Lest We Forget (2)

The Peace Delegation left Paris for Ireland on

FRIDAY MAY 2nd, 1919

COURTSMARTIAL

Thomas Clifford for failing to close his shop when ordered by British military to do so was tried by Courtmartial and sentenced to 56 days with hard labour.

William Duggan charged with having in his possession documents “which if published might cause disaffection” was tried by Courtmartial and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour.

ARRESTS

Mr. Pierce Beasley, Member of Irish Parliament for East Kerry was arrested and removed to Mountjoy Prison, Dublin on a charge of using “seditious language.”

The Peace Delegation arrived in Ireland on

SATURDAY MAY 3rd, 1919

SENTENCES

Six men fined for being in Westport Town without permission from the English Military Authorities who hold the town. Fine of ten shillings imposed on Mrs. Elizabeth Flynn, Dublin, for allowing her son of 16 to collect for the Irish Language Movement without a permit from the English Military. The boy was arrested and detained by the Police.

DEPORTATIONS

The news was published that ten political prisoners from Belfast Jail were secretly deported under a military guard to Manchester Jail, in flagrant violation of a solemn undertaking entered into by the English Chief Secretary for Ireland with the Lord Mayor of Dublin. Among those deported were Mr. Austin Stack, Member of Irish Parliament for West Kerry and Mr. Finian Lynch, Member of Irish parliament for south Kerry.

ASSAULTS

Ex-soldiers and sailors broke into and took forcible possession of the Loughrea (Co. Galway) Temperance Society’s rooms.

The Peace Delegation visited Belfast City on

MONDAY MAY 5th, 1919

On that day these incidents occurred in Ireland:-

COURTMARTIAL

Patrick Callanan, Killeenmeemmore, was courtmartialled for failing to obey an English Military order requiring him to live within five miles of Portadown which town is some hundred miles from his home in Co. Galway. This sentence has not yet been promulgated.

ARRESTS

Hugh Kelly, farmer, Borrisfarney, was arrested  and carried under armed guard to Cork City.

RAIDS ON PRIVATE HOUSES

Hugh Kelly’s house was, previous to his arrest, raided by armed police and searched.

DEPORTATIONS

Mr. Eamon Bulfin son of Senor Bulfin of The Argentine was arrested and deported under armed guard of English Military to England.

ARMED ASSAULT ON CIVILIANS

English Military raided Fr. Matthew Concert Hall, Athlone, where Mr. Lawrence Ginnell, Member of Irish Parliament for Westmeath, sought to deliver an address to his constituents. The military scattered the occupants of the hall. Subsequently Mr. Ginnell sought to address his constituents in the public street. The English soldiers then fixed bayonets and charged the unarmed civilians dispersing them in all directions. Several were injured. Others saved their lives by taking refuge in St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The military subsequently broke into a private house and turned out the occupants.

The Peace Delegation visited Maynooth College on

TUESDAY MAY 6th, 1919

On that day these incidents occurred in Ireland:-

ARRESTS

James McCann, Loughrea, Co. Galway, was arrested on a charge of having firearms in his possession. He was handed over to the English military authorities.

RAIDS ON PRIVATE HOUSE

Armed police raided private house in Grattan St. Cork.

ARMED ASSAULTS ON CIVILIANS

At Fivemiletown, Co. Tyrone, police and English soldiers attacked an Irishman wearing a Republican badge. A fight ensued between the two. A crowd which gathered to watch were immediately set upon by the police who drawing their batons attacked the spectators injuring many.

The Peace Delegation visited Cork City on

WEDNESDAY MAY 7th, 1919

On that day these incidents occurred in Ireland:-

ARREST & SENTENCES.

Robert Galloway, Patrick Judge, Peter Cassidy, Andrew Wall, Richard Baird, Joseph McPhilemy, Patrick Carlin sent to jail for one month for “unlawful assembly” (the “unlawful assembly” consisted in participating in a public welcome given at Castlederg to two political prisoners released from Derry Jail.) It was mentioned at the trial that the police had assaulted the crowd of welcomers with batons, injuring many. Jer. O’Dwyer, Ml. Gregan, Patrick Kennedy, were tried at Bansha, Co. Tipperary for collecting for the Irish language Movement without a permit from the English Military; they were found guilty and were fined.

MEETING SUPPRESSED

Irish language Movement meeting in Belfast at which the Rev. Fr. O’Flanagan was to speak was proclaimed by the English by the English Military Authorities.

The Peace Delegation visited Limerick City on

THURSDAY MAY 8th, 1919

On that day these incidents occurred in Ireland:-

PLAY BANNED

The English Lord Lieutenant placed a ban on the production of an Irish patriotic play.

MORE MILIARISM FROM IRELAND

A Press Association telegram was published saying: “Fresh troops have been quite recently sent to Ireland in response to serious demand from (English) Government of Ireland.”

ARRESTS

John O’Sullivan and Wm. Houlihan both of Listowel were arrested on a charge of an “alleged drilling.”

SENTENCES

Lawrence E. Ginnell (nephew of Mr. Ginnell M.P.), Denis Hegarty, Ed. Leonard, were sentenced to fourteen days imprisonment for collecting for the Irish language Movement without a permit from the English Military Authorities.

MEETING SUPPRESSED

A Republican lecture in the Kingstown (Co. Dublin) Town was proclaimed by the military and suppressed by the police.

The Peace Delegation attended a Public Session of Dail Eireann on

FRIDAY MAY 9th, 1919

On that day these incidents occurred in Ireland:–

COURTSMARTIAL

Maurice Keane, Dingle, Co. Kerry, was tried by Courtmartial for having in his possession a document which “if published might lead to disaffection”. He was found guilty and was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour. Five men were courtmartialled on a charge made by the police that these men attempted to assault them. The five men were from Klaus, Co. Clare.

RAIDS ON PRIVATE HOUSES

Armed police raided In the middle of the night two private houses at Balbriggan, Co. Dublin. They seized and carried away many private letters.

ARRESTS

Patrick and Mathew Grace, Patrick Tucker, Mathew Horgan were arrested for “unlawful drilling.”

SENTENCES

Sean Collins, Irish teacher, Bandon, Co. Cork, was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for collecting for the Irish language Movement without a permit from the English Military Authorities. Patrick Cleary, Elias O’Keefe, Michael O’Dwyer, Wm. Fogarty, were released after three weeks in prison for collecting for the Irish Language Movement without a permit from the English Military Authorities.

ASSAULTS ON CIVILIANS

Military and Police in full war-equipment and in great strength raided and occupied the Dublin Mansion House (Lord Mayor’s Official residence) and the adjoining streets clearing the people from them at the point of the bayonet. They remained in possession of the House and the streets and prevented the civic reception arranged for the Irish- American Delegation. It was only after stern protest by the Lord Mayor that they were got to withdraw. The reception was then held. It afterwards transpired that during their occupation of the streets mentioned the troops fired what many people state was a volley. The military authorities state that only one shot was discharged. During the entire incident armoured cars passed up and down in front of the crowds that had gathered and at one point machine guns were brought up and trained upon the people.

The Peace Delegation were officially received by the Dublin Corporation on

SATURDAY MAY 10th, 1919

On that day these incidents occurred in Ireland:-

ARRESTS

Patrick Noonan, farmer’s son of Ardvillane, Co. Tipperary, was arrested by armed police. He was brought to Cork City under heavy guard and was there handed over to the English Military.

SENTENCES

At Newtownbarry, Co. Wexford, five men were heavily fined for collecting for the Republican Party without a permit from the English Military Authority.

PAPER SUPPRESSED

Twelve armed police accompanied by a soldier raided the offices of the “Waterford Evening News”, dismantled the machinery and suppressed the paper.

TREATMEN T OF PRISONERS

Mr. John Murray, of Ballyshannon, political prisoner. In Derry Jail, having fallen seriously ill his friends demanded that as his life was in danger he should be removed from prison to receive expert treatment outside. The request was not granted.

The Peace Delegation visited the West of Ireland on

SUNDAY MAY 11th, 1919

On that day these incidents occurred in Ireland:-

RAID AND ARREST

Armed police raided the house of Mr. P. J.Berrills, Dundalk, and searched it. Mr. Berrills was arrested and handed over to the English Military Authorities. He is now detained in the Military Barracks Dundalk.

ARMED ASSAULT ON CIVILIANS

The Peace Delegation sought to visit the town of Westport the ancestral home of Mr. Frank P. Walsh. The town is under stringent Martial Law and is occupied by English Military who without their consent will not allow even food to pass in to the people. English soldiers fully equipped for war blocked the road when the Delegation endeavoured to enter the town, and ignoring the Delegates’ diplomatic passports, refused them admission. A crowd which gathered to welcome the Delegates was dispersed by the military at the point of the bayonet. Four armoured cars and a great number of military paraded the streets of Westport during the day. Professor Eoin MacNeill, President of the Gaelic League, Professor of Irish History at the National University and member of the Irish Parliament for National University and Derry City was roughly handled by English troops during this incident.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE ACTS OF AGGRESSION COMMITTED IN IRELAND BY THE MILITARY AND POLICE OF OUR USURPING ENGLISH GOVERNMENT IN

THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE, 1919

June 1919	Arrests	Raids	Sentences	Months	Armed Assaults	Suppressions & Proclamations	Murder	Courts Martial	Daily Total (Exclusive of terms of imprisonment.)
2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th	2 1 2 5 1 1	– 2 6 300 * –	2 – 1 5 1 3	(6) – (9) (2⅟2) – (7)	1 – – 2 1 1	3 2 – – 2 –	– – – – – –	– – 1 – – –	8 5 10 312 5 5
Totals	12	308	12	(24⅟2)	5	7	–	1	345

* General Raids: no estimate possible.

MONDAY, JUNE 2nd, 1919

Arrests:–

Thomas Hayes, Cork, a boy of 17, was re-arrested immediately on his release from Belfast jail, where he had served a term of 18 months imprisonment for conduct likely to cause disaffection. His re-arrest was for assaulting policemen who maltreated him in prison.

– McCarney of Shercock, Co. Cavan, was arrested on the allegation made by a man named McLoughlin that

McCarney raided his house for arms. McLoughlin had identified two other men as having been engaged in the  same offence and then admitted his identification to be false, and although he now confessed he was not sure of  this identification either, McCarney was put to prison for a week to be charged at the end of that week with the  same offence.

Sentences:-

Thomas Hayes, Cork, above referred to, was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment with hard labour for the alleged charge of assault. Martin P. R. O’Connor, Strokestown, was sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard labour. A Gaelic Sports Meeting was proclaimed at Matehy, Inniscarra and an attempt to hold it was suppressed by military and police who drove the people from the field in which the meeting was about to be held. A national festival was proclaimed at Tullylease, Co. Cork. Police and military occupied the grounds prepared for it. It was held secretly some miles away.

National Representatives Maltreated:-

Mr. L. Ginnell, M.P., was taken handcuffed to Mullingar under a heavy military escort and was tried for unlawful assembly. He denied that the Court had any right under international law to try him but was remanded for a week.  The report of the trial was partially suppressed by the English Censor.

TUESDAY, JUNE 3rd, 1919

Arrests:-

Mr. William McNally, Co. Longford, was arrested for a charge not stated. Mr. McNally was six weeks ago shot by the police at  Longford and wounded. He was now handed over to the military.

Raids:-

Military and police raided and searched the residence of Mr. M. Raftery, Fairymount, Co. Roscommon. Military and police also raided and searched the house of Mr. McNally above mentioned.

Proclamations & Suppressions:-

A Republican meeting was arranged for Middletown, Co. Armagh, was proclaimed by the English authorities. An attempt to hold it was suppressed by military and police. An effort was then made to hold the meeting in the neighbouring county, Monaghan. The armed forces again suppressed this endeavour. Armoured cars and military motor lorries made a display in Westport to frighten the country people from sending food to the town which is badly in need of it. The town is under severe martial law.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4TH, 1919

Arrests:-

Mr. Owen Sweeney and Mr. Michael Dillon were arrested at Athlone. They were charged with “unlawful assembly.”

Raids:-

The house of Messrs. Sweeney and Dillon and several other houses in the district were raided by the police and military.

National Representatives Maltreated:-

Mr. Lawrence Ginnell, M.P. was again roughly handled by the police at the continuation of his trial.

Sentences:-

Mr. John Walsh, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow, was sentenced by courtmartial to six months imprisonment with hard labour for “having taken part in movements of a military nature.” (Drilling.)

Treatment Of Prisoners:-

Thomas Hayes, aged 17, re-arrested after serving a term of 12 months Imprisonment and now sentenced to a further to three months is seriously ill in Belfast Jail. He has not been removed from the prison.

Militarism:-

A big number of tanks, field guns and troops were landed at Dublin.

THURSDAY, JUNE 5th, 1919

Arrests:-

Misses Bridget Gleeson, Peggy Cahill, Kate Breen, Elizabeth Foley and Henrietta Woods of Killarney were arrested by military and police In Killarney, who raided their houses and took the girls to the police barracks in a military motor wagon (see sentences).

Raids:-

Strong forces of military and police gave a violent exhibition of wholesale militarism in North and South Tipperary and East Limerick. Many motor Lorries filled with troops scoured the country raiding every house in several wide spread districts. The total number of houses raided is not given, but from the districts in which the press says that “there was scarcely a house that was not searched” the total of 300 seems a safe estimate.

Sentences:-

The five girls mentioned above were each sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment for collecting money for the Irish Self-Determination Fund without a permit from the English military.

Assaults:-

Military charged with bayonet a crowd that gathered outside the Killarney Courthouse to express their indignation at the imprisonment of the five girls previously mentioned. In the Thurles District many people were held up on the roads by armed English military.

Militarism:-

A troop ship arrived at the North Wall, Dublin, with the Scottish rifles on board. These are now added to the vast military force quartered upon Ireland. A Press announcement says that the Gordon Highlanders are to be shipped to Ireland at once. The English official explanation is that Ireland “Is very suitable for training of troops.”

FRIDAY, JUNE 6th. 1919

Arrests:-

Patrick Murray of Dublin was arrested in that city. No charge has been brought against him. Warrants were issued for the arrest of six men on charge of collecting for the Irish Self-Determination Fund.

Sentences:-

Immediately on his release from prison where he had served a term of two months for disobeying an order by the English Military requiring him to live outside Munster and certain parts of Leister, Professor S. Fay of Tipperary was again ordered out of these districts. Professor Fay’s house is in the heart of Munster.

Raids:-

Dundalk, a town of some 13,000 inhabitants, was surrounded by military and held as an occupied town. People in the town and coming to it were held up and put through an examination. One man who had no knowledge of the occupation of the town (of which no warning whatever was given) was shot as drove into it in the ordinary course of his business as a Commercial Traveller. Although he was seriously wounded the car in which he was being hurried to hospital was twice stopped by the military inside the town. The military erected barricades across the streets and raided and searched the houses of many prominent townsmen.

Suppressions:-

A Republican meeting at Bray, Co. Wicklow, was proclaimed by the English authorities. A strong force of police occupied the place of meeting. An effort made to hold it nearby was abandoned under a police threat to attack those who took part in it. A Dublin Concert to collect funds for a Monument to James Connolly, executed – when wounded – after the Rising of 1916 , was proclaimed by the English authorities. Sufficient warning was not given and many gathered to attend the Concert. These, a strong force of police dispersed, roughly handling a number of young men. Revolvers were drawn on both sides, and four police and two civilians were wounded. One girl, 80 years of age, was aimed at and shot by a police sergeant.

Mr. W. J. McCann, formerly Inspector of U.S. Military Police and the Philippines, was an eye-witness of this occurrence said (in a press interview which was suppressed by the Censor) “The action of the police in firing upon the crowd was quite unjustifiable.”

The Concert was held semi-secretly elsewhere.

SATURDAY, JUNE 7th, 1919

Arrests:-

Dr. T. F. Higgins, Medical officer of the Maryborough Dispensary district, was arrested on a charge of refusing to admit the police to a language movement concert. He was handed over to the military authorities.

Sentences:-

Mr. J. J. Clancy, Member of Parliament for North Sligo, was brought from Sligo Gaol, and at Dromore West was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour to commence at the termination of the sentence he is now serving. This second sentence was imposed on a charge of “unlawful assembly.”

Mr. A. H. Anderson, Co. Wicklow, was sent to gaol for two months for “unlawful assembly.”

Armed Assaults:-

John Harold, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow was savagely set upon by two policemen and beaten into unconsciousness.

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