On This Day / March 1, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210301
Reference Date
19210301
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 1st March 1921, six young men were executed by firing squad at Victoria Barracks, Cork, despite widespread appeals, provoking outrage and deepening resistance across Ireland. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Six Youths Executed at Victoria Barracks | On This Day – 1st March 1921
CONTRARY to expectations and hopes in which 99 per cent of all the Irish people share, the six youths who have been convicted of offences against the law by a Military Court under Martial Law, were executed yesterday at Victoria Barracks, Cork.
It was said at first that the six would be hanged but they were shot.
It is evident that the letter from the Bishop of Cork to General Strickland [Military Supremo] and the telegram sent by Cardinal Logue to General Macready [GOC] induced the military authorities to abandon the idea of sending the doomed youths to the Judgement Seat of God without the presence of Catholic chaplains.
The names of the six victims were: Thomas O’Brien; Daniel O’Callaghan; John Lyons; Timothy McCarthy; Patrick Mahony (all Co. Cork) and John Allen, Tipperary.
Our Cork correspondent writes: Before the executions, which took place in batches of two from 8am, two Masses were celebrated in the cell.
When the relatives returned to the Military Barracks at ten o’clock to have the remains handed over to them, they were informed that the request could not be acceded to as the bodies had already been removed.
Shortly before 7.30 am, a number of ladies from Cumann na mBan assembled outside the gates. A whippet tank with guns menacing the crowd was drawn up.
Mrs MacCurtain, widow of the late Lord Mayor of Cork [assassinated by RIC in 1920] joined the watchers carrying a statue of the Sacred Heart.
The Rosary having concluded, on the stroke of eight a volley of rifle fire broke the stillness of the morning, followed by a second fusillade.
Canon O’Sullivan said the men had walked to their death ‘like schoolboys on a holiday’.
Mrs Mahony of Berrings, mother of Patrick Mahony, said: ‘My boy Patrick was only 23. He was educated at the Presentation College and was a good boy. I am proud of him.’
His Lordship the Most Rev Dr Coholan, Bishop of Cork expressed the view that the executions were very regrettable from the point of view of a peaceful settlement and very stupid on the part of the Government.
The Government think they will break the spirit of the young men of Ireland by these executions, he said; they will only succeed in driving everyone into the ranks of the IRA…
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: These executions marked a further escalation of the conflict.
In May 1921, seven members of the Belfast IRA, captured following an IRA ambush at Lappinduff, Co Cavan, were sentenced to death by courtmartial, only to have their lives saved in the nick of time by the Anglo-Irish Truce of July.)
On This Day – 1st March 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210301
Reference Date
19210301
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 1st March 1921, six young men were executed by firing squad at Victoria Barracks, Cork, despite widespread appeals, provoking outrage and deepening resistance across Ireland. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Six Youths Executed at Victoria Barracks | On This Day – 1st March 1921
CONTRARY to expectations and hopes in which 99 per cent of all the Irish people share, the six youths who have been convicted of offences against the law by a Military Court under Martial Law, were executed yesterday at Victoria Barracks, Cork.
It was said at first that the six would be hanged but they were shot.
It is evident that the letter from the Bishop of Cork to General Strickland [Military Supremo] and the telegram sent by Cardinal Logue to General Macready [GOC] induced the military authorities to abandon the idea of sending the doomed youths to the Judgement Seat of God without the presence of Catholic chaplains.
The names of the six victims were: Thomas O’Brien; Daniel O’Callaghan; John Lyons; Timothy McCarthy; Patrick Mahony (all Co. Cork) and John Allen, Tipperary.
Our Cork correspondent writes: Before the executions, which took place in batches of two from 8am, two Masses were celebrated in the cell.
When the relatives returned to the Military Barracks at ten o’clock to have the remains handed over to them, they were informed that the request could not be acceded to as the bodies had already been removed.
Shortly before 7.30 am, a number of ladies from Cumann na mBan assembled outside the gates. A whippet tank with guns menacing the crowd was drawn up.
Mrs MacCurtain, widow of the late Lord Mayor of Cork [assassinated by RIC in 1920] joined the watchers carrying a statue of the Sacred Heart.
The Rosary having concluded, on the stroke of eight a volley of rifle fire broke the stillness of the morning, followed by a second fusillade.
Canon O’Sullivan said the men had walked to their death ‘like schoolboys on a holiday’.
Mrs Mahony of Berrings, mother of Patrick Mahony, said: ‘My boy Patrick was only 23. He was educated at the Presentation College and was a good boy. I am proud of him.’
His Lordship the Most Rev Dr Coholan, Bishop of Cork expressed the view that the executions were very regrettable from the point of view of a peaceful settlement and very stupid on the part of the Government.
The Government think they will break the spirit of the young men of Ireland by these executions, he said; they will only succeed in driving everyone into the ranks of the IRA…
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: These executions marked a further escalation of the conflict.
In May 1921, seven members of the Belfast IRA, captured following an IRA ambush at Lappinduff, Co Cavan, were sentenced to death by courtmartial, only to have their lives saved in the nick of time by the Anglo-Irish Truce of July.)
On This Day – 1st March 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210301
Reference Date
March 1, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 1st March 1921, six young men were executed by firing squad at Victoria Barracks, Cork, despite widespread appeals, provoking outrage and deepening resistance across Ireland. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Six Youths Executed at Victoria Barracks | On This Day – 1st March 1921
CONTRARY to expectations and hopes in which 99 per cent of all the Irish people share, the six youths who have been convicted of offences against the law by a Military Court under Martial Law, were executed yesterday at Victoria Barracks, Cork.
It was said at first that the six would be hanged but they were shot.
It is evident that the letter from the Bishop of Cork to General Strickland [Military Supremo] and the telegram sent by Cardinal Logue to General Macready [GOC] induced the military authorities to abandon the idea of sending the doomed youths to the Judgement Seat of God without the presence of Catholic chaplains.
The names of the six victims were: Thomas O’Brien; Daniel O’Callaghan; John Lyons; Timothy McCarthy; Patrick Mahony (all Co. Cork) and John Allen, Tipperary.
Our Cork correspondent writes: Before the executions, which took place in batches of two from 8am, two Masses were celebrated in the cell.
When the relatives returned to the Military Barracks at ten o’clock to have the remains handed over to them, they were informed that the request could not be acceded to as the bodies had already been removed.
Shortly before 7.30 am, a number of ladies from Cumann na mBan assembled outside the gates. A whippet tank with guns menacing the crowd was drawn up.
Mrs MacCurtain, widow of the late Lord Mayor of Cork [assassinated by RIC in 1920] joined the watchers carrying a statue of the Sacred Heart.
The Rosary having concluded, on the stroke of eight a volley of rifle fire broke the stillness of the morning, followed by a second fusillade.
Canon O’Sullivan said the men had walked to their death ‘like schoolboys on a holiday’.
Mrs Mahony of Berrings, mother of Patrick Mahony, said: ‘My boy Patrick was only 23. He was educated at the Presentation College and was a good boy. I am proud of him.’
His Lordship the Most Rev Dr Coholan, Bishop of Cork expressed the view that the executions were very regrettable from the point of view of a peaceful settlement and very stupid on the part of the Government.
The Government think they will break the spirit of the young men of Ireland by these executions, he said; they will only succeed in driving everyone into the ranks of the IRA…
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: These executions marked a further escalation of the conflict.
In May 1921, seven members of the Belfast IRA, captured following an IRA ambush at Lappinduff, Co Cavan, were sentenced to death by courtmartial, only to have their lives saved in the nick of time by the Anglo-Irish Truce of July.)
On This Day – 1st March 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
On This Day is a daily column in the Irish News looking back either 50 or 100 years. The column was compiled by Dr Éamon Phoenix from the mid 1980s until autumn, 2022. The Foundation is very grateful to the Irish News for giving permission to reproduce Eamon’s columns. Funding gratefully received from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust.
* The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.