Noel Lemass Memorial

Standing on this windswept hill, surrounded by the rugged beauty of the Dublin Mountains, you are in front of the Noel Lemass Memorial. Here, on this lonely spot known as The Featherbeds, a tragic story unfolded, a story that echoes the turbulent times of the Irish Civil War. Noel Lemass, a young man, was a captain in the Irish Republican Army. He was an ardent supporter of the Anti-Treaty side and fought with unwavering courage. Following the surrender of the Four Courts, Noel sought refuge, but his past would catch up with him. In broad daylight, he was abducted by Free State agents outside a hardware shop. Three months later, his mutilated body was discovered in the mountains, a stark reminder of the brutality of the conflict. The memorial stands as a testament to his life and sacrifice, a constant reminder of the human cost of the struggle for Irish independence. You can see inscriptions on the memorial that tell his story. The inscription reads: “in proud and loving memory of CAPTAIN NOEL LEMASS 3rd Batt. Dublin City Brigade I.R.A. who died that the republic might live his murdered body was found on this spot 13th October 1923 R. I. P. he has lived a beautiful life and has left a beautiful field. He has sacrificed the hour to give service for all time he has entered the company of the great and with them he will be remembered forever …………….Terence MacSwiney erected by a few friends”. Noel’s story serves as a reminder that the fight for freedom is not without its cost and that the sacrifices of those who fought for Ireland’s future should never be forgotten.