Thomas Hughes – Executed in Athlone – January 20, 1923
Michael Walsh – Executed in Athlone – January 20, 1923
Herbert Collins – Executed in Athlone – January 20, 1923
Stephen Joyce – Executed in Athlone – January 20, 1923
Martin Burke – Executed in Athlone – January 20, 1923
RÉAMHRÁ
January 2013
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| Contact RSF in Athone to recieve a copy. |
These Volunteers of Óglaigh na h-Éireann, the Irish
Republican Army were executed because of their
involvement in the war in defence of the Irish Republic – the Republic declared
at the Dublin GPO, Easter 1916 and established on January 21st 1919. They rejected the British solution to the
conflict in Ireland. This solution was
the partition of Ireland and the introduction of two British States in Ireland,
the 26 County “Irish Free State” and the 6 County “Northern Ireland”.
The betrayal of the 32 County Republic
that began with Michael Collins in 1921 was joined by others down the years, prominent
among them were Eamonn De Valera and Fianna Fail in 1926 and Gerry Adams and the Provisionals in 1986.
All those who entered the British imposed partitionist assembly of
Leinster House broke faith with the Irish Republic and became part of the
murderous “Free State” regime upholding British rule in Ireland.
November 1922 marked the initiation by the
Pro Treaty Government of a policy of “Official executions” of republican
prisoners. Starting November 17th 1922
and ending on May 2nd 1923 the “Free State” (26 County State) executed 77
Republicans. The Free State executed
three times as many Irish men in that time than the British did in the Tan War,
1920-21.
Along with the official executions there
were 124 unauthorised killings or “wayside murders” as Brian O’Higgins referred to them in his Wolfe Tone Annual of 1962. The State attempted to cover up many of these
actions with excuses such as “shot while trying to escape”.
Locally, such murders carried out by
members of the Free State (26 County) Army were Toby Mannion at the Hill of
Berries. Christy “Kit” McKeown in Moate and Dick Bertles shot dead while standing at the counter
of Cunningham’s public house in Ballymore.
The blood lust of the 26 County State did
not end there with the ending of hostilities, in 1923 we can remember others
like Richard Goss executed on the 9th of August 1940 and Paddy McGrath and
Thomas Harte executed 6th September 1940.
George Plant was executed on March
5th. Charlie Kerins was executed by way
of a British Hangman imported by De Valera’s Fianna Fáil administration.
On this the 90th anniversary of the
executions of the Athlone Martyrs it may be a good time to look at the role
played by the 26 County State alongside the British State in denying the right
of the Irish people to national self determination and sovereignty.
An Phoblacht Abú
Ciaran Dolan, Runaí,
Seán Costello / Martin Hurson Cumann,
Republican SINN FÉIN Poblachtach,
Athlone / Áth Luain.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thomas Hughes, Michael Walsh, Hubert Collins, Stephen Joyce, and Martin Burke.
There were five executions on the 20th of January 1923 in Athlone, where the Western Command of the army was being entangled in the web. They are of particular interest to us because all five had Galway or Western connections, as had the sixth person, General Tom Maguire, TD who was also sentenced to death, but possibly because of his status as TD the death sentence was not carried out in his case. On Saturday January 20th, 1923 those five men were taken out in Custume Barracks, Athlone, lined by a wall and, on the orders of Highest Command in the Free State Forces, executed.
Their relatives were not informed until at the earliest, 6p.m., in the case of Captain Hughes’s family which lived nearby, some ten hours later. The Connacht Tribune of the following Saturday, April 14th describes the event.
“The condemned men went to their doom firmly and with brave hearts. They had been attended during the night by two priests and in the morning heard Mass, at which two of them served. The priests were with them to the last.”
The news of the executions cast a gloom over the people who could hardly realise what awful happening had taken place in their midst that morning. About 8 a.m. two volleys were fired and it is stated that the condemned men were taken out in parties of three each and blind folded and their hands joined in prayer. They had prayed fervently during the night before and in the morning and were fully consoled, prepared to meet their Creator. The six bodies enclosed in six coffins were interned in the ground with-in the Barracks and it is stated that the ground was consecrated.
On October 28th 1924, the Free State released the bodies of the executed soldiers of the Republic. Some 20 bodies, those executed in Tuam, Athlone, Drumboe, Tullamore, Birr and Tralee were released through the back gate of Custume Barracks, Athlone at ten minute intervals.
Below is a link to the PDF version of the publication. It is available free to download. http://www.scribd.com/doc/131700995/Athlone-Martyrs
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