Civil War in County Kildare (Part 2)

The Civil War which had commenced with the attack on the Four Courts saw continuing action in and around Athy. On 29th November 1922 the railway bridge in Athy was damaged by anti-treaty forces. The Irish Free State was formally established by the passing of legislation in the British House of Commons on 6th December and on the same day James Kenny of Dunbrin was arrested by National Army troops. Two days later four Republican prisoners, Dick Barrett, Rory O’Connor, Joe McKelvey and Liam Mellowes were executed in Mountjoy jail. On Christmas Eve the property of James Murphy, an Athy farmer, was extensively damaged. Subsequent attacks on the property of farmers John Bergin of Maybrook and Michael Mara, both of whom were members of the Kildare Farmers Union, satisfied the authorities that the local farm labourers dispute was the cause. On the first day of the new year 1923 18-year-old National Army soldier Thomas McEvoy was accidentally shot dead at Graney crossroads, just a few weeks after four of his colleagues were killed at the same location in an ambush by anti-treaty forces. The new year was ushered in with an attack on the railway companies’ office in Athy and an arson attack on the farm buildings of Frank Plewman of Woodstock. 19year old Christopher Sweeney from Nelson Street Athy was shot dead during an ambush by anti-treaty republicans at O’Connell Street Waterford on 5th January. A week later armed men attacked and damaged a dwellinghouse at Lipstown, Narraghmore, the property of Thomas Yates of Grangemellon. This was undoubtedly the result of the local farm labourers dispute which also saw sheds and crops burned at Belview, the property of Stephen Telford and a thatched cottage at Cloney, the property of Patrick Kelly. The farm labourers dispute with the Kildare Farmers Union was the principal reason for the malicious damage caused in and around the south Kildare area at this time. Thomas Hickey, Milltown House, was another victim in that dispute when barley and straw was burned overnight on January 26th. Two days later Christy Supple, secretary of the Athy branch of the Transport Union was arrested and lodged in Carlow Military Barracks. His mother Mary died suddenly in the Union Office in Duke Street 18 days later but Christy was refused parole to attend her funeral. Anti-treaty men raided Jacksons shop in Leinster Street on 2nd February and took a quantity of goods and on the following day James Kelly of Youngstown had a consignment of porter seized by what is believed to be the same raiders. The farm labourers dispute saw further malicious damage, this time to the property of Denis Morrin, farmer of Ballyroe. On the day following Tom Barry’s call for a truce which was rejected by his colleague Liam Lynch, Dr. Thomas O’Higgins, father of the Free State government minister Kevin O’Higgins, was shot and killed by anti-treaty raiders in his home at Stradbally. Armed men raised the Bank of Ireland in Athy on 21st February, while further attacks on local farmers saw the destruction of Mrs. Hayden’s house at Brownstown and damage to Hannon’s store in Athy. On March 2nd and 3rd anti-treaty forces attacked several properties in Athy, resulting in the destruction of equipment at the railway station, the Post Office, the Civic Guards barracks, as well as the shop premises of John W. Coote and Shaws. Cars were stolen from the Leinster Arms Hotel yard, Maxwells of Duke Street and Duthie Larges. At the same time hay and other crops the property of Margaret Hayden of Churchtown were destroyed. It is believed that this damage was caused by men involved in the farm labourers dispute which had entered its sixteenth week. Christy Supple, local secretary of the Transport Union and leader of the farm labourers dispute and an Urban District Councillor for Athy, was released from jail on 22nd March. Six days later there was an unsuccessful gun attack on a National Army sentry at the Town Hall. The farm labourers strike continued and on the last day of March at a public meeting held in Emily Square presided over by the ITGWU General Secretary, William O’Brien, it was claimed that upwards of 300 farm labourers were locked out by members of the Kildare Farmers Union. Civil War activities in the south Kildare area lessened as the year progressed, but on 23rd April attempts were made to disrupt rail travel when wires were cut at Athy Railway station. This was followed a few days later with the arrest of 7 Athy men who were lodged in Carlow Military Barracks. By this time almost 12,000 anti-treaty supporters had been interned by order of the Free State government and amongst them were several Athy men Paddy McNamara and his brother. In June 1923 Athy Urban District Council workers, including the weight master, refused to weigh wool delivered by local farmers. The now infrequent raids by anti-treaty forces recommenced with a raid on the railway goods store in Athy where the property of Thomas Bergin, merchant of Duke Street, was stolen. A sense of normality was evidenced when the local press announced the formation of a branch of Cumann na nGaedhael in Athy. Peter P. Doyle, formerly of Athy’s Sinn Fein Club, was elected president. A few weeks later General Sir W.B. Hickie, president of the Legion of Ex Service Men in Ireland, visited the local British legion hall. Where I wonder was that hall as the legion hall later remembered as the Social Club premises was built in 1925/’26. Many lives were lost during the Civil War and communities were traumatised by the killing and the wanton destruction which left a legacy of bitterness for years thereafter. On Tuesday 28th March at 8pm the Arts Centre will host a lecture by David Walsh titled ‘Athy and World War I in Twenty Objects’. It’s a story of an earlier worldwide conflict which had a huge impact on families in Athy. Admission Free.