Castlebar's John ‘Botha’ Roache was awarded for bravery on the battlefield

By Tom Gillespie

I AM just old enough to remember John ‘Botha’ Roache who worked in the County Cinema with Willie Ainsworth on Spencer Street, Castlebar, in the 1960s.

As youngsters, we always thought he was called ‘Bata’, being the Irish for stick, because he used a stick to aid his walk.

It was only in later life that the real meaning of ‘Botha’ became apparent. In fact, he earned the nickname after General Botha, a central figure in the Boer War, a South African politician who was the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa - the forerunner of the modern South African state. A Boer War hero during the Second Boer War, Botha would eventually fight to have South Africa become a British Dominion.

The Second Boer War (October 11, 1899, to May 231, 1902) was fought between the British Empire and two Boer states, the South African Republic (Republic of Transvaal) and the Orange Free State, over the Empire's influence in South Africa. It is also known variously as the Boer War, Anglo-Boer War, or South African War. But it was in another war - World War 1 - that John Botha Roache gave distinguished service with the Connaught Rangers Regiment and showed gallantry and bravery far beyond the call of duty.

His bravery in the face of enemy fire was recognised when he was awarded with a Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) in 1918.

The presentation ceremony was held on the steps of the Courthouse in Castlebar and hundreds turned out for the occasion.

The particular act of bravery by Private John Roache was set out in the London Gazette of August 29, 1917. It read: ‘Private John Roache, Connaught Rangers, awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous gallantry in action.

‘When all the bombs of his party were expended and the bomb carrier killed, he volunteered to go back for more bombs. He brought these up across the open under heavy fire.

‘On finding that the enemy had reoccupied part of the trench, he reorganised fresh bombing parties on his own initiative and proceeded to attack it. He only retired when ordered by his superior officer.’

Michael Feeney, MBE, in his publication, Remembering Mayo’s Fallen Heroes, published to coincide with the opening of the Mayo Peace Park in Castlebar, wrote of Private John Roache, who in his latter years resided at McHale Road, Castlebar: On Sunday, March 16, 2008, an impressive ceremony took place in the tranquil setting of the old Castlebar graveyard when the grave of Private John Roache, DCM, was rededicated 32 years after his death.

He had been a solider with the famous Connaught Rangers Regiment, a man who survived the First World War, during which he received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery on the battlefield.

He died on June 12, 1976, aged 86 years, and for one reason or another he had remained in an unmarked grave since then.

Local historian Ernie Sweeney, a prominent member of the Mayo Peace Park Committee, and a distant relative of Private Roache, located the grave with a view to having it properly marked.

Ernie made all the enquires and eventually it was Jackie Duffy from McHale Road who showed Ernie where John Roache was buried.

Ernie and John Basquille got together and marked the grave. They started work immediately, put in the wall foundations and laid the blocks.

They received tremendous support from all of John’s remaining relatives in Castlebar and in fact covered all the financial costs in developing the grave.

Mr. Oliver Fallon, secretary of the Connaught Rangers Association, read John Roache’s DCM citation at the graveside and gave an address outlining the service of the men in the Connaught Rangers in the various wars until it was disbandment in 1922 after the founding if the Irish Free State.

Very Rev. Arthur Devine recited prayers at the graveside. There was a special colour party from the Irish Army in attendance.

The Connaught Rangers Association was well represented, and members travelled from all over Ireland to be present as well as a huge number of ex-servicemen.

The proudest people there were his relatives who had assisted in the restoration of the grave. There was also a large gathering of old neighbours from McHale Road.

Special thanks was extended to Ernie Sweeney and John Basquille for their splendid work in restoring the grave.

Since then Ernie Sweeney has identified several other graves in the old Castlebar cemetery of veterans of the First World War.

On August 8, 1914, part of an editorial in The Connaught Telegraph, referring to the outbreak of WWI, read: “On Tuesday, England declared war on Germany and throughout the entire British Empire the news was hailed with delight because for years past England’s large expenditure on armaments was due to the activity of Germany in developing her army and navy.

“Beyond all question Germany will possibly meet with a terrible disaster and be wiped off the map of Europe, but she has been the aggressor and actually drew blood before making a declaration of war.

“Early this week, in every part of Ireland, the news of the outbreak of war caused a regular panic and immediately the prices of foodstuffs jumped up to Famine prices.

“Here in Castlebar, the prices of sugar, flour, meal and bacon have been enormously increased. They have in fact doubled and poor people are actually faced with starvation, unless something stringent is done to bring foods to their normal value.”