Right: A Flying Column ref: Wikipeida | |||
After the execution of the leaders of 1916 it changed public opinion for sympathy of the rebels. In the post-war general election of 1918, Sinn Féin won a large majority across the country, with the exception of north-east, where unionists, opposed to any diminution of the union with Britain, held sway.
Dáil Eireann was established in Dublin 1919 and declared Irish Independence to the world but international recognition for the Irish Republic fell on deaf ears, and the British government refused the countenance the concept of Irish democracy or the Irish right to self determination. The Republic went underground and the Irish Volunteers became the IRA Volunteers mainly of the ages 18yrs-30yrs.
Land Agitation continues in Athenry 1919
In Athenry land agitation continuted
into the Irish War of Independence era. On the 1 December 1919 the
County Court Judge Doyle K.C, at Galway on Monday, made the following
award to the applicant for compensation of criminal injuries to Patrick
Tyrrel, Knockbrack, Athenry
for £40 and costs and expenses, for gunshot wounds received when a shot
was fired into the house of his father employed by Major Hall.
The Frank Shawe Taylor Ambush 3rd of March 1920
The biggest event of the land agitation and Irish War of Independence era in Athenry which remains a cold case to this very day is the assaination of Mr. Frank Shawe-Taylor at Moorepark, Athenry. On the 03 March 1920, Shawe-Taylor and his chauffer Mr. James
Barrett, had to go to the Galway Fair. Shawe-Taylor was a large
stock-holder which meant it was custom for him to go to any principal
fair. When Shawe-Taylor reached Coshla, ahead on the right was Egan's public house about twenty yards off the road. Shawe-Taylor was with his chauffer Barret when on seeing a barricade on the road exclaimed.'What is this for?!'
The obstruction was composed off a donkey cart, one of the wheels of
which had been taken off and placed on one side of the road and a wooden
gate standing at the other side of the road and a wooden gate standing
at the other side of the cart.
At 6:00 a.m
Shawe-Taylor stopped his motor, leaving the engine running, and
directed Barrett to remove the obstacle. As Barrett proceeded to do so
suddenly a volley of shots rang out of his hands.
After the firing of shots Barret rushed back to his employer who was
now covered in blood and asked him if he was wounded. Shawe-Taylor's
last words were "Oh, ye-". . As Barrett went to pick Shawe-Taylor's body up he recieved
five pellets in the left jaw from a shot that was fired from the back
of the car.
More firing rang out in the distance and the corpse of Shawe-Taylor was put in the front seat of the car. Next, Barrett crept out from under the mudgaurd and staggered to the sidewall where he fell on the grass on the side of the road. An unknown person came behind Barrett and assisted him to his feet. The unknown person warned him not to look back, and Barrett, seemingly, had to comply with the order. The man asked him if he was much hurt, and he replied that he thought he was. Again he warned him not to look back, but to walk straight on.
Barrett did so and made his way to the house of the herd, Broderick, where he was admitted, and told the inmates of his dreadful experience. Mrs. Shawe-Taylor was soon to here the devasting news of her husband. It was alleged that some employees whom she asked to go to take back her dead husband refused, their answer was 'where was the use than being dead'. Mrs. Shawe-Taylor drove up to the scene, where she found her husband lying dead in the car and not a soul in sight. The shots that had killed Mr.Shawe-Taylor must have been fired at a range of scarcely a yard, for part of his face was burned black, and a gun and was found embedded in his head.
About eight men took part in the attack apparently because fifteen gun cartridges were found at the place, which a total of two volleys fired. The attackers wore mask's. The deceased evidently recieved the brunt of the charge.
More firing rang out in the distance and the corpse of Shawe-Taylor was put in the front seat of the car. Next, Barrett crept out from under the mudgaurd and staggered to the sidewall where he fell on the grass on the side of the road. An unknown person came behind Barrett and assisted him to his feet. The unknown person warned him not to look back, and Barrett, seemingly, had to comply with the order. The man asked him if he was much hurt, and he replied that he thought he was. Again he warned him not to look back, but to walk straight on.
Barrett did so and made his way to the house of the herd, Broderick, where he was admitted, and told the inmates of his dreadful experience. Mrs. Shawe-Taylor was soon to here the devasting news of her husband. It was alleged that some employees whom she asked to go to take back her dead husband refused, their answer was 'where was the use than being dead'. Mrs. Shawe-Taylor drove up to the scene, where she found her husband lying dead in the car and not a soul in sight. The shots that had killed Mr.Shawe-Taylor must have been fired at a range of scarcely a yard, for part of his face was burned black, and a gun and was found embedded in his head.
About eight men took part in the attack apparently because fifteen gun cartridges were found at the place, which a total of two volleys fired. The attackers wore mask's. The deceased evidently recieved the brunt of the charge.
There had been many dents on the left side of Shawe-Taylor's car aswell.
The front seat of the car contained a pool of blood, and one of the
dead man's teeth had been blown out. The residents of the little cottage
at the scene of the shooting say they heard the shots, but the people
in Egan's pub state they did not hear anything.
A number of months later Thomas Egan was to pay the price for Shawe-Taylor's death through a reprisal. Frank Shawe-Taylor was a Unionist in politics and he had 1,000 acres of land in the vicinity of Athenry. It was assured that he recieved several threating letters following his refusal to surrender portion of this land for distribution amongst the surrounding tenants. The Connaught Tribune wrote that; ‘With all those warnings and threats, it is a curious fact, which goes to show his indomitable courage-when he saw the barricade on the road when he drove to his death that he did not turn back and foil the trap laid for him.’
Funeral of Frank Shawe Taylor
The funeral of the late Mr. Frank M. Shawe-Taylor, J.P., who was shot dead at Coshla on March 3 while motoring to Galway fair, took place from his residence at Moorpark, at 3 o'clock on Friday 6 March 1920 to Athenry. A large crowd attended Shawe-Taylors funeral including some of the following such as; The Rt. Rev. Dr. Ross, Prostestant Bishop of Tuam, presided at the obsequies in the church at Athenry, the officating clergy men being the Rev. J. F. Cannon Bery, Galway, the Rev. Radcliffe D. Roe, Athenry, the Reverand J. C. Trotter, Ardrahan. Both Dr. Ross and Rev. Fr. Lynch condemed the murder in their sermons to their parishoners with great emotion There was .Five farmers' sons had abeen remanded in custody on the charge of murdering Shawe-Taylor, D.L. of Coshla, on March 3. The accused men were the following: Thomas Holland (24) Lisheenkyle; Martin Ruane (32) do.; Thomas Connell (28) do. ; Patrick Kelly, Carranduff (22); and Michael Kelly (18) however, in my research I could never find what happened to the case reviewing the newspaper archives.
District Inspector Gilhooly investigates
District Inspector Gilhooly, Athenry investigaged the scene of the tragedy where he saw blood on the road and also the cart that was used as an obstruction to stop Mr.Shawe-Taylor's motor car on the day he was shot. Inside the wall he found eight cartridge cases which had recently been empited, tobacco, and a piece of packing case with twins which had apparently been tied around a boot. Evidence of arrest was given by Sergeant Tahaney. A special court in Galway was held on 12 March 1920 before Mr. Justice Kilbridge, R. M.., the following five arrested for the murder were remanded in custody for the assaination of Frank Shawe-Taylor on 3 March 1920.
Accused Men Trail
All the accussed men were farmer's sons. One of them wore a bandage on his head in the dock. D.I. Gilhoouly also found footprints on the road which showed that the boots had been covered with sack-cloth or canvas. He followed similar tracks going in the direction of Lisheenkyle. The last place D. I. Gilhooly found these tracks was in a grass field in the townland of Barretspark. He then travelled eto Lisheenkyle, and he arrested three of the defendants whom I now see present; Thomas Holland, Martin Ruane, and Thomas Connell, all of Lisheenkyle.
The District Inspector charged and also arrested Martin Ruane on the same charge. The sergeant added that a remand was necessary to enable him to make further enquires and complete them ---Mr. O Dea did not cross-examine. Head-constable Dolan, Athenry, confirmed a deposition made upon the arrest of Patrick and Michael Kelly of Carranduff: Many arrests were to follow in Athenry such as in April 1920 John Fury, M.Joyce and Michael Glynn (sen) were arrested and charged for purchasing rifles.
Mail Car Robbery 1920
A number of months later Thomas Egan was to pay the price for Shawe-Taylor's death through a reprisal. Frank Shawe-Taylor was a Unionist in politics and he had 1,000 acres of land in the vicinity of Athenry. It was assured that he recieved several threating letters following his refusal to surrender portion of this land for distribution amongst the surrounding tenants. The Connaught Tribune wrote that; ‘With all those warnings and threats, it is a curious fact, which goes to show his indomitable courage-when he saw the barricade on the road when he drove to his death that he did not turn back and foil the trap laid for him.’
Funeral of Frank Shawe Taylor
The funeral of the late Mr. Frank M. Shawe-Taylor, J.P., who was shot dead at Coshla on March 3 while motoring to Galway fair, took place from his residence at Moorpark, at 3 o'clock on Friday 6 March 1920 to Athenry. A large crowd attended Shawe-Taylors funeral including some of the following such as; The Rt. Rev. Dr. Ross, Prostestant Bishop of Tuam, presided at the obsequies in the church at Athenry, the officating clergy men being the Rev. J. F. Cannon Bery, Galway, the Rev. Radcliffe D. Roe, Athenry, the Reverand J. C. Trotter, Ardrahan. Both Dr. Ross and Rev. Fr. Lynch condemed the murder in their sermons to their parishoners with great emotion There was .Five farmers' sons had abeen remanded in custody on the charge of murdering Shawe-Taylor, D.L. of Coshla, on March 3. The accused men were the following: Thomas Holland (24) Lisheenkyle; Martin Ruane (32) do.; Thomas Connell (28) do. ; Patrick Kelly, Carranduff (22); and Michael Kelly (18) however, in my research I could never find what happened to the case reviewing the newspaper archives.
District Inspector Gilhooly investigates
District Inspector Gilhooly, Athenry investigaged the scene of the tragedy where he saw blood on the road and also the cart that was used as an obstruction to stop Mr.Shawe-Taylor's motor car on the day he was shot. Inside the wall he found eight cartridge cases which had recently been empited, tobacco, and a piece of packing case with twins which had apparently been tied around a boot. Evidence of arrest was given by Sergeant Tahaney. A special court in Galway was held on 12 March 1920 before Mr. Justice Kilbridge, R. M.., the following five arrested for the murder were remanded in custody for the assaination of Frank Shawe-Taylor on 3 March 1920.
Accused Men Trail
All the accussed men were farmer's sons. One of them wore a bandage on his head in the dock. D.I. Gilhoouly also found footprints on the road which showed that the boots had been covered with sack-cloth or canvas. He followed similar tracks going in the direction of Lisheenkyle. The last place D. I. Gilhooly found these tracks was in a grass field in the townland of Barretspark. He then travelled eto Lisheenkyle, and he arrested three of the defendants whom I now see present; Thomas Holland, Martin Ruane, and Thomas Connell, all of Lisheenkyle.
The District Inspector charged and also arrested Martin Ruane on the same charge. The sergeant added that a remand was necessary to enable him to make further enquires and complete them ---Mr. O Dea did not cross-examine. Head-constable Dolan, Athenry, confirmed a deposition made upon the arrest of Patrick and Michael Kelly of Carranduff: Many arrests were to follow in Athenry such as in April 1920 John Fury, M.Joyce and Michael Glynn (sen) were arrested and charged for purchasing rifles.
Mail Car Robbery 1920
In May 1920 a mail car from Athenry to Loughrea was held up at Poolnabooney at 2 a.m. and a boy containing letters from Athenry to Craughwell taken. That same month at 10:30pm a steward living in the Athenry
district received a letter, warning him if he had not left his
employment within three days he should abide by the gun.
Shots fired June 1920
In June 1920 at 11:30pm two shots were fired into a house in the Athenry district. Stones also thrown through the windows but no person was injured. Two arrests were also made in June -Michael and Patrick Burns, farmers sons, Newcastle, Athenry and conveyed to Galway under heavy military escort to await trial on charge of shooting constable O’Brien, who received several shots in the leg, while accompanying Mr. W.Hutchinson and his bodyguard of four armed policemen on bicycles passed a certain point on the road.
The Railway Strike of 1920
During the whole summer period of 1920 a railway strike occurred where train drivers and railway station employees refused to move the train due to armed police on board.
On the 31 May 1920 at 5pm, a military lorry which was guarded by soldiers arrived at the Broadstone Terminus with five cases, stated to contain eggs and glasses, which was to be sent to Athenry by the night mail train leaving at 7:30pm. Ten minutes before the train departed-a number of members of the National Union Railwaymen approached the station master ten minutes before the departure of the train, and informed him that the train will not run unless the cases were removed.
The station master at once saw the officer in charge of the soldiers, the railwaymen in the meantime refused to continue loading the mails. After brief words between the stationmaster and the officer, three cases were moved and it was found out that they had rifles in them. The train departed one minute behind time.
About three weeks later 25 June 1920 at Athenry yesterday morning ten policemen with arms arrived by the Galway train en route to Tuam. Their luggage would not be loaded on the Great Southern train, but the policeman took their seats. The engine driver refused to proceed while the police were on the train, and traffic on the Great Southern and Western Railway was dislocated between Athenry, Claremorris and Sligo.
The next incident reported in the Irish Times was on 25 June 1920 when the Athenry and Claremorris train purposely stayed in their own stations. The Dublin mail train that had reached Athenry noticed that there were armed police on the train, once the driver noticed this he refused to go any further with the train. Passengers were then taken to Galway by motor car.
On 25 June 1920, ten policemen (Royal Irish Constabulary) with arms and luggage, arrived by en route to Tuam. Their luggage would not be loaded on the train but the policeman too their seats. The driver refused to proceed, while the police were on the train and the traffic on the Great Southern Western Railway was dislocated between Athenry, Claremorris and Sligo. On the 22 December 1920 the Railway Strike finally ended.
The Bookeen and Moyvilla RIC Barracks attacked 1920
During the Summer of 1920 the RIC barracks at Bookeen and Moyvilla were attacked. See images below
Shots fired June 1920
In June 1920 at 11:30pm two shots were fired into a house in the Athenry district. Stones also thrown through the windows but no person was injured. Two arrests were also made in June -Michael and Patrick Burns, farmers sons, Newcastle, Athenry and conveyed to Galway under heavy military escort to await trial on charge of shooting constable O’Brien, who received several shots in the leg, while accompanying Mr. W.Hutchinson and his bodyguard of four armed policemen on bicycles passed a certain point on the road.
The Railway Strike of 1920
During the whole summer period of 1920 a railway strike occurred where train drivers and railway station employees refused to move the train due to armed police on board.
On the 31 May 1920 at 5pm, a military lorry which was guarded by soldiers arrived at the Broadstone Terminus with five cases, stated to contain eggs and glasses, which was to be sent to Athenry by the night mail train leaving at 7:30pm. Ten minutes before the train departed-a number of members of the National Union Railwaymen approached the station master ten minutes before the departure of the train, and informed him that the train will not run unless the cases were removed.
The station master at once saw the officer in charge of the soldiers, the railwaymen in the meantime refused to continue loading the mails. After brief words between the stationmaster and the officer, three cases were moved and it was found out that they had rifles in them. The train departed one minute behind time.
About three weeks later 25 June 1920 at Athenry yesterday morning ten policemen with arms arrived by the Galway train en route to Tuam. Their luggage would not be loaded on the Great Southern train, but the policeman took their seats. The engine driver refused to proceed while the police were on the train, and traffic on the Great Southern and Western Railway was dislocated between Athenry, Claremorris and Sligo.
The next incident reported in the Irish Times was on 25 June 1920 when the Athenry and Claremorris train purposely stayed in their own stations. The Dublin mail train that had reached Athenry noticed that there were armed police on the train, once the driver noticed this he refused to go any further with the train. Passengers were then taken to Galway by motor car.
On 25 June 1920, ten policemen (Royal Irish Constabulary) with arms and luggage, arrived by en route to Tuam. Their luggage would not be loaded on the train but the policeman too their seats. The driver refused to proceed, while the police were on the train and the traffic on the Great Southern Western Railway was dislocated between Athenry, Claremorris and Sligo. On the 22 December 1920 the Railway Strike finally ended.
The Bookeen and Moyvilla RIC Barracks attacked 1920
During the Summer of 1920 the RIC barracks at Bookeen and Moyvilla were attacked. See images below
Murder of Tom Egan - Reprisal of Frank Shawe Taylor October 1920
In October 1920 publican Tom Egan who was also an Irish Volunteer was became a reprisal Frank Shawe Taylor. Nora Egan daughter of Tom gives a detailed account of that night in James Charles Roy's The Fields of Athenry.
Tragic Death of Bill Freaney 1921
A mix up believing that it may have been a Cleary in Abbey Row who's body was burned in the fire. In July 1921 a bunch of armed men entered the household of Thomas B. Cleary, with blakened faces.
A Galway Correspondent for the Freeman's Journal stated that it was one of his sons dead body found in the pavilion but as many of us from Athenry today know it was Bill Freaney.
According to the Freeman's Journal 'A score of armed men, with blackened faces, entered the house, and taking him out declared (our Galway Correspondent states) that it was probably one of his sons whose dead body had been found in the pavilion. If that was not so, they alleged, it was the men who were at his house who had set fire to it. They threatened to shoot, and shots were also fired over his father's head. The latter was subsequently thrown into the stream
When permitted to go back to the hosue he found it had been thoroughly searched. His wife, he adds, prayed for one of the raiders, who acted very kindly to herand attended to her when she collapsed. This man subsequently went into the garden to search for her son, who was afraid to return, and brought him back to the house. He spoke with an English accent, said Mr. Cleary and recognised the picture of the Sacred Heart.
Police officers subsequently called to the house, which is withing a shotre distance of the barrack and meade inquiries regarding the affair. Mr. Cleary and his three sons were interned in at Frongoch after the 1916 rebellion. One son, Thomas, is at present in Ballykinlar.
This is from the Freeman's Journal date 8 July 1921 which would be 3 days before the Truce.
Compensation 1921
On the 25 October 1921 Dr. Quinlan of Athenry recieved compensation of £700 for the burning of the Cricket and Tennis Pavilion.The Truce is called on the 6 July 1921.
