Plaque to commemorate Patrick Burns is unveiled

A plaque to honour Ballincollig born patriot Patrick Burns has been unveiled following two years of work by a local committee to document his life.

Born in the Powdermills in 1879, Patrick Burns joined the IRA in 1916. He was accidentally injured on 10 August 1922 when Ballincollig Barracks was set alight by Republican forces withdrawing from Cork city. Unknown to his comrades, Patrick was asleep in the barracks after being on duty and was badly burned. He succumbed to his injuries in the Mercy Hospital on 21 August 1922 and is buried in the Republican Plot at St Finbarr’s Cemetery.

Deputising for the Lord Mayor of Cork at the unveiling at East Gate was Sinn Féin Cllr Joe Lynch.

He said: “This plaque is a fitting tribute to Patrick Burns; a man who was raised in Ballincollig and who died as a result of injuries sustained in Ballincollig while serving the Republican cause during the Civil War. It was particularly powerful to hear from the grandson of Patrick Burns at the event, and it was a great honour for me to represent the lord mayor in my hometown.

“I hope that this plaque will serve as a focal point for people to learn more about a local man who gave his life in the service of his country.

“It is particularly fitting for it to be located at the historic East Gate, which Patrick Burns would have traversed daily on his way to and from his home in the Powdermills.”