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Carlow County - Ireland Genealogical Projects (IGP TM)


Pat Purcell  Papers
Concert in Carlow 1922 plus
 Meeting with Irish Republican Police

By kind permission of Michael Purcell  12/2009


Sold-out concert in Carlow 1922.

 January 1922.

 After being confined to barracks for several months during the Truce, and now in January 1922 getting ready to depart from Ireland,  the soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the Fifth Fusiliers, British Army, were invited to put on a farewell concert in Carlow's Deighton Hall.

This advertisement informs us that the St. George's Minstrels recruited from within the battalion will preform at the forthcoming concert supported by the Fifth Fusiliers Brass Band.

Heated discussions  took place to decide if the soldiers could march, for the last time, in full military regalia  from Carlow Barracks to the Deighton Hall on the day of the concert.

 Nationalist 1922 in the PPP.

 NOTICE.

DEIGHTON MEMORIAL HALL
at 8pm.
Monday, January 30th 1922.
ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE :
by
St. GEORGE'S MINSTRELS and the Band 1st Battalion Fifth Fusiliers.
Owing to the great number of persons who were unable to obtain admission to the Evening Performance at the Deighton Memorial Hall on January 25th, it has been decided to hold an additional performance.
Ticket holders for
EVENING PERFORMANCE,
Jan 25th, who were unable to obtain admission, will be admitted on production of Ticket. Tickets for additional Concert are now on same at Mr Craig's, Dublin Street, and Mr Rudock's Newsagent, Tullow Street.

Admission by Ticket only.


Bridewell Lane
&
1st Battalion of the Royal Northumberland Fifth Fusiliers.

Thursday 26th January, 1922.

Meeting with representatives of the Irish Republican Police, Carlow Division.

A meeting was held in the Workmans' Club, Brown Street, to discuss a request put forward by a  delegation from residents of Bridewell, Sommers' and Brewery Lanes, Carlow  requesting that The 1st Battalion of the Royal Northumberland Fifth Fusiliers accompanied by the Battalion Band be allowed to march in military formation from Carlow Military Barracks through Somer's Lane and  Bridewell Lane to a Farewell Concert in the  Deighton Hall in the afternoon of  Monday 30th January 1922.

The meeting was addressed by Bridewell Lane representative Mr. Ducie. Addressing the gathering -- Mr Ducie said that the most of the residents in Bridewell were Irish Republicans, through and through, and supported President Eamonn de Valera and Sinn Fein in their efforts to gain freedom and peace for Ireland , but, he continued,  many families in Bridewell Lane have a long tradition of service in the British Military, that service did not make them any less   proud and brave Irishmen, and at this historic time the residents would welcome an opportunity to give a hearty Irish farewell to the soldiers who were now leaving Carlow to serve in other parts of the world.  A treaty had been signed between Ireland and England and we were now at peace and the sooner friendly relationships were established among the people the better.

We ask only... Before Mr Ducie could proceed any further the meeting was interrupted by Mr. M. O'Neill who stated "mark my words, if one man today walks down the streets or lanes or byways of Carlow in a British uniform, we have a bullet for him, in fact I have a box of bullets that I did not get to fire and I will not hesitate to use them and I am not alone in my thinking".

At this there was loud cheering from the assembled crowd and unable to proceed with the debate the meeting was adjourned pending advice from Dail Eireann. Mr Ducie and his delegation were escorted from the building to shouts of “turncoats"  "British lackeys" and "Up Dev". This was followed by a skirmish outside the building but it was soon brought under control by the I.R.P.


 The above is a true and accurate transcript of the original document.

Transcribed by Jean Casey, 2010

Page 31 Page 32  Page 33

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