Micheál Ó Gearbháin.

This is the written version of the oral account from Micheál Ó Gearbháin, son of Mary Garvin, as told to Treasa Ní Ghearraigh. Micheál recounted that Mary, while being gravely ill in hospital, had said to her son 'Twas Warham that saved me". Also, that she often wondered what became of the letter in his pocket.   

J.H. Warham, is buried in the Protestant graveyard in Belmullet, Co Mayo.

Bhí Mary Bharney (Máire Uí Ghearbháin), Michael a’ Chathaoir (Micheál Ó Dochartaigh) agus Michael Jack a’ Ghraith amuigh ar an alt in éis caoirigh ag Bun a’ Ghleanna i gCill a’ Ghallagáin. Chonaic siad corp síos uathu ag snámh sa lán mara.  Bhí sé mar nós ag an am, muna dtógfaí corp nuair a thiocfadh sé chugat, d’imeadh sé uait.  D’imigh siad síos ach bhí an corp ag imeacht uathu.  Cheangal Micheál Ó Dochartaigh cloch le sreang a bhí leis agus chaith sé an cloch thar an gcorp agus tharraing siad isteach é.  D’fhan an bheirt fhear leis an gcorp agus rith Mary abhaile le haghaidh braillín le cur thart ar an gcorp.

Thug sí faoi deara go raibh cosa an fhir bháite ata agus scaoil sí barraillacha a mbróga ach ní raibh aon mhaith ann.  Fuair siad litir i bpóca a chulaith airm a bhí scríofa aige ag a bhean agus ag a mhuintir b’féidir.  Bhí Gallachóir as Gort Milleadha mar ‘relief officer’ agus cuireadh focal chuige.

Roinnt blianta ina dhiaidh sin d’éirigh Mary an tinn san oispidéal i gCaisleán a’ Bharraigh.  Nuair a tháinig sí abhaile d’inis sí dá muintir gur tháinig an saighdiúr chuici nuair a bhí sí idir an dá shaol. “Twas Warham that saved me,” dúirt sí.
Tháinig biseadh iomlán uirthi buíochas le Dia.  Bhí sí ag i gcónaí ag cuimhneamh céard a tharla don litir a bhí i bpóca an saighdiúra.    

As told by Mary’s son Micheál Ó Gearbháin (Micheal Garvin)

Mary Bharney (Mary Garvin), Michael a’ Chathaoir (Michael Doherty) and Michael Jack a’ Ghraith (Jack McGrath) were out on the cliff herding sheep near Bun a' Ghleanna at Cill Ghallagáin when they spotted a body floating in the tide. It was a superstition at the time that if you didn't recover a body when it came to you, it would be gone forever. The body started to drift from them. Michael Doherty tied a piece of rope or twine that he was carrying to a rock and threw the rock seawards over and beyond the body.  He then tugged it towards the side of the body so that the body was hauled slowly towards land. The two men remained with the body while Mary ran to her house to get a sheet to wrap the body in.

She saw that the drowned man's feet were swollen and tried to loosen the shoelaces on his boots to relieve the pressure to no avail. They also found a letter in the pocket of his army suit which he may have written to his wife and family. They sent word to the relief officer, a Gallagher man who lived in Gort Milleadha on the other side of the bay, who contacted the relevant authorities.

Some years later Mary became very ill and lapsed into semi-consciousness in Castlebar Hospital. When she returned home she told her family that the soldier had come to her vividly when she was between the two worlds. “Twas Warham that saved me,” she said. She made a full recovery, Thank-God and often wondered what became of the letter in the soldier’s pocket.

Please visit the section on this website, “THE MEN WHO CAME IN WITH THE SEA ”. J.H. Warham, in particular the page ref. J.H. Warham. The letters are mentioned in the Garda report documents.

Documents Courtesy of Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin.