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Posted by: A Shrule Egan 01-Dec-2008, 08:17 PM |
I know I have had this discussion with a few members of this forum over the past few years but I can't recall ever starting up a thread about this topic. Of the 102 executions, one of them was a relative of mine. Martin Burke was from Headford, Co. Galway and my grandfather claims he was a cousin of his. Since I have come up with the actual letter that he wrote to another cousin, the night before he was executed, I have to believe my grandfathers claim. I also have the letter Stephen Joyce wrote to his sister the night before the execution. Stephen is not related. I will try to post the actual letters, so you can read them. They are very fragile and aged and I think I still can get a clean readable copy from them. As you will read in both letters, Martin and Stephen had no regrets for giving up their lives for the fight for Irish freedom. Martin and four other accomplices, Thomas Hughes, Michael Walsh, Herbert Collis and Stephen Joyce were executed on January 20, 1923 at the Athlone Prison at sunrise. Even though they were tried for treason, I have yet to find out their actual crime. There were 164 executions in Southern Ireland during the 20th century. 12 men and 1 woman were hanged under British civil jurisdiction between 1900 and 1911. Thereafter there were no more executions for civilian crimes under British rule. However 15 men were executed by firing squad for treason, under British jurisdiction, for their parts in the 1916 Easter Rebellion. (see below). There were 102 executions during the Irish Civil War (1920 - 1923) with 91 men shot and 11 hanged. In September 1922 the Dαil (parliament) Resolution passed a resolution providing for the death penalty for terrorist offences, following trial by military tribunal. As a result, the provisional 26 counties government executed 75 people in the six months from November 1922 to April 1923, all by firing squad at various locations. 35 people, including 1 woman, were hanged for murder between 1922, (after Ireland had achieved independence) and 1954. Annie Walsh of Co. Limerick was executed on the 5th of August 1925 at Dublins Mountjoy prison for the murder of her husband. (The British administration had reprieved all six females sentenced to death in the seventeen years prior to independence). 25-year-old Michael Manning became the last to be executed, for the murder of Catherine Cooper, an elderly nurse. All these executions were carried out by the serving British hangman of the day, who was always an unpopular figure in Ireland. Capital punishment was partially abolished in 1964, for all but a few very specific forms of murder, notably the murder of police officers (the Garda) or prison officers. The Dαil finally abolished it completely in 1990, when new legislation created a 40-year minimum prison term for exceptional murders. The last to be sentenced to death were Noel Callen and Michael McHugh for the murder of Garda Patrick Morrissey after a robbery in County Louth in 1985. Noel and Marie Murray came close to being the last to be executed, having been convicted of the capital murder of Garda Michael Reynolds following an armed bank robbery in Dublin in 1975. They both refused to seek clemency, so to avoid international embarrassment the president decided to impose it upon them whether they wanted it or not. On the 1st of November 1976 the Supreme Court quashed Noels capital murder conviction and substituted one of common murder and ordered a re-trial for Marie in 1977 - this time she was found guilty of only common murder. They were both released in 1992. Of the 11 people who received death sentences in Eire in the 1970's and 1980's, all have been released except the last two who were sentenced in 1985 - but they will never serve 40 years under the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, as a judge did not determine the sentence. Day Date Name Age Place Crime Hangman Tue 10/04/1900 Patrick Dunphy 34 Waterford child murder Thomas Scott Fri 11/01/1901 Timothy Cadogan Cork murder land agent James Billington Thur 07/03/1901 John Toole Dublin wife murder Thomas Scott Wed 23/04/1902 Thomas Keeley 28 Galway murder landlady William Billington Tue 30/12/1902 James Docherty 65 Sligo murder son William Billington Wed 07/01/1903 Joseph Taylor 25 Kilkenny murder William Billington Fri 09/01/1903 Mary Daly 40 Tullamore murder husband William Billington Tue 05/01/1904 Joseph Moran Londonderry murder woman William Billington Thur 14/04/1904 James Campion Kilkenny wife murder William Billington Fri 15/04/1904 John Kelly Kilkenny wife murder William Billington Tue 25/04/1905 John Foster Cork murder soldier William Billington Tue 04/01/1910 Joseph Hefferman 27 Dublin murder woman Henry Pierrepoint Wed 04/01/1911 William Scanlan Cork murder sister in law John Ellis Thur 29/11/1923 William Downs 25 Dublin murder police officer John Ellis Wed 12/12/1923 Thomas Delaney 38 Dublin murder old man Tom Pierrepoint Wed 12/12/1923 Thomas M' Donagh 42 Dublin murder woman Tom Pierrepoint Sat 15/12/1923 Peter Hynes 40 Dublin murder soldier Tom Pierrepoint Thur 13/03/1924 Jeremiah Gaffney 23 Dublin murder Tom Pierrepoint Fri 01/08/1924 Felix McMullen 26 Dublin murder police officer Tom Pierrepoint Tue 28/07/1925 Cornelius O' Lleary 40 Dublin murder brother Tom Pierrepoint Wed 05/08/1925 Michael Talbot 24 Dublin murder Tom Pierrepoint Wed 05/08/1925 Annie Walsh 31 Dublin murder husband Tom Pierrepoint Thur 15/07/1926 James Myles 22 Dublin murder Tom Pierrepoint Wed 24/11/1926 James M' Hugh 31 Dublin murder Tom Pierrepoint Thur 09/12/1926 Henry M' Cabe 48 Dublin murder employers Tom Pierrepoint Thur 29/12/1927 William O' Neill 19 Dublin murder woman Tom Pierrepoint Wed 29/08/1928 Gerard Toal 18 Dublin murder housekeeper Tom Pierrepoint Thur 25/04/1929 John Cox 33 Dublin murder Tom Pierrepoint Thur 04/08/1931 David O'Shea 34 Dublin murder Tom Pierrepoint Thur 29/12/1932 Patrick McDermott 26 Dublin murder Tom Pierrepoint Fri 05/01/1934 John Fleming 32 Dublin murder Tom Pierrepoint Fri 17/06/1937 John Hornick Dublin murder Tom Pierrepoint Sat 07/01/1939 Dermot Smith 33 Dublin murder Tom Pierrepoint Fri 06/09/1940 Patrick McGrath Dublin I.R.A. murder Firing squad Fri 06/09/1940 Thomas Harte Dublin I.R.A. murder Firing squad Tue 07/01/1941 Daniel Doherty 29 Dublin murder woman Tom Pierrepoint Wed 23/04/1941 Henry Gleeson 39 Dublin murder woman Tom Pierrepoint Sat 09/08/1941 Richard Goss 26 Maryborough (Portlaoise) shot at police Firing squad Thur 18/12/1941 Patrick Kelly 31 Dublin murder woman Not known Thur 05/03/1942 George Plant 38 Maryborough (Portlaoise) murder Firing squad Thur 12/11/1942 Maurice O' Neill Dublin shot at police Firing squad Wed 02/06/1943 Bernard Kirwan 39 Dublin murder brother Tom Pierrepoint Thur 12/08/1943 William O' Shea 24 Dublin wife murder Tom Pierrepoint Fri 01/12/1944 Charles Kerins Dublin murder police officer Tom Pierrepoint Mon 19/03/1945 James Lehman Dublin wife murder Not known Mon 31/03/1947 Joseph McManus 41 Dublin murder Albert Pierrepoint Wed 24/11/1948 William Gambon 28 Dublin murder Albert Pierrepoint Tue 20/04/1954 Michael Manning 25 Dublin murder Albert Pierrepoint The Easter Rebellion. In May 1916, 14 men were shot by firing squad in the Quarry Yard at Dublins Kilmainham prison and 1 more (Thomas Kent) at Cork Barracks, having been convicted of treason for their parts in the 1916 Easter Rebellion. Plaques mark the place where these executions were carried out within Kilmainham. Tom Clarke Wednesday 3rd May Thomas MacDonagh Wednesday 3rd May Padraic Pearse Wednesday 3rd May Joseph Mary Plunkett Thursday 4th May William Pearse Thursday 4th May Ned Daly Thursday 4th May Michael O'Hanrahan Thursday 4th May John MacBride Friday 5th May Eamonn Ceannt Monday 8th May Michael Mallin Monday 8th May Conn Colbert Monday 8th May Sean Heuston Monday 8th May Thomas Kent Tuesday 9th May Sean MacDiarmada Friday 12th May James Connolly Friday 12th May Dublins prisons. Mountjoy prison, built in 1851, on what is now Dublins North Circular Road, was the scene of 24 of the 20th century hangings. These took place in the two story "hanghouse" at the end of D Wing. The gallows chamber was on the first floor and was destroyed in a prison riot in the 1970s. Mountjoys first execution was that of John Toole in 1901. Previously Dublin executions had been carried out at Kilmainham jail (in public up to 1868, on the first floor balcony over the main door) or at Newgate Prison in Green Street. This was the prison for the City of Dublin while Kilmainham served as the prison for the County of Dublin. Newgate has been demolished and is now a public park. It is said that the underground dungeons may still exist under the park. The gallows at Newgate was very similar to that of Kilmainham and was also located over the front door. The hanghouse at Kilmainham is believed to have been built from bricks salvaged from the old condemned cells that stood in one of the jail's yards. Newgate and Kilmainham prisons both carried public executions at the same period. Kilmainham ceased to be a civilian prison in 1910. The executions of the Irish Invincibles, Joseph Brady, Tim Kelly, Michael Fagan, Daniel Curley and Thomas Caffrey took place within its walls on the 14th of May 1883. These men had been convicted of the murders on the 6th of May 1882, of Lord Frederick Cavendish, British secretary for Ireland, and Thomas Henry Burke, his under-secretary, in Dublins Phoenix Park. Due to the political nature of the crime, security was tight and Kilmainham prison was surrounded by Grenadier Guards, infantry and police while William Marwood went about his work on a gallows erected in one of the prison yards. Kilmainham Jail has been restored and is now open to the public. It is a fascinating place to visit. The Civil War period. 102 executions were carried out during the Irish Civil War (War of Independence) for terrorist murders and treason. Most of these were by military firing squad and were typically carried out in batches. John Ellis carried out the hangings in Mountjoy prison, as he was the U.K.s principal executioner at the time. Day Date Name Place Method Mon 01/11/1920 Kevin Barry Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Tue 01/02/1921 Cornelius Murphy Cork Firing squad Mon 28/02/1921 John Allen Cork Firing squad Thomas O'Brien Cork Firing squad Daniel Callaghan Cork Firing squad John Lyons Cork Firing squad Timothy McCarthy Cork Firing squad Patrick Mahoney Cork Firing squad Mon 14/03/1921 Thomas Whelan Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Patrick Moran Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Patrick Doyle Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Bernard Ryan Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Thomas Bryan Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Frank Flood Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Mon 25/04/1921 Thomas Traynor Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Thursday 28/04/1921 Maurice Moore Cork Firing squad Patrick O'Sullivan Cork Firing squad Patrick Ronayne Cork Firing squad Thomas Mulcahy Cork Firing squad Mon 02/05/1921 Patrick Casey Cork Firing squad Mon 16/05/1921 Daniel O'Brien Cork Firing squad Mon 06/06/1921 Thomas Keane Limerick Firing squad Tue 07/06/1921 Patrick Maher Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Dublin (Mountjoy) Hanging Fri Dublin (Kilmainham) Firing squad Richard Tuohy Dublin (Kilmainham) Firing squad John Gaffney Dublin (Kilmainham) Firing squad James Fisher Dublin (Kilmainham) Firing squad Fri 24/11/1922 Erskin Childers Dublin Firing squad Thurs 30/11/1922 Joseph Spooner Dublin Firing squad Patrick Farrally Dublin Firing squad John Murphy Dublin Firing squad Fri 08/12/1922 Rory O'Connor Dublin (Mountjoy) Firing squad Liam Mellows Dublin (Mountjoy) Firing squad Joseph McKelvey Dublin (Mountjoy) Firing squad Richard Barrett Dublin (Mountjoy) Firing squad Stephen White Dublin Firing squad Joseph Johnstone Dublin Firing squad Patrick Mangan Dublin Firing squad Patrick Nolan Dublin Firing squad Brian Moore Dublin Firing squad James O'Connor Dublin Firing squad Patrick Bagrel Dublin Firing squad Fri 29/12/1922. John Phelan Dublin Firing squad John Murphy Dublin Firing squad Mon 08/01/1923 Ley Dowling Dublin Firing squad Sylvestor Heaney Dublin Firing squad Lawrence Sheehy Dublin Firing squad Anthony O' Reilly Dublin Firing squad Terence Brady Dublin Firing squad Fri 12/01/1923 Thomas McKeown Dundalk Firing squad Thomas Murray Dundalk Firing squad Thomas Murphy Dundalk Firing squad Mon 15/01/1923 Frederick Burke Roscrea Firing squad Patrick Russell Roscrea Firing squad Martin O' Shea Roscrea Firing squad Patrick Macnamara Roscrea Firing squad James Lilis Carlow Firing squad Sat 20/01/1923 James Daly Tralee Firing squad John Clifford Tralee Firing squad Micheal Brosnam Tralee Firing squad James Hanlon Tralee Firing squad Cornelius McMahon Limerick Firing squad Patrick Hennessey Limerick Firing squad Thomas Hughes Athlone Firing squad Micheal Walsh Athlone Firing squad Herbert Collis Athlone Firing squad Stephen Joyce Athlone Firing squad Martin Burke Athlone Firing squad Mon 22/01/1923 James Melia Dundalk Firing squad Thomas Glennon Dundalk Firing squad Joseph Ferguson Dundalk Firing squad Thur 25/01/1923 Micheal Fitzgerald Waterford Firing squad Patrick O' Reilly Waterford Firing squad Fri 26/01/1923 Patrick Cunningham Birr Firing squad William Conroy Birr Firing squad Colum Kelly Birr Firing squad Sat 27/01/1923 Patrick Geraghty Portlaoise Firing squad Joseph Byrne Portlaoise Firing squad Tue 13/03/1923 Henry Keenan Mullingar Firing squad Micheal Greery Mullingar Firing squad James O' Rourke Dublin Firing squad William Healey Cork Firing squad James Parle Wexford Firing squad Patrick Hogan Wexford Firing squad John Creane Wexford Firing squad Wed 14/03/1923 John Larkin Drumbere Firing squad Timothy O' Sullivan Drumbere Firing squad Daniel Enwright Drumbere Firing squad Charles Daly Drumbere Firing squad Sat 14/04/1923 James O' Malley Tuam Firing squad Micheal Monaghan Tuam Firing squad Francis Cunnane Tuam Firing squad John Newell Tuam Firing squad John Maguire Tuam Firing squad Martin Moylan Tuam Firing squad Wed 25/04/1923 Edward Greaney Tralee Firing squad Reginald Hathaway Tralee Firing squad James McInery Tralee Firing squad Wed 02/05/1923 Christopher Quin Ennis Firing squad William Shaughnessey Ennis Firing squad |
Posted by: A Shrule Egan 01-Dec-2008, 08:31 PM |
Letter from Martin Burke, to his cousin, Kathleen Greaney in Ballinapark Headford. |
Posted by: A Shrule Egan 01-Dec-2008, 08:40 PM |
Stephen Joyce's letter to his sister the night before he was executed. |
Posted by: JayHenson 02-Dec-2008, 07:43 AM |
Wow, very impressive and also very sad. The letters were very touching, what could a person write on the eve of their death, especially a death on what probably amounted to trumped up charges. This post took some effort and I want to thank you for the history lesson. You may want to contact a museum to see what can be done to protect the letters. There may even be a collection you could loan them to that would not only preserve them but display them with others that may exist as a memorial to those that died in those explosive years. Peace Jay |
Posted by: A Shrule Egan 02-Dec-2008, 07:35 PM |
From what I understand, my cousin in Ireland, still has three other letters. Two written by Martin and one by Herbert Collis. He originally had all five but passed two onto a cousin in New York. The two that were used for this thread. Since all five boys knew each other and the families lived close to each other, the five letters were somehow gathered together and came down through my family. I have not seen the other three letters, nor do I know who they were addressed to. My understanding, is that they were written to other family members. Hopefully, on one of my trips back to Ireland, I will get to see them. |
Posted by: MacEoghainn 02-Dec-2008, 08:02 PM |
Those letters brought to mind this old song: Rodaν Mac Corlaν (Roddy McCorley) Ethna Carbery O see the fleet-foot host of men, who march with faces drawn, From farmstead and from fishers' cot, along the banks of Ban; They come with vengeance in their eyes. Too late! Too late are they, For young Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today. Oh Ireland, Mother Ireland, you love them still the best The fearless brave who fighting fall upon your hapless breast, But never a one of all your dead more bravely fell in fray, Than he who marches to his fate on the bridge of Toome today. Up the narrow street he stepped, so smiling, proud and young. About the hemp-rope on his neck, the golden ringlets clung; There's ne'er a tear in his blue eyes, fearless and brave are they, As young Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today. When last this narrow street he trod, his shining pike in hand Behind him marched, in grim array, a earnest stalwart band. To Antrim town! To Antrim town, he led them to the fray, But young Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today. The grey coat and its sash of green were brave and stainless then, A banner flashed beneath the sun over the marching men; The coat hath many a rent this noon, the sash is torn away, And Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today. Oh, how his pike flashed in the sun! Then found a foeman's heart, Through furious fight, and heavy odds he bore a true man's part And many a red-coat bit the dust before his keen pike-play, But Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today. There's never a one of all your dead more bravely died in fray Than he who marches to his fate in Toomebridge town today; True to the last! True to the last, he treads the upwards way, And young Roddy McCorley goes to die on the bridge of Toome today. |
Posted by: A Shrule Egan 02-Dec-2008, 08:44 PM |
This is the newspaper article that my grandfather cut out of one of the New York Irish papers in 1923. He has underlined his cousin, Martin Burke and my mother wrote on the bottom of the article, that she was told that Martin was 17 years old when he was executed. |
Posted by: Lady-of-Avalon 11-Dec-2008, 07:03 PM |
A Shrule Egan, To me the most vicious and destructive of all wars are the civil wars, there is no doubt in my mind, for all that I have read on wars and there is quite a lot to read about them...civil wars were the most immorals of war because of what it represented...conflicts from within...meaning by "within" is fathers against sons, brothers against brothers and so on... These letters are full of deep emotions and quite touching; it reflects hard times and the people that lived it.And at the same time facts of real history. Thank you for sharing it. LOA |
Posted by: Camac 12-Dec-2008, 01:39 PM |
A Shrule Egan; I am not in any way condoning the acts that the British did against the Irish in the 1920s' but look at it in the cold light of day. Ireland was still under British rule and as such was part of the Empire. The Irish who were executed were tried and found guilty of insurrection and treason and under British Law, in fact any Law, were condemned to death. The same would have held true if the U.S. had lost the Revolution all the Founding Fathers who were considered Traitors and would have been executed. Let us not also forget that a good many Irishmen and Scots helped the English put the rebellion down. Camac. |
Posted by: A Shrule Egan 12-Dec-2008, 04:08 PM |
I think it basically boils down to being a matter of pride. The letters certainly prove that they remained proud of the fact that they were giving up their life for the fight of freedom for Ireland. The pride also goes out to nameless thousands of Irish, who simply were never captured causing treasonous acts and lived to finally see Ireland free to govern themselves. Imagine the joy on their faces when that day arrived. I just find it fascinating that someone thought so strongly of these letters and preserved them. |
Posted by: Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas 12-Dec-2008, 08:19 PM |
Forgive my confusion, but it's not clear whether we are talking about executions by the English prior to and during the War of Independence (prior to establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921), by the Irish Free State (1921 both during the Irish Civil War and until establishment of the Republic of Ireland), by the Republic of Ireland, or by the English in the Northern Counties still under English rule. Probably technicalities to most, but important to some. For examples of the circumstances under which letters were written, I highly recommend the movie The Wind Shakes the Barley, showing just how fratricidal the Irish Civil War was between the faction of the IRA that accepted the Irish Free State and the faction that did not. |
Posted by: A Shrule Egan 13-Dec-2008, 07:06 PM |
Not sure if you can read the fine print of the newspaper article but from November 17, 1922 to April 26, 1923, the "Free" Irish government executed 77 Irish. As I have been told in conversations with people in Ireland, this was done to save face for those Irish government officials who were still basically sleeping with the English. That's their words, not mine. Many deals were made with the English to finally bring peace. Many Irish didn't agree with some of those deals and continued to fight for what they thought was right. The results which were, the 77 executed. |
Posted by: Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas 14-Dec-2008, 03:14 PM |
Thanks for the clarification. For some reason, the newspaper articles don't display for me. Whether the Irish Free State government is considered to be patriots who settled for the best they could get under the circumstances or traitors who sold out to the English, they certainly proved to be as capable of brutally suppressing rebellion as the English were. IMHO, the English are responsible for the Troubles in Northern Ireland as well as for creation of the situation resulting in the Irish Civil War. |
Posted by: A Shrule Egan 14-Dec-2008, 07:02 PM |
I suspect you are running Firefox. I can't see the pictures I post either, unless I use IE. Aaediwen thinks it's a code issue but he said Mac has to be the one to fix that problem. |
Posted by: poorbutspirted 01-Aug-2009, 02:25 PM |
My late mother was from Headford in Co. Galway which is only 4 miles from Shrule. Her home was always a safe house for republican during the Irish civil war.One night in 1922 she gave her autograph book to one of a group of men who were resting there.As he could not think of a suitable verse he brought the book home with him. That was the last she saw of the book until it was posted back to her with no explaination in 1925.The book had first been in Athlone prison(Costume Barracks)and then Mountjoy prison Dublin where is was signed by Eamonn de Valera, Dan Breen, Liam Deasy,Austin Stack, Sean McBride and his visitor Richard Mulcahy ( who was a member of the free state party) All of those men are now houselold names in Irish history.A budding artist,(who never fully bloomed) in Athlone did some beautiful water colour landscapes.I can only feel that the man who took the book was one of the 5 men who were executed in Athlone. I danced in Shrule ( which is only a small country village)in 1960.I worked in Dublin at the time and rode a motorbike.I remember the first time I went in to the dance hall there was a pronounced silence.I do bit of writing for a past time. I have had 4 short stories published in Ireland's Own and I writing another short story about this autograph book. |
Posted by: A Shrule Egan 18-Aug-2009, 09:03 AM |
Leo, You need to go back to Manusflynn Headford and locate Liam Burke. He is related to Martin Burke, who was executed in Athlone. Liam's father can fill you in on much more details than I can. I know Liam checks in on this thread on occasion for any updates anyone posts and he may try to contact you through the PM, here on Celtic Radio. Keep me posted if you come up with any new info, either here or on Moore Group Word Press, since I know you posted on there too. |
Posted by: A Shrule Egan 18-Aug-2009, 09:16 AM |
If anyone would like to follow this a bit closer, check out these pages: http://mooregroup.wordpress.com/2009/04/11/the-tuam-martyrs-april-11-1923/#comments http://mooregroup.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/irish-civil-war-letters-on-the-eve-of-execution/ |