Event commemorates first Kilkenny anti-Treaty executions

An event to mark the 100th anniversary of the executions in Kilkenny barracks of Anti Treaty Volunteers on December 29, 1922 was recently held in the old St Mary’s cemetery in Thomastown.

The two unfortunate individuals were 32-year-old John Phelan (sometimes pronounced ‘Whelan’) from Thomastown and 22-year-old John Murphy from Bishopslough, Bennettsbridge. Both men had been arrested at the same time two weeks previously, on December 13, 1922. READ MORE BELOW

The event was much appreciated by the Murphy and Phelan family relatives, it was a simple ceremony and Eoin Swithin Walsh, Clogga, Mooncoin honoured the occasion with a beautiful oration, dawning from his book, Kilkenny in Revolutionary times: 1900-1923.

The commemorative event included the singing of the national anthem, and the last post was sounded.
William Barron Placed two wooden crosses on their graves with their breast plate, inscribed with their date of birth and date of execution on them.

Michael Power of Granagh,Kilmacow played on the accordion, Fr Dan Bollard, PP, Thomastown Civil Parish said the prayers, on the morning.

Bredeen Kirwan and Joe Doyle from the local Thomastown Choir sang, and Niamh Hassett from Cheekpoint, assisted in the sounding of the Last Post.

The event was attended by members of the families of the executed men, and greatly acknowledged the tributes to them.
Sean Maher, Mullinavat, who organised the event with William Barron,Huggginstown, acted as MC. He paid a special mention to relatives of the two families — one of them Paddy Murphy, nephew of the deceased at a advanced year — honoured the event.

So did John Phelan, grandson of J Phelan, one of the executed, and his son Eoin also attended.
Local undertaker Mr O’ Reilly from Thomastown provided the PA system.

One of the graves — that of John Phelan — was unmarked and it is thanks to his grandson, John, for the location and doing a great job and to his son Eoin for all his help.

The small cemetery also holds the grave of Nicholas Mullins, 1921 patriot and Peter Freyne, 1916 volunteer, both lives lost in the cause of Irish freedom.

Eoin Walsh, who delivered the oration has provided great information and indeed instilled great interest in this decade of 100 year anniversaries in Ireland, his book — Kilkenny in Revolutionary Times 1900-1923 — is a great source of information.

He details how there was a sense of shock at the executions.

On that day in 1922, Free State soldiers in Kilkenny received information that a party of anti-Treaty IRA were raiding a house at Blackwell, Bennettsbridge.

Ten Free State soldiers proceeded to the location but the men had left by then. They suspected Murphy was involved and travelled to his mother’s house in nearby Bishopslough where they found the two men. After searching the house the Free State party found ‘two rifles and ammunition, one revolver and two bombs [grenades]’.

Property that had been stolen in a raid at Sheestown House a few weeks previously, was also discovered during the raid. John Murphy and Phlean’s flying column had raided Sheestown House as the owners had refused to pay the levy, or tax, the anti-Treaty had imposed on loyalist Households.

The men were arrested on charges of theft and for possessing firearms without a licence. Since the Emergency powers act had come into effect in October, this was technically an offence punishable by the death penalty.

There was still surprise however, as Kilkenny Gaol was full of anti-Treaty IRA prisoners by this stage, some of them higher ranking and caught in similar circumstances.

And there were others arrested in Kilkenny that were found to have ammunition or arms, but perhaps not as clear cut as the offences these men were charged with.

FIRST
No executions had taken place outside of Dublin or the Curragh, so they had no reason to believe Kilkenny be the first. The two men were executed in the exercise yard of the detention barracks.

This building and yard have been brought back to life by Larry Scallan, who was present at the commemoration in thomastown and others in present day james stephens barracks.