Account of a Tragedy in Mountjoy, March, 1921

New Zealand Tablet, 29 December 1921, Page 11

Account of a Tragedy in Mountjoy, March, 1921

, (LETTER, WRITTEN V TO MILLTOWN BY MOTHER RECTRESS.) , lam sure you would like to have an account of our : visits to the heroes who were executed last Monday. About 8.30 on Saturday a telephone message came from Mount-•;-••joy. prison to say that Father McMahon had obtained permission from the Castle for us to visit the prisoners and : that we could see them at 5 p.m.. We went upSister Ignatia and I, We were first escorted to the condemned ] cell*— The same in which we saw Kevin Barry (R.1.P.) just over four months ago. Here we found Thomas Whelan. He was having tea and toast when we entered the ''- cell. He beamed all over when he saw us, and it was with difficulty we could induce him to finish his supper. “I don’t want to eat,” he said, when I have the Sisters and > the priests. He told us that the bed at the other end of - the cell was occupied by Patrick Moran, who was just then in the board room with friends. Tommy, as we called him, , talked to us in a wonderful way of Idle glory which was in store for him. “I just told my mother,” he said, “that ■ as a priest atdhe time of- his ordination starts a new life so on Monday I shall start a new life which will last for S ever*” , He said also the result of all this will be my little Francis, aged seven, will become a priest.” I wrote and told my father so, .and he answered that my c-wish shall be carried out. My father and mother will never forget me, and when they are too old to care for them-

selves will have the consolation of Francis saying Mass for them. Soon his comrade, Paddy, entered the cell. Pie, . too, was charmed to see ns. Before we arrived he had •.become quite reconciled to his fate by Tom Whelan’s words so full of faith. Father McMahon told us Moran’s innocence was so clearly proved that he had not the smallest doubt of his acquittal. When the death sentence was read to him on Tuesday, March 8, he was very much shaken. Whelan said, “Never- mind, Paddy, to-morrow you will be accustomed to it, by Sunday you will not wish to be reprieved.” His words came true. Whelan also told us the -first thing that reconciled him was reading the Life of ..the Little Flower. “When I think of the weeks of suffering that . little creature had to endure before her death! and here am I going to Heaven with only a few seconds’ pain, if any at all.” While we were talking to him one of the “Black-and-Tans” was reading Tommy’s copy of the “little Flower’s Life. Both men calmly protested their innocence, but freely forgave all who were concerned in their deaths. On Sunday evening Whelan repeated to me the words he had addressed to the court— on the morning of the murder he had partaken of the Body and Blood of his Redeemer, - and would consider it a greater crime than murder to do | so if he were guilty and to bring Our Lord Himself to shield him. When I spoke to him of the joy of meeting Our Lord so soon, he said I am thinking more of Our Blessed Mother. I was lighting. a .candle in her honor at the fatal hour, November 21. They derived great consolation from the likeness between- their death and Our Lord’s. Innocent men sworn away by false witnesses and callea to their reward in Passion Week. They bore no ill- ; will to any of-those around , them. “I am -going before a Judge who can make no mistakes,” Whelan said'. The w next cell we visited was that of Patrick Doyle and Bernard ■’ Ryan. We found both sitting beside a cheery fire. They were resigned blit sad. Doyle spoke of his wife and twin babies and his darling little girl aged three and a half. • You would love her, Sister; she has lovely golden hair.” - i-.' • - -■ » •*- '

Ryan told us his widowed mother was* very brave. He was uneasy about his delicate sister, as he had been thetr onlysupport. We spoke u. little of resignation to God’s : will - and the care Providence would have over those left behind. All then reverently knelt down and we recited the Plenary Indulgence prayer accepting whatever God should send us. After this the men’s spirit seemed to rise and peals of laughter were heard in the cell.. They said, we had brought them great comfort and they longed to see us on the morrow.. We then went upstairs, where Frank Flood and Tom Ryan were; they seemed a bit low-spirited. '' Ryan of his young wife, whom he had loved for years and was only in a position to marry quite lately.. Flood was Kevin Barry’s great chum. “He sent me word that he hoped I should have a long and .prosperous life, ana here 1 am.” Our few words and prayers acceptingGod’s will did marvels again here. It was with difficulty we tore ourselves .away. They wanted us to talk of God. hey were strong in the conviction that the fight for our country is a fight for, faith. I am sure God will judge them' according to their faith, and they may share the glory of martyrdom. The deputy governor suggested as the time w as short and they had many visitors to see we should bring up six Sisters to stay with them at dinner hour on Sunday. Six came. One of those knew Moran and another Whelan. The men were in "the most buoyant spirits. They could not understand why God had picked them out from so many others for so perfect a preparation for death. There were no regrets, no talk of Purgatory, but an eager longing to rush to the arms of God and to watch Ireland’s cause from heaven. We spoke to them of our works and asked them to help us. This they willingly agreed to do. Among other things, I mentioned the foreign mission to you ihy'dittlo sister Annie (aged ten) when she grows up. You can get her into a foreign mission Order.” Several times he spoke tb me of Francis’ and Annie’s budding Avocation. On Sunday evening he asked me if my mother yas in heaven. I said yes. He then took messages to her and my father. He asked me to visit his mother the day of the execution and also To correspond with her sometimes when she went home to Connacht, and to enquire for Francis and Annie. This exchange of mothers reminded me of the first Good Friday. He begged us to come back at 7 o’clock and say the'Rosaty,'for them. The deputy governor gave leave for three Sisters to come, one to pray ■ in each cell. In the evening the prisoners faces were radiant. Tom Ryan wrote his name on a scrap of paper and handed it to Sister Minstress, saying; “whenever you look at that think of the joy the nuns brought to my soul. Before we left them, Whelan, who was sitting beside me, said. “This is how I shall be I sit to-morrow with the Mother of God. Am I worthy?” When a Sister said to Flood she' would pray for . him from 8 to 9 in the morning, he replied, “Why should you do that? What is to keep me out of heaven even till 8.15?” They playfully talked of their places in heaven. All seemed agreed Whelan’s should be the highest, Moran was riot satisfied to be away from him and said, “Won’t you come down and stay with us, Tommy?” Whelan was very proud of" his mother. He asked Father McMahon “was she as'good as Kevin Barry’s mother?” and the reply Avas “she is ten times better.” Whelan beamed with satisfaction. The four Dublin lads were quite satisfied with their sentences but they resented the" execution of the two innocent men. All the prisoners, priests, and warders were strong in their praise of the heroic fortitude and cheerful words of encouragement spoken by Whelan at all times. He was a great support to the others. On Sunday the ■ six condemned men sang hymns all through the -Mass. The warders broke down again and again. On Sunday night the doomed slept soundly while the guards wept over them. The guards Avere most courteous all through and listened attentively to our .words, joining reverently in the prayers. We were the only nuns allowed to visit them in' the cells. On Tuesday Ave prayed over the graves of the glorious dead. As you suav by the papers, Flood desired to be beside Kevin Barry, and his request was granted. Their, names are inscribed on/the lids of their coffins, v I never valued my. holy vocation more than I did after.those last days. It was a wonderful? privilege to be an instrument in God’s .hands for bringing : comfort -to those holy youths.?, I feel they will do wonders for our congregation. They

J said they would pray for us and all the Sisters. I. hope f I have not tired you by writing -too much. The whole affair was so supernatural I thought it would be a pity ' Hot to give a full account. f '

Well you may be proud of your cousin, our countryman, Ned Foley. I daresay you have not seen him for years, and you may not fully realise the splendid type of young Irishman he was. = His health was shattered from the long confinement in prison. The joyful news of his approaching execution gave him new life, and both he and his comrade told us that Ned had not such good health since he came to prison as he had this last week. One would almost envy his impatient longing to meet his Judge. His companion, Maher, was a wonderfully holy boy. While at home he prayed habitually on the roads when journeying to and' from his work. They gloried in their innocence. "Thank God,” said Foley, stretching out his hands, “we are going before God with clean hands.” They seemed to have utilised every moment of their time in imprisonment to sanctify their souls by prayer and recollection, even though they did not expect to be executed till two months ago. During the 21 months Foley said seven rounds of the Rosary every day. Maher said three rounds per day, the Litany of the Sacred Heart, and numbers of other prayers which I cannot remember. Ned had sets of pious reflections for every day of the week and every day of the month. When I gave a relic of Blessed Oliver Plunket to Paddy Maher, he said, “I used to make novenas to him.” Ned’s only objection to the execution was that it was painless. I would just love to be scourged like Our Lord first,”' were his words on Monday evening to me. "I wonder if I ought ask the executioners to make it a bit hard 'for me.” When I explained that this would not be leaving himself in God’s hands he “was satisfied. I think it was my Guardian Angel who kept me from crying as I looked at those lovely innocent men for the last time on earth. I nearly broke down on Monday after I had said good-bye to Ned. He followed me to the door and said, “Sure you won’t cry sister?” We . cannot complain of any sacrifice God asks after we had witnessed the heroic resignation of those young men and their holy parents. The chaplain told us that they slept three hours in their clothes and they spent the rest of the night in praying aloud. - They seemed lost in prayer during the two Masses. When the executioners entered the cell, Maher said in a clear voice, “I am innocent.” Foley said, “God save Ireland and grant her freedom soon.” On their way to the scaffold they asked the priest what prayers they should say last. They died uttering the words "Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Lord Jesus, receive my soul. Foley s father and both mothers came here after the execution. Their heartbroken resignation was enough to shame us. I sometimes find it very hard to resign myself to those in just executions even though I know the holy boys are the gainers. I wish I were in heaven with those Irish saints.

Love to be unknown and to be made of no account.— Thomas a Kempis. x