Walk Warily And Halt Promptly.
The 'Times' correspondent in Dublin states that the curfew order became operative at midnight on February 23. The soldiers took charge of the streets until 5am, when the police resumed duty.
Numerous permits have been granted to night workers but many are not applying.
The corporation has decided to extinguish all street lamps at 11.30pm on the ground that they refuse to light the streets for the benefit of an alien people who were not interested in the progress of the city or the liberty of the subject.
It was also decided to forbid any municipal employee or official to apply for permits from the English military government.
The corporation ordered the cessation of municipal services likely to endanger the employees lives, and stopped payment to any employee working overtime during the curfew hours.
Sir Andrew Beattie denounced the decision to cut off the light, which, he said, would afford opportunities for scoundrels. The Sinn Féin members replied that the darkness would not increase the danger from the soldiery.
The official curfew notices in Dublin warn citizens to walk warily, listen keenly, and halt promptly.'
The "alien people" mentioned above were actually the "scoundrels" referenced by the 'Irish Unionist', 'Sir' Andrew Beattie, a fact politely made by the then Dublin corporation body, and full marks to them for that!
'Official' State political bodies today and, indeed, 'unofficial' State bodies such as the trade union leaderships, wouldn't dare now make such a stand against the on-going British political and military presence in Ireland as they profit, career-wise, from not doing so.
Those entities are honest in that, when bought, they stay bought. 'Honest' as they are in that manner, they are also morally bankrupt due to their 'honesty'.
'NEW CHOIR' AND 'IRELAND'S SOLDIERS REMEMBERED'.
From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, June, 1955.
NEW CHOIR :
'To The Editor, United Irishman.
A Chara,
May I avail of the columns of your paper to bring to the notice of your readers the recent formation of a choir.
We are called the O'Carolan Choir, after the name of the famous Irish bard, and we are interested mainly in singing Irish folk-songs in four-part arrangements. The choir is open to everyone with or without a knowledge of music ; if you can't read music we will teach you. We meet every Friday in 63 Grosvenor Road (basement), Rathmines, Dublin, at 8.20pm (learners at 8pm sharp) - come along and bring your friends!
Is Mise,
Mairin Johnston,
Secretary'.
IRELAND'S SOLDIERS REMEMBERED :
On Monday, April 11th last, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered in Leengatha, Victoria, Australia, for all those who died for Ireland.
The celebrant was Rev J McGuigan and the Mass was offered at the request of Henry McGuigan, formerly of County Armagh, and Toronto, Canada, and now resident in New York.
At his request also, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered in St Jude's Church, New York, on Wednesday, April 13th, for the republican prisoners. The celebrant was Rev J Flattery.
(END of 'New Choir' and 'Ireland's Soldiers Remembered' ; NEXT - 'Dunmanway Meetings', from the same source.)
ON THIS DATE (24TH FEBRUARY) 156 YEARS AGO : 'MEAGHER OF THE SWORD' RESIGNS HIS U.S. MILITARY POSITION.
The defining day of the The Battle of Antietam/Battle of Sharpsburg was September 17th, 1862, which was the bloodiest day of not only the American Civil War but the bloodiest single day in all of American history. The battle took place between the town of Sharpsburg in Maryland and Antietam Creek, and it ended General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of a northern state, and was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Union soil.
The combined tally of dead, wounded, and missing stands at 22,717 soldiers of which the Irish Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General Thomas Francis Meagher, who recruited soldiers from among Irish immigrants for the Union side, lost over 60% of its men in an area that came to be known as 'Bloody Lane'. We have previously mentioned Meagher's involvement in the Irish struggle on this blog (here and here , for instance) but, before he left these shores for America, he unveiled an Irish flag (which he had based on the French Tricolour) in his native city, Waterford, on the 7th March 1848, outside the Wolfe Tone Confederate Club.
On the 15th April, in 1848, on Abbey Street, in Dublin, he presented the flag to Irish citizens on behalf of himself and the 'Young Ireland' movement, with the following words : "I trust that the old country will not refuse this symbol of a new life from one of her youngest children. I need not explain its meaning. The quick and passionate intellect of the generation now springing into arms will catch it at a glance. The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the 'orange' and the 'green' and I trust that beneath its folds, the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood..."
He was arrested by the British for his part in the 1848 Rising, accused of 'high treason' and sentenced to death ('...to be hanged, drawn and disemboweled..') but, while he was awaiting execution in Richmond Jail, this was changed by 'Royal Command' to transportation for life and in July 1849, at only 26 years of age, he was transported from Dun Laoghaire on the S.S. Swift to Tasmania.
Before he was deported, he spoke about the country and the flag he was leaving behind - "Daniel O'Connell preached a cause that we are bound to see out. He used to say 'I may not see what I have labored for, I am old, my arm is withered, no epitaph of victory may mark me, but I see a young generation with redder blood in their veins, and they will do the work.' Therefore it is that I ambition to decorate these hills with the flag of my country...."
In Tasmania he was considered, and rightly so, to be a political prisoner (a 'Ticket of Leave' inmate) which meant he could build his own 'cell' on a designated piece of land that he could farm provided he donated an agreed number of hours each week for State use.
In early 1852, Thomas Francis Meagher escaped and made his way to New Haven, in Connecticut, in America, and travelled from there to a hero's welcome in New York. This fine orator, newspaper writer, lawyer, revolutionary, Irish POW, soldier in the American civil war and acting Governor of Montana died on the 1st of July, 1867, at 44 years of age. Asked about his 'crimes', he replied - "Judged by the law of England, I know this 'crime' entails upon me the penalty of death ; but the history of Ireland explains that 'crime' and justifies it." And the reasons for such 'crimimal acts' still exist to this day.
However : on the 24th February, 1865 - 156 years ago on this date - Brigadier Thomas Francis Meagher was relieved of his command of the Irish Brigade under the instructions of Ulysses S. Grant ; the decades of turmoil were said to have affected the man to such an extent that he sometimes sought refuge in a bottle - 'Not until February 24, 1865, did Thomas Francis Meagher resign from the Union army. Long before his resignation, the Irish Brigade had collapsed as a vehicle for Irish-American identity. During his tenure as both a recruiter for the Irish Brigade,and as the commanding officer, Thomas Francis Meagher became the cornerstone figure for the Irish unit, and through his speeches, he gave it significant political and social clout..' (link to PDF source here.)
"The glory of the old Irish nation, which in our hour will grow young and strong again. Should we fail, the country will not be worth more than it is now. The sword of famine is less sparing than the bayonet of the soldier..." Thomas Francis Meagher.
'IN THE NAME OF THE LAW...'
By Sandra Mara.
From 'The Magill Annual', 2002.
Solicitor John Fahy said his client, Edward Moss, got £10,000 in an out-of-court settlement and was happy with that. There was no suggestion of being offered £15,000 not to make a complaint. Frank McBrearty Jnr and the other defendants in the case, staff members of Frankie's Niteclub, were all acquitted.
In the light of these events the McBreartys, together with opposition TD's (sic) Brendan Howlin and Jim Higgins, have repeatedly called on Justice Minister O'Donoghue and the government to hold a public inquiry into the events in Donegal - not just in Raphoe, but in the greater Donegal area, where allegations of corruption abound.
Since that time, the body of Mr Barron has been exhumed and examined by State Pathologist Dr John Harbison. His report indicates that Mr Barron died as a result of a hit-and-run. His findings have brought forth fresh demands for a public inquiry into the garda handling of the investigation of the death of Richie Barron and their dealings with the McBrearty family... (MORE LATER.)
'LICENSED TO KILL...'
Every self-respecting Protestant will condemn the outrages of the Orange Order ; every self-respecting Protestant will condemn the outrages of the 'B Specials' ; every self-respecting Protestant, North and South, will realise that the continuance of such outrages cannot but result in his (sic) being held up to world opinion as a barbarian, as a savage, than whom even the Chicago gangsters of years ago were no whit worse.
Let them, in God's name, join with us in demanding that the 'B Specials' must be disbanded. The 'B Specials' must go!
(END of 'Licensed To Kill' ; NEXT - 'IRA Not A Secret Society', from the same source.)
Thanks for reading, Sharon.
