On This Day / November 25, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201125
Reference Date
19201125
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 25th November 1920, controversy deepened over the shooting of three prisoners — including senior IRA figure Dick McKee — killed at Dublin Castle “while attempting to escape”, amid strong allegations of murder. At Westminster, MPs again challenged the official account of the Croke Park massacre. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
3 Shot Dead at Dublin Castle | On This Day – 25th November 1920
A SENSATIONAL story of the shooting of three prisoners in Dublin Castle on Monday has come to light in the form of an official report.
It states that at about eleven o’clock on Monday Richard McKee, TC Clune and Peter Clancy were killed in an attempt to escape from Exchange Court, Dublin where they were in police custody.
The three prisoners suddenly rose to their feet. One of them had a Mills bomb which he had abstracted from a box of bombs under a bed. This he threw at the sentry.
The bombs did not explode as they had not been detonated. One of the prisoners meanwhile had seized a rifle and fired at the Guard.
A further official report from Dublin Castle states that Peter Clancy was released on hunger strike from Mountjoy on 12th February. Richard McKee was a member of the Executive Council of the Dublin IRA.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The shocking events of Bloody Sunday Sequel had a sequel when two leading IRA figures and an innocent Gaelic Leaguer from Co Clare were shot dead – almost certainly murdered – in Dublin Castle ‘while attempting to escape’. Dick McKee was the founder of the Dublin Brigade, a close Collins’ ally and his death was a major loss to the IRA.)
Croke Park Massacre Raised
LIEUTENANT Commander Kenworthy [Liberal] asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he had any further information on the killing and wounding of about 80 civilians, including women and children, at Croke Park, Dublin on Sunday last.
Sir Hamar Greenwood repeated the version of the police and military – that shots were fired at the security forces who returned fire.
Lieutenant Kenworthy – Is the Chief Secretary aware that many eyewitnesses are prepared to swear that no shots were fired at the police and that the so-called [IRA] pickets were men selling tickets outside the field and does he justify the firing into a struggling mass of people, including women and children, in an attempt to pick out a very small minority of armed men out of 15,000 people?
Mr Kelly – Can the right hon. gentleman explain at what stage it became necessary to turn a machine-gun on the people and also how it happened that a little boy of ten years of age was bayoneted to death?
Sir H Greenwood – I am not aware that any machine-gun was used and I do not believe a boy of ten was bayoneted.
Mr Kelly – You never do.
Lady Astor [Conservative] asked the Chief Secretary to inquire into the terrible allegations that a British soldier bayoneted a boy ten years of age.
Mr Kelly – And shooting a pregnant woman.
On This Day – 25th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201125
Reference Date
19201125
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 25th November 1920, controversy deepened over the shooting of three prisoners — including senior IRA figure Dick McKee — killed at Dublin Castle “while attempting to escape”, amid strong allegations of murder. At Westminster, MPs again challenged the official account of the Croke Park massacre. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
3 Shot Dead at Dublin Castle | On This Day – 25th November 1920
A SENSATIONAL story of the shooting of three prisoners in Dublin Castle on Monday has come to light in the form of an official report.
It states that at about eleven o’clock on Monday Richard McKee, TC Clune and Peter Clancy were killed in an attempt to escape from Exchange Court, Dublin where they were in police custody.
The three prisoners suddenly rose to their feet. One of them had a Mills bomb which he had abstracted from a box of bombs under a bed. This he threw at the sentry.
The bombs did not explode as they had not been detonated. One of the prisoners meanwhile had seized a rifle and fired at the Guard.
A further official report from Dublin Castle states that Peter Clancy was released on hunger strike from Mountjoy on 12th February. Richard McKee was a member of the Executive Council of the Dublin IRA.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The shocking events of Bloody Sunday Sequel had a sequel when two leading IRA figures and an innocent Gaelic Leaguer from Co Clare were shot dead – almost certainly murdered – in Dublin Castle ‘while attempting to escape’. Dick McKee was the founder of the Dublin Brigade, a close Collins’ ally and his death was a major loss to the IRA.)
Croke Park Massacre Raised
LIEUTENANT Commander Kenworthy [Liberal] asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he had any further information on the killing and wounding of about 80 civilians, including women and children, at Croke Park, Dublin on Sunday last.
Sir Hamar Greenwood repeated the version of the police and military – that shots were fired at the security forces who returned fire.
Lieutenant Kenworthy – Is the Chief Secretary aware that many eyewitnesses are prepared to swear that no shots were fired at the police and that the so-called [IRA] pickets were men selling tickets outside the field and does he justify the firing into a struggling mass of people, including women and children, in an attempt to pick out a very small minority of armed men out of 15,000 people?
Mr Kelly – Can the right hon. gentleman explain at what stage it became necessary to turn a machine-gun on the people and also how it happened that a little boy of ten years of age was bayoneted to death?
Sir H Greenwood – I am not aware that any machine-gun was used and I do not believe a boy of ten was bayoneted.
Mr Kelly – You never do.
Lady Astor [Conservative] asked the Chief Secretary to inquire into the terrible allegations that a British soldier bayoneted a boy ten years of age.
Mr Kelly – And shooting a pregnant woman.
On This Day – 25th November 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201125
Reference Date
November 25, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 25th November 1920, controversy deepened over the shooting of three prisoners — including senior IRA figure Dick McKee — killed at Dublin Castle “while attempting to escape”, amid strong allegations of murder. At Westminster, MPs again challenged the official account of the Croke Park massacre. Edited by Éamon Phoenix
3 Shot Dead at Dublin Castle | On This Day – 25th November 1920
A SENSATIONAL story of the shooting of three prisoners in Dublin Castle on Monday has come to light in the form of an official report.
It states that at about eleven o’clock on Monday Richard McKee, TC Clune and Peter Clancy were killed in an attempt to escape from Exchange Court, Dublin where they were in police custody.
The three prisoners suddenly rose to their feet. One of them had a Mills bomb which he had abstracted from a box of bombs under a bed. This he threw at the sentry.
The bombs did not explode as they had not been detonated. One of the prisoners meanwhile had seized a rifle and fired at the Guard.
A further official report from Dublin Castle states that Peter Clancy was released on hunger strike from Mountjoy on 12th February. Richard McKee was a member of the Executive Council of the Dublin IRA.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The shocking events of Bloody Sunday Sequel had a sequel when two leading IRA figures and an innocent Gaelic Leaguer from Co Clare were shot dead – almost certainly murdered – in Dublin Castle ‘while attempting to escape’. Dick McKee was the founder of the Dublin Brigade, a close Collins’ ally and his death was a major loss to the IRA.)
Croke Park Massacre Raised
LIEUTENANT Commander Kenworthy [Liberal] asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he had any further information on the killing and wounding of about 80 civilians, including women and children, at Croke Park, Dublin on Sunday last.
Sir Hamar Greenwood repeated the version of the police and military – that shots were fired at the security forces who returned fire.
Lieutenant Kenworthy – Is the Chief Secretary aware that many eyewitnesses are prepared to swear that no shots were fired at the police and that the so-called [IRA] pickets were men selling tickets outside the field and does he justify the firing into a struggling mass of people, including women and children, in an attempt to pick out a very small minority of armed men out of 15,000 people?
Mr Kelly – Can the right hon. gentleman explain at what stage it became necessary to turn a machine-gun on the people and also how it happened that a little boy of ten years of age was bayoneted to death?
Sir H Greenwood – I am not aware that any machine-gun was used and I do not believe a boy of ten was bayoneted.
Mr Kelly – You never do.
Lady Astor [Conservative] asked the Chief Secretary to inquire into the terrible allegations that a British soldier bayoneted a boy ten years of age.
Mr Kelly – And shooting a pregnant woman.
On This Day – 25th November 1920
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.