Buncrana Town Council to commemorate 1922 shooting which killed two young girls

Buncrana Town Council is set to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the shooting dead of two young girls on the Main Street.
The shooting of 19 year old Ellen Kavanagh and nine year old Essie Fletcher, happened during a bank robbery at the Royal Bank, now the AIB, on Market Square on 4th May 1922.
Many regard these to have been the first shots fired in the Civil War.
Ms Kavanagh’s nephew, Buncrana man, Pa Deeney, wrote to the Council asking them to mark his aunt and Ms Fletcher’s anniversaries by erecting a plaque, statue or cross to commemorate the young girls.
Buncrana Mayor Nicholas Crossan said after consulting with Mr Deeney they agreed that putting up a bronze plaque with an inscription on it would be a fitting way to mark the incident.
He said they would place it close to the scene of the shooting near the Atlantic Bar.
Cllr Crossan said it was important the Council proceeded with the plaque especially as it was the girl’s 90th anniversary in May and that it would add a bit of history to Market Square.