to a dynamic and progressive-thinking woman who played such a prominent role in Irish politics.”
Risteárd Mulcahy added “My mother Min always maintained a keen sense of pride in her county of birth throughout her life and I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to her than to have her name associated with this wonderful public amenity located only a short distance from where she was born and grew up.”
The Members welcomed and unanimously approved the proposal and agreed to name the proposed park the Min Ryan Park, as a visible and public acknowledgement of the significant national role played by Min, her siblings and extended family during Ireland’s search for independence.
At the meeting, Mayor of Wexford Councillor Ger Carty spoke of the Ryan family’s remarkable legacy and on behalf of Wexford County Council, thanked the Mulcahy family for their philanthropic gesture:
“It is appropriate that we honour this remarkable local family who, individually and collectively played such an influential role during Ireland’s revolutionary years. The Ryan family played an important role in the 1916 Rising which we are proudly commemorating in Wexford this year. The Min Ryan Park will be a lasting testimony to Min, her husband Richard, her siblings and wider family and will be a fantastic public amenity to be enjoyed by all for decades to come”.
Wexford County Council Chief Executive Tom Enright described the naming of the Park as a timely acknowledgement of Min Ryan and her siblings as one of Wexford’s most illustrious families:
“The contribution of Min Ryan and her family is perhaps better understood and acknowledged at national rather than at local level. The decision today by Wexford Borough District to name our newest public amenity in Min Ryan’s honour will help to correct this by providing an enduring reminder right here in her native county of Min’s lifelong dedication to Ireland’s search for independence”.
The high quality park, the council said, will play an integral role in the social and economic well-being of the large urban population and surrounding rural hinterland, providing passive and active recreation opportunities. It has been designed to be versatile, multi-purpose and capable of adapting to meet generational needs and promises to contain an array of attractive features including picnic sites, out-door gym equipment, walking track, water features, playground, skate bowl, level play area, wildflower meadows and art / sculpture displays.
The new park and the Loreto school will together provide a strong community and recreational focal point for the area.
Planning approval was granted for the new park by Wexford County Council last week and it is expected that construction of the €1.2m park, which will be located adjacent to the new Loreto School, will commence later this year and be completed by Summer/Autumn 2017.
[Full story in this week’s Echo Newspaper]