asked the Minister for Defence whether he is now in a position to give an answer to the question asked on Tuesday, March 27th, relating to the death of eight prisoners at Ballyseedy Bridge, near Tralee, on March 8th; also, whether any inquest has been held respecting the deaths of four military prisoners at the Countess Bridge, Killarney, on Wednesday, 7th March, and if not, will he arrange for an enquiry to be held into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of these prisoners?
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. - KERRY PRISONERS' DEATHS.
A Court of Inquiry was held at Tralee, on the 7th April, consisting of:—Major-General P. O'Daly, G.O.C., Kerry Command, President; Major-General Eamon Price, G.H.Q., Portobello Barracks; Colonel J. McGuinness, Kerry Command, for the purpose of inquiring into the circumstances of the death of eight prisoners at Ballyseedy Bridge, near Tralee, on the morning of the 8th March.
The Inquiry disclosed that the G.O.C. Kerry Command, having occasion on the night of Wednesday, 6th-7th March, to despatch an Operation Order to Killorglin, an officer with a party of troops proceeded by tender at 2 a.m. from Ballymullen Barracks in the direction of Killorglin. The way was found to be blocked by a stone barricade across the road at Ballyseedy. The road through Ballyseedy was the only road ordinarily open to transport between Tralee and Killorglin at that time. In accordance with a Command instruction, the officer in charge of the party took no steps to have the road cleared by the troops accompanying him, but returned to Tralee with a view to bringing back prisoners to remove the blockage. Six prisoners were taken from the jail and three from the workhouse for this purpose. They returned to Ballyseedy towards 3 a.m. On reaching the barricade again the prisoners were lined up and told the purpose for which they had been brought out, and instructed to remove the barricade, which they proceeded to do. After being engaged on the work of removal for a few minutes there was a loud explosion, which knocked the officer in charge of the party to the ground, wounding him in the arm, and wounding also a second officer (scalp wound) and a sergeant, who was wounded in the left leg and knee, the two latter being subsequently detained in hospital.
On searching the immediate neighbourhood of the explosion immediately afterwards, the dead bodies of eight of the prisoners were found, all badly cut up. The ninth man was missing, and a search of the locality failed to disclose any trace of him in the darkness. Ambulances were sent for to Tralee, the wounded officers and man brought back, and subsequently the bodies of the dead prisoners. In the meantime the clearing of the road was completed by the soldiers, and the officer and party proceeded to Killorglin.
The following finding has been issued by the Court:—
(1) That the civilians in question lost their lives in explosions while removing obstructions on the road placed there by Irregulars.
(2) That the explosions were caused by land mines and bombs placed there by Irregulars with the object of causing loss of life amongst members of the Army, and preventing reinforcements from reaching an area in which most serious destruction to life and property would ensue if the Irregulars achieved their object.
(3) That it has been found necessary to employ civilian prisoners for the purpose of removing obstructions since September last in this particular command owing to the high percentage of casualties suffered by members of the Army, having themselves been obliged to remove trap mines, which had become the principal weapon of war of the Irregulars.
(4) The Court further find that the allegations contained in the Irregular propaganda submitted to the Court, particularly with reference to the maltreatment of prisoners, are untrue and without foundation, and that no blame is attached to any officer or soldier engaged in the operations in which these prisoners lost their lives.
(5) The Court are further of opinion that, in view of the fact that the Irregular propaganda has hitherto, in most instances, proved false and misleading, undue attention should not be paid to charges against the Army, based on statements contained in such propaganda.
(6) In fine, the Court is of opinion that, in view of the abnormal conditions which have prevailed in this area, and of the inordinate and malignant nature of the fight carried out against the Army in their efforts to restore peace, the discipline maintained by the troops is worthy of the highest consideration, but that in dealing with all matters involving possibility of the loss of human life the strictest discipline must be maintained.
President:
P. Ua Dalaigh, Major-General.
Members:
(1) Eamon Price, Major-General.
(2) J. McGuinness, Colonel.
Dated April 10th, 1923.
The same Court sat at Tralee on the 7th April to inquire into the circumstances in which certain prisoners were killed in a mine explosion at the Countess Bridge, Killarney, on the morning of the 7th March. The evidence shows that, as part of a sweeping operation involving the area Killarney, Beaufort, Killorglin, Barraduff, one officer and twenty-five men started from Killarney at 3 a.m. to go in the direction of Kilgarvan. In order to get out of Killarney without attracting attention they left barracks by the East Avenue gate, and on reaching Countess Bridge found a barricade of stones on the road near the bridge. The officer in charge sent back at once to Killarney for prisoners to remove it. Five prisoners were brought back and ordered to remove the obstruction. When they had been working for a few minutes there was a loud explosion, followed by several small ones. The military party had, meantime, been ordered to stand clear while the work of removing the barricade was going on. On approaching the barricade after the explosion they found four of the prisoners dead. The fifth prisoner was missing, and a search of the locality failed to find him. The barricade contained a mine and several hand grenades.
The Court found exactly as in the previous case.
The following is a copy of the Order as a particular result of which the removal of these barricades was not attempted by the troops. Already prisoners have been used regularly for clearing roads for some months past in Kerry, because of the general practice on the part of the Irregulars of mining road barricades erected by them. The Order reads:—
Field General Headquarters,
Kerry Command,
Tralee,
March 6th, 1923.
To all Officers of the Kerry Command.
All officers and men in the Command are notified that, in the event of their encountering any obstacles, such as stone barricades, and also dugouts or dumps, they are not to interfere with same. The officer or N.C.O. in charge should immediately proceed to the nearest detention barracks and bring with him a sufficient number of Irregular prisoners to remove same.
The tragedy of Knocknagoshel must not be repeated, and serious disciplinary action will be taken against any officer who endangers the lives of his men in the removal of such barricades, etc.
Since the Four Courts fight, mines have been used indiscriminately by the Irregulars. The taking out of prisoners is not to be regarded as a reprisal, but as the only alternative left us to prevent the wholesale slaughter of our men.
(Signed) P. UA DALAIGH,
Major-General,
G.O.C. Kerry Command.
This Order was issued particularly as a result of the fact that on the morning of the 6th March, at Knocknagoshel, three officers and two men lost their lives as a result of a trigger mine trap set in a "dump" discovered by troops. The other remaining victim is at present lying in St. Bricin's Hospital, having lost both limbs and with both eyes badly damaged.
An Irregular document, headed "H.Q. Kerry, No. 1, 16.3.23," describes that "a trigger mine was laid in Knocknagoshel for a member of the F.S. Army, Lt. O'Connor, who had made a hobby of torturing Republican prisoners in Castleisland. On Tuesday a party of F.S. troops, including Lt. O'Connor, proceeded to the place, and two Copls., Lt. O'Connor, and two privates were killed." That is the end of the quotation.
The statement that Lt. O'Connor had made a hobby of torturing Republican prisoners in Castleisland is utterly untrue, and the local Irregular verdict on the occurrence is that "O'Connor had ——hard luck, and the two—— that it was laid for had the devil's own luck."
I am quite satisfied of the correctness and bona-fides of the findings of the Court in these cases.
The troops in Kerry have had to fight against every ugly form of warfare which the Irregulars could think of. They have lost 69 killed and 157 wounded, and their record there is such that it is inconceivable that they would be guilty of anything like the charges that are made against them in the Irregular statements which are at the present moment being circulated in profusion in connection with those occurrences. On the other hand, the Irregulars in Kerry have stooped to outrage of every kind. Of the 69 of our men killed in that area, 17 lost their lives guarding food convoys to feed the people in outlying districts. The Knocknagoshel incident is typical of the methods of their warfare, as is the recent urging of the O/C. of this particular area that the creation of unemployment would help their campaign.
A large number of road barricades remain to be removed in Kerry. Where it is feasible to do so the work of clearing those barricades shall be done by prisoners. Instructions, however, are being issued that, except for specially urgent reasons, such obstructions shall not be removed in darkness, and that in all cases of such removals steps shall be taken by the use of some grappling implements or the discharge of newly-placed explosive to disturb the obstruction with a view to detecting any trap mines before removal by the prisoners of the material from the road.