I gave notice that I would raise on the adjournment the question of the shooting of John Fenlon because the Minister did not give a satisfactory reply to my question asking whether he would provide adequate compensation for Fenlon. The Minister said that we were raising this and similar cases for propaganda purposes. We are raising these cases definitely with a view to proving the necessity for providing adequate compensation for all who are maimed on both sides during the Civil War and for the dependents of those who were killed on both sides. This is a statement signed by John Fenlon—I am not going to give the names of the officers of the Free State Army concerned—and witnessed by two of the prisoners who were present when Fenlon was shot in the barrack square. It can also be vouched for by a hundred other witnesses who were prisoners and by many members of the Free State Army, if they are approached. This is the statement:—
"I was arrested on November 23rd, 1922, at Newtown, County Carlow, by Lieutenant —— and about sixty soldiers. I was already wounded at the time of my arrest, my right hand having been shattered by a bomb a few days previously. The fact that I was wounded, however, did not save me from getting a brutal beating. I was beaten with the butts of rifles and was kicked around the road. One soldier hit me with a rifle and broke three of my teeth. While I lay on the ground Lieutenant —— raised a rifle and struck my wounded arm, causing the blood to flow. I was placed against a wall and shots were fired over my head. I was then taken to Carlow Military Barracks, but before going through the streets of Carlow I had to be washed, as I was caked with blood. I was brought before Brigadier-General ——, who told me I was going to be shot. Before being brought to my cell, I was again beaten in the presence of Brig.- General ——. Corporal —— struck me to the ground, and two soldiers kicked me while I lay on the ground. I was thrown into a cell next the guardroom. Every hour I was visited by officers. The following evening—or two days after my arrest—I heard a great commotion outside my cell, and Commandant ——, of ——, came in with Lieutenant —— and Sergeant- Major ——. I was told to get out on the square to run. I protested and said I was wounded and very ill. I was dragged out on the square, where I saw two rows of soldiers drawn up. They were the Wexford troops, as Carlow was the Divisional Headquarters at the time. I was paraded before the troops, and was told to get to the prisoners' compound. I had just entered the prisoners' compound when Sergeant-Major —— called me. He had a revolver in his hand. He asked me if I was the ‘One-handed ——,' and said ‘Take this.' He levelled the gun at me and fired three times. As I fell to the ground I saw another soldier running across the square with a machine-gun on his shoulder. He roared out to —— that he would finish the job, and rested the gun on the barbed wire. Commandant —— and Brigadier-General —— were present during all this. I lay in a pool of blood, and was annointed on the square by Rev. Father ——. I was later removed to the Curragh Military Hospital, where I remained for months. I have seven wounds—one on my shoulder, which has been open all the winter as a result of the treatment I received in Carlow Barracks, and which affects my bad arm. I also suffer from terrible headaches. Father —— will bear out the above statement. There were also present about one hundred prisoners who witnessed the scene on the square."
That is signed by John Fenlon and witnessed by Seamus Lillis, who is at present in Richmond Hospital, and who says that the above statement is true and accurate. It is also witnessed by Bill Tynan, Ballyclare, Co. Kildare, and by James O'Connell, Ballytore, Co. Kildare.
The Minister admitted that Fenlon was shot on the barrack square, but he denies that he is suffering as a result of these wounds. In this statement Fenlon declares that he is at present suffering from a bullet wound in his shoulder, which was one of the wounds caused by Sergt.-Major —— on the barrack square, when he was dragged out. It is the habit of the Minister, when questioned like this, simply to say that people like Fenlon were, as he calls it, fighting against the people. The records of this House—if this is a continuation of the Second Dáil which sat in April and May, 1922—will prove who fought against the people during the Civil War. When the question as to who fought for or against the people during the Civil War was being discussed here a few months ago the Minister was conspicuous by his absence. The Minister, when he wants to avoid a case—and it is the habit of other Ministers also, when they want to avoid any issue raised—simply starts to create a row about the Civil War. If it is granted that those who fought on the Republican side during the Civil War were wrong, what I want to impress on Deputies is that this policy of refusing to compensate people maimed on the Republican side during the Civil War and the dependents of people who were killed, is very bad national policy. We raise these cases in order to get Deputies to bring pressure upon the Government, if the present law will not allow them to make such compensation, to bring in a law which will permit them to provide compensation for such cases. We believe that it would be very sound national policy to do so.
