1922,
ourselves alone!
In 1922,
with no police force or national army formally established in the newly
formed Irish Free State, the 26 Counties was slipping into a state of
anarchy and lawlessness with many robberies, score-settling and crimes
of all kinds being committed daily.
- A Republican Police
Force was doing its best to maintain order.
- Republican Courts were
set up to administer justice.
- The first Republican
Court session authorised by the Irish Free State Government held in
Carlow Court House, February 1922, with Adjudicators appointed in
place of Magistrates and Judges.
Nationalist and Leinster Times newspaper in the PPP.
Sitting of
the Carlow Republican District Court.
Adjudicators.
Seamus
Lennon, Michael Governey, Sean O' Byrne.
At the
opening of the Carlow District Republican Court, Mr Seamus Lennon said
he wished to make it clear that the Court derived its jurisdiction from
the Republic, which was still in existence, and under which no alien
court could function.
They were
appointed under the authority of Dail Eireann and drew their
jurisdiction from that body and nobody else.
Mr Michael
Governey said --I take it that Mr Lennon has not made the statement you
have listened to for any political motive, and as far being
self-appointed justices, we are not.
We have
been appointed by the people, and shall insist on law and order being
respected, and that our rulings and decisions must be carried out. No
doubt a dark cloud is hanging over Ireland at present, and I hear some
people are taking advantage of the state of affairs existing just now,
but I for one, sincerely hope that wiser counsels may soon prevail.
The above is a true and
accurate transcript of the original document.
- Transcribed by M. Purcell c2008.
- Nationalist and Leinster Times newspapers in
the PPP.
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