As the Dáil was about to adjourn on the last occasion, I sought permission to call the attention of the House to a case of ill-treatment about which I had just heard that afternoon. An Leas-Cheann Comhairle ruled that I could not raise the matter, and as I got subsequent confirmatory information, I thought it my duty to pay a visit to Co. Clare and to see the man who was ill-treated. Accordingly, on Monday, July 15th, I went to Clare and saw this man. A short while after I returned I sent a letter to the President of the Executive Council which was written from the notes of the statements made to me by this man, Mr. T.J. Ryan, of Cranny, Co. Clare. I think that the best way for me to give the House the information would be to read the letter.
"Concerning the maltreatment on several occasions of Mr. T. J. Ryan, of Cranny, Kilrush, Co. Clare, by members of the Detective Branch of the Civic Guard:—
"July 17th, 1929.
"To the President of the Executive Council.
"I wish to draw your attention personally to the following:
"(1) On June 16th last, on his way home from Bodenstown with five companions, Mr. T.J. Ryan, of Cranny, Kilrush, Co. Clare, was held up on the road between Clarecastle and Ennis by two members of the Detective Division, ordered to leave the car, and searched.
"On refusing to give an account of his movements (he had already been held up three times on the journey from Sallins), Mr. Ryan was pushed against a wall, threatened, and struck repeatedly on the stomach and chest. He was then ordered into the car, and, as he was entering, one of the detectives rushed at him and kicked him. When in the car he was again assaulted, one detective, taking hold of the iron starting handle of the car, struck him with it on the legs, severely wounding him on the shin. The other detective rushed at him and struck him with his fist on the right eye, blackening it. Before he was let go threats of all sorts were made by the detectives, including threats to murder Mr. Ryan. He was treated for injuries to his stomach, leg and eye by Doctors M'Auliffe and O'Dea.
"(2) On July 1st, Mr. Ryan's house was raided, and a watch has been kept since by detectives day and night. No reason was given to Mr. Ryan, either for the raids or for the constant surveillance to which he has been subjected.
"(3) On Sunday, July 7th, about 3 a.m. Mr. Ryan was called from the window of his bedroom and ordered to get up. He got up and opened the door. He was then pulled outside the house by two detectives, and pushed into an adjoining yard. He was repeatedly struck on the face and body, one of the assailants, with a drawn revolver, struck him with it on the body. The second lashed him with what appeared to be a belt on the body and legs. He was maltreated like this for some minutes before he was allowed back to the house.
"(4) On entering, he went to the bedroom of his mother, who is old and an invalid. He was ordered by the detectives to get out of the room or he would be riddled with bullets.
"(5) He then went to his own room and returned to bed. Some time later he was again ordered by a detective from the window to get up. When he opened the door he was once more beaten and kicked. He was then allowed back to bed.
"(6) He got up about seven or eight o'clock. It would appear that the detectives on watch had meanwhile been changed. Whilst preparing breakfast (he resides alone with his mother), he was again struck on the face by a detective. On saying that he would take legal proceedings, the second detective said he saw no assault.
"(7) Mr. Ryan next went out to milk his cows; he was again struck several times, knocked down, punched generally on the body and stomach. This was repeated a number of times whilst he was endeavouring to milk the cows. His ears and hair were pulled, until finally he had to abandon the milking. The milking stool was thrown at him as he left. He was dazed with the beating and went to bed.
"(8) About noon he was again ordered to get up. When he did not obey, the window of his bedroom was raised, and an attempt was made by one of the detectives to get in by it. Being unable to do so, this detective and his companion burst in the door, which was on latch. The two detectives rushed into Mr. Ryan's bedroom; they pulled him out of bed, struck him, threw him down and kicked him. He went back to bed, but was pulled out again and beaten and thrown on the floor. This happened three or four times. Whilst in the bed he was throttled by one of the detectives, the other holding his hands. When lying on his back in the bed also they knelt on his stomach. These assaults were accompanied by abusive and threatening language. All this took place, roughly, between 12 and 1 o'clock. Mr. Ryan's mother was witness to his being beaten in the bedroom.
"Having been told of the assaults on Mr. Ryan, I went to Clare on Monday last; saw Mr. Ryan in his home, and learned from him the above details. As I was approaching Mr. Ryan's house I saw a man beside the house, obviously on duty. He accosted me as I was about to enter, asking my name, which I gave. When I entered he followed; and when Mr. Ryan invited me into his bedroom, he accompanied us and was present in the bedroom whilst I took notes of Mr. Ryan's statements. On leaving, I asked this man his name. He showed me his police card and said his name was Mulkeen. When I reached the road, on leaving Mr. Ryan's house, two men with bicycles, whom I believed to be detectives, signalled me to stop. I was recognised and let pass.
"Mr. Ryan bears on his person marks of the ill-treatment he has received. One of his eyes is black and his shin has medical dressings on it, which I did not let him remove. He is being attended by Dr. O'Dea of Kildysart. He has also been visited by the local curate, Father Austin—both of whom can give evidence of Mr. Ryan's condition and of the condition of his invalid mother.
"The attention of the Minister for Justice has been called more than once to the conduct of some members of the Detective Force in West Clare. He was furnished with affidavits made by citizens who were assaulted by detectives who were named, and was called upon by the Clare Teachtai and by the Clare County Council to hold a public enquiry into the charges made; but he refused to hold an investigation or to take any disciplinary action. His attitude has been such as would encourage unruly members of the Detective Force to believe that their assaults on unarmed citizens had the approval of the Executive Council.
"May I ask why Mr. Ryan is kept virtually a prisoner in his own home; what legal authority there is for it; and whether you will have an enquiry held into the conduct of the Guards who have assaulted Mr. Ryan?
"(Signed) EAMON DE VALERA."
I signed that letter and had it delivered at the office of the President. I got a reply from the office the next day informing me that the President had referred the matter to the Minister for Justice. On 26th July I received the following letter from the Minister for Justice, which I also think it better to read:
"Department of Justice,
"Dublin.
"26th July, 1929.
"A Dhuine Uasail,
"With reference to your letter of the 17th instant addressed to the President and referred by him, as you are already aware, to me, I write to say that I have now completed my inquiries into the charges of assault made to you by T.J. Ryan of Cranny, County Clare, as set forth in your said letter to the President.
"Mr. Ryan's complaint to you appears to be that on the 16th June and again on the 7th July he was assaulted by certain members of the Gárda Síochána. The Gárda concerned emphatically deny the truth of these allegations, and their denial appears to me to be borne out by the facts and circumstances of the case. The story given to you by Mr. Ryan of the assault alleged to have taken place on the 16th June sounds highly improbable, and it is noteworthy that no formal complaint was made by him to any officer of the Gárda Síochána. As regards the 7th July, the police report that when Mr. Ryan was milking one of his cows in his yard on that morning in the presence of the police on duty he was knocked down by the cow he was milking and appears to have received a black eye in consequence. Mr. Ryan apparently proceeds to build up on this accidental injury the long story which he told you, obviously by way of propaganda. It appears to me that the whole value of Mr. Ryan's testimony throughout can be measured from this little episode and in the circumstances I accept the police version.
"With reference to the police surveillance to which Mr. Ryan has subjected himself, I have to say that it is well known that Ryan is the leader of those people in West Clare who desire to upset the established form of Government by violence, and having regard to the nature of this conspiracy it is essential for the preservation of public peace that Mr. Ryan's movements should be watched by the police and they have instructions to do so. Mr. Ryan is at liberty to leave his house any time he likes and there is no foundation for the statement that he is a prisoner.
"I think this answers all the points in your letter.
"Mise, le meas agat,
"(Signed)
"JAMES FITZGERALD-KENNEY,
"Aire Dli agus Cirt.
"Eamon de Valera, Esq., T.D.
"84 Serpentine Avenue,
"Sandymount, Dublin."
I think it is the duty of every member in this Assembly, no matter what bench he sits on, to put an end to this state of affairs. We have repeatedly brought up here authenticated information, information made by way of affidavit, that assaults such as these I have described here have taken place in Clare. When we brought them here to the attention of the Minister for Justice, we got the very same type of reply as is contained in this letter, which a responsible person should not be guilty of sending out. No person, I hold, in any responsible position, who had any regard whatever for the responsibilities of his office, would send out a letter like that to the charge which was made. All we asked for was that an inquiry should be made into the charges to find out if they were true or false. The only answer we ever get when these irregularities and brutalities are brought to the attention of the Minister, is that those who have been assaulted have the remedy of the courts. We know perfectly well, and the Minister for Justice knows perfectly well—that is why he is relying on it—that very often those who have been assaulted have not the means to bring these actions against the State and to continue them, with the various appeals which are inevitable, up to the High Court. I hold that it is the duty of the Minister for Justice quite independently to hold an inquiry to find out whether his force is a disciplined one or not. Everybody here will admit, I think, that there could be no greater boon to a community than a good, disciplined police force who have the interests of the citizens at heart, and who would protect the rights of the citizens, and at the same time that no greater scourge could be inflicted on any community than a body containing within it a number of indisciplined ruffians who have liberty evidently to do and carry on as they like. From the information I have got, anyhow, and I say all we ask for is that a public inquiry be held to investigate it, certain members of the Detective Division are trying to create a reign of terror down in Clare. The answers which the Minister for Justice makes here when we bring these matters to his notice are obviously regarded by these members as an encouragement and though I personally would hate to be forced to that conclusion, I am practically forced to it in the circumstances, I believe it is the deliberate policy of the Executive Council to give a free hand to these individuals. Either that is their policy or else they are afraid to take the necessary action to discipline them. To suggest that this man got the injuries he showed to me when he was milking his cows by a kick from a cow is absolutely absurd. He is prepared to give evidence himself, and bring forward witnesses to prove that these injuries were inflicted by the Detective Division. All we ask for is that it should be made possible for him and other citizens who have been equally maltreated to come forward and give sworn public evidence of the maltreatment they have received.
We have our own responsibility in this matter. The Minister for Justice, when he replied to us on a former occasion, said to us that we had not denounced a certain outrage which had taken place in Clare. My attitude with respect to that, and, I believe, the attitude of every member of our party is unmistakable. If there was a letter deliberately sent with a view to entrapping these officers and blowing them up, it was a horrible outrage, and I believe every decent member of the community will reprobate it. That is our attitude. We would have no hesitation whatever in reprobating such an outrage for the simple reason that we know no good cause whatever can be served and advanced by such methods. We leave the Ballyseedys, the Countess Bridges and the Bahaghs to our opponents. We do not believe, not one of us, no matter in what Republican Party we may be, in such methods. Therefore, when the Minister comes along and tries to pretend and take cover under the fact that apparently there has been no denunciation of this crime from us, we want to know whether there is justification for believing that that was a deliberate plot or not in the sending of this letter, or whether, in fact, the letter was sent by somebody who wanted to give secret information to the Guards, or whether it was not the Guards' tom-fooling with the infernal instrument which caused the explosion. If it could be shown that there was a deliberate plot like that, to my mind it ranks almost in the Ballyseedy class and we have no hesitation in regarding it as such. But, even if it were so, is that any excuse for the Minister for Justice on his side condoning such brutality as, we are certain, has taken place in Clare? We feel perfectly certain that if the Minister for Justice will set up this public inquiry these cases of assaults will be proved.
This was not the first series of assaults on Mr. Ryan. Back in March, there was an affidavit of his, I think, presented to the Council of the town of Kilrush, and a resolution was forwarded to the Clare Deputies by the Council drawing their attention to it, and also to the Minister for Justice. I think the particular case itself was brought up here by Deputy Hogan. The attention of the Minister for Justice has been called to these assaults by the resolution of another responsible body, by the Clare County Council. What justification has the Minister for Justice for denying a sworn inquiry of the kind asked for? Let him answer this question: Is it the policy of the Executive Council to allow detectives a free hand; to let it be known to them and the people in the area that they have liberty to do just as they please; that we are going to have the Black-and-Tan terror brought back here at this hour of the day? If it is not, and if responsible people are prepared to give testimony on this matter, why will he not hold this public inquiry by which we can know who is right and who is wrong; whether it is the cow kicked Mr. Ryan or whether it is ruffians we have heard about—the gun bullies? Let the Minister for Justice, if he thinks he is right, give an opportunity to the people affected to bring this matter definitely to the test and have a public inquiry. There is no other way out as far as I can see; and I would say to everyone, to every member of the House, that every one of us will share in the responsibility of the Minister for Justice if we allow this sort of thing to go on. I do not think any further purpose will be served by my commenting on this further. It is savagery pure and simple. Just think of a man living alone with his mother, out in the country, isolated practically, and every day and night, in constant danger. There were three men present on this occasion; there was the one I saw at the door who accosted me, and two on the road, evidently on guard. This man cannot talk to visitors; he cannot talk to his mother; he cannot move from one room to another without some detective, if he wishes, accompanying him. Fancy that man living alone in his house at the risk at any moment of being pulled out and beaten, and perhaps murdered, by ruffians, because I have no hesitation in calling them ruffians if they are guilty of this brutality.
