View
2
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
The British Chief Secretary, Hamar Greenwood, insisted that Britain
had Ireland under control. The British Prime Minister David Lloyd
George disingenuously referred to the IRA as “a small murder
gang”, and in November 1920 announced “we have murder by the
throat”, but the truth was that law and order had long ceased in
Ireland and the conduct of the war from the British side was
increasingly inept.
Dublin Castle, the headquarters of British rule in
Ireland, could not put together an effective, unified
security command. In March 1920, the Royal Irish
Constabulary was reinforced by the recruitment
of British ex-soldiers and sailors, known as the
Black and Tans due to their distinctive uniforms.
By November 1921 there were almost 10,000 of
them in Ireland as well as a new auxiliary division
of the RIC, created in July 1920. Although it is
difficult to be precise about the numerical strength
of the IRA, it is unlikely that more than 3,000
members were active as combatants.
In March 1920, the mayor of Cork, Tomás Mac
Curtain had been killed, in his home while a week
before Barry’s hanging Terence MacSwiney, who
had replaced MacCurtain as Mayor of Cork, died
on hunger strike at Brixton Prison, an event that
attracted worldwide attention. Three weeks after
Barry’s death 14 British officers were assassinated
by the IRA and 12 civilians were killed in revenge
in Croke Park at a GAA match on Bloody Sunday.
A week later the IRA killed 18 auxiliaries in an
ambush at Kilmichael, County Cork.
The sentencing of Kevin Barry also attracted
widespread attention because he was only 18
years of age. There were numerous appeals for his
life to be spared, but the cabinet in London and
officials in Dublin Castle, the seat of British power
in Ireland, decided against a reprieve, pointing out
that the victims of the raid were also young. The
Archbishop of Dublin, William Walsh, though in
ailing heath, made vigorous appeals for Barry’s life
to be spared. John Anderson, the under secretary,
recalled “I had to tell him to my sorrow that to do
what he asked would be to proclaim the helplessness
of the law”.
Barry displayed remarkable maturity, fortitude
and good humour in the face of death. The final
letter he wrote to his friends the night before his
execution included the line “I have always considered
myself lucky to have such a crowd of pals. It’s the
only thing which makes it hard to go”. His killing
also had a profound impact on his fellow students.
One of them, Celia Shaw, recorded in her diary “I
never experienced anything like the surging fury
which the news produced in everyone”.
Some of his fellow UCD students went to Mountjoy
on the day before the execution and knelt and
prayed, where a priest brought out Barry’s last
message to the students, “an exhortation to fight
for the cause for which he was dying”.
UCD’s governing body passed a resolution after
his death that stated it “desires in union with the
Irish nation, to express its appreciation of the courage
and dignity with which Mr Barry met his untimely
death”. As a republican martyr, he was subsequently
celebrated in many ballads and verses; the best-
known was recorded by the American
singer Paul Robeson,
among others.
Barry, along with all
those executed in
Mountjoy during 1920-21
was buried within the
prison, but following a long
campaign by the relatives
his remains, along with
remains of nine others,
were exhumed and given
a state funeral in Glasnevin
Cemetery on 14 October 2001.
UCD would like to thank the following people for their help and assistance with this project: Professor Diarmaid Ferriter, UCD Communications and UCD Archives.
Collection held by University College Dublin, UCD Archives. Images ©University College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Dublin. Published by UCD Digital Library.
©All rights reserved. Material published here may not be reproduced in whole or in part for any purpose without the advance written permission of UCD.
KEVIN BARRY AND HIS TIME
2
“Fr Mc Mahon and I were summoned to bury him at 1.30pm. We found the coffin already closed, fastened down, placed in the centre of a large workshop not far from the place chosen for the grave.” Extract from a letter to Kevin Barry’s mother from Canon John Waters of Holy Cross College, Dublin on
November 3rd 1920 following the hanging of Kevin Barry that same day.
Below: A Typescript copy of a letter from Barry sent to ‘A---’ (all names deleted except for the initial), a
fellow student at UCD from Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, commenting on the progress of his friends in their
studies and sending his regards. ‘Now remember me to B--- and gradh mor to F---. tell her give the said gradh
from me to all the girls in UCD.’
Below: L. Stg. Archer Banks sworn statement detailing his detention of Barry.
Right: Photostat copy of a sworn statement made by Barry at
Mountjoy Prison, before Myles Keogh a Justice of the Peace, outlining in detail alleged ill-tereatment during his initial
interrogation after arrest on 20 September 1920.
Below: A letter of sympathy from Fr. john Doyle from Manila.
Right: Barry’s charge sheet dated
15th October 1920.
Recommended