IRISH NEWS

New Zealand Tablet, 13 January 1921, Page 31

IRISH NEWS

GENERAL. The O’Conor Don declares in the RoscommonMessenger that he is a “moderate” Sinn Feiner. He is lineal representative of Roderick (Rory) O’ Conor, Some time since the New Zealand papers were full of particulars of a Sinn Fein “plot” for the destruction of London. The latest Home papers show the plot to have been the invention of the Daily Express, which was fined £SOO for contempt of court in publishing it.

Speaking at Ennis (Co. Clare) Quarter Sessions, his Honor Judge Bodkin said: "I should be false to my position if I did not publicly condemn the outrages committed at Lahinch, Ennistymon, and elsewhere by the servants of the Crown, the appointed guardians of law and order." "These outrages are called ' reprisals ' ; their true legal names are arson and murder. It is madness to suggest that by arson-and murder law and order can be maintained or restored."

A report from Tralee states that the creamerv at Abbeydorney, some five or six miles from Tralee,'was set on fire and burned. The creamery at Lixnaw was destroyed by fire. The co-operative creamery at Kildimo, Co. Limerick, was also destroyed. In all cases the military were responsible for the outrages. Mr. M. Harrington, Limerick, was recently sentenced to 12 months, with hard labor. The evidence was that on July 19 on searching the house in which he lived there were two copies of An t-Oglach and a note-book in which was M. Harrington, Sec. Com and Co. Adjutant. Accused denied he had any copy of Ant-Offlarh in his house on that date. The "planting" of evidence is by no means a new device. It is as old as ,the English government in Ireland. Arising out of the recent "reprisals" in Ballacdiaderreen on September 2 last, when the leading business concerns were wrecked by uniformed men, claims amounting to over £IOO,OOO, including interest and expenses, were awarded by Judge Wakely at Boyle Quarter Sessions Co. Roscommon at large is the area ol charge. The business interests of Mr. John Dillon ex-M.P., suffered very seriously. Extraordinary scenes of frightfulness were witnessed m Corofin and Cummer, two villages near Tuam where men were stripped and beaten by uniformed men. At Cummer 20 men who were on the street were clothes. Michael Welby, who tried to escape, was fired clothes. Michael Welby, who tried to escape, was fired at and dangerously wounded. Mavnf^F Alderman Mac Sweeney was elected Lord Mayor of Cork he promised to pay portion of the salary attached to the office to the fund for the widow and orphans of his murdered predecessor. The followed <<T h pK a PP "; l m the Irish papers .speaks for encosel t£ l"-~ f d ' Ma ? or sends you the enclosed £125, his salary for the last quarter endorsed for the Mac Curtain Memorial Fund ■ This with the £125 already subscribed, completes the £250 promised Kindly acknowledge receipt by etunrLe meas (Signed) Maire Ni Suibhne." This letter Mr 8 XcsLtr ards the r d of Qctober > so « W benefit J **"* drew an 7 mone y for his own

GALWAY TRAGEDY. . No grimmer story has been told th™ fuA r +l en-curnstenees surrounding the shooting of Mr*'Michad Walsh, a member of Galway Urban Council and urn rOcteberVwT HOUS6 a WW wasTound where the 'CorHV joins » at ,? ‘ o ' L °'’ g Walk, befora^ pl ? es^re cleared a few''minutes who 10 - i n ' gh , t by five P artia Uy disguised civilians Havin S c,osed door they “yon have e shop One police said to Mr Walsh 7 he on have free of lot of police.” Mr Walsh Ldif he was as free of anything as the shooting of police-

men he would be all right. Prior to this they told rum he would be dead within an hour. ,'‘ Leaving with the apprentice, a civilian, who said they were English secret service men and knew what they were doing, they took Mr. Walsh away in the direction of the docks. He was never seen alive again _ For two hours that night Very Rev. Father Duffy U.b.A V Prior, and another Augustinian priest, unsuccessfully searched the precincts of the docks for him Next morning men going early to. work from Long Walk saw a man s hat, lying beside the river bank On closer examination it was found to be stained with blood Two large pools of blood were also found beside the quay wall. Looking into the river they were horrified to see a human hand just beneath the surface of the water. About eight o clock the dead body of Mr. Walsh was taken out and conveyed to his home amid scenes of general grief. ■ The hair on one side was clotted with blood and lucre was a jagged wound into which a finger could be inserted. The,shot had apparently been fired into the omple from a pistol. There was a small exit wound on the opposite side. An empty cartridge was found near the scene. Dr. Kinkead, who examined the body expressed the opinion that death must have been instantaneous. i , Only , one shot appears to have been fired, but residents of the Long. Walk state that at 10.20 pm two shots were heard. It is assumed that these were discharged in order to clear people away before the gruesome tragedy was enacted. Whether the body fell or was thrown into the river when the fatal shot was fired is not clear, but as there are two pools of blood, it is assumed that he fell when shot and either rolled or was thrown into the water. nf Ir - W alsh was 39 years of age, and was a native of Head ford. He started in business in Galway 14 years ago as a general grocer and publican. Recently he purchased a farm at Lavally, Clarenbridge. Deceased leaves a widow and seven children ranging from 12 to two years . old At the last election he was elected an Urban Councillor in Sinn Fein interests. All thrpugh the day streams of mourners from the neighborhood visited the house to express their sorrow. b THE “WELL-DISPOSED” ORANGEMEN. in PpU 6 , orai^ have a §' ain indulged in outbreaks ... el fast and Derry, and lives have been lost in both of Catb 1° eqiUP f and to make the lot ot Catholics unendurable it is proposed (says the Indenarf"f 1 ° r f mSe the - “well-disposed persons” as part of the machinery of the British Government. The Ins/i A cm. is informed that the names of 37,000 “snetliat To non f ” ha '’ e l lh: f dy ,>e ™ written down and that. 10.000 more are to Ire noted within a week. As 1 .® typo of men who will compose this force Lisburn Set” an ° jeC ! f l esSon -, Recently ‘Special con.tables were enrolled in the town. On charges connected wilth the , looting of Catholic houses diming the Orange outbreak five 80118 were sentenced by the nnei trateS -n t 0 tbree . months’ imprisonment each/The <7 el is illuminating. No fewer than 300 of the special constables” resigned as a protest. “Well-dis-posed persons, indeed They are well-disposed towards is a liceno? mce, if lar 7- The reco S n *i } l°n they want Catholics lkeat ' I ,ersecute > and exterminate