INDEX

Carlow County - Ireland Genealogical Projects (IGP TM)


Pat Purcell Papers
Unrest and Justice in 1920

By kind permission of Mr Michael Purcell


The Nationalist, June 1920.

Sinn Fein Courts.

PROMPT ACTION IN CARLOW.

The people of these parts are breathing more freely since the Irish Volunteers began to put a stop to the crimes that were being committed by gangs that took advantage of the prevailing unrest.

Robberies and even assaults on unoffending people had become the order of the day -- or rather night.

As a matter of fact several daylight robberies have been reported from all parts of the country.

Many public bodies -- irrespective of politics -- have thanked the Sinn Fein Volunteers -- and indeed they deserve the thanks of the Irish nation in general. In every period of unrest in Ireland certain elements break loose.

It is the same as a matter of course in every country under the sun. There is a certain number of people in every land either parasites or criminals.

They won't work and they want to exist. But this is a matter for sociologist and not for the journalist, whose province is to give the news, explain things and comment on every subject.

AROUND HERE.

Every week during the last six months reports have reached us from all parts of our wide district about people being held up on the national highways and relieved of anything they were so foolish as to carry with them.

This form of robbery is bad enough surely; but when the miscreants force entry to an unprotected house, ransack it and terrify the inmates, strong action becomes imperative.

It becomes the duty of someone to combat it.

Only recently a young girl going home from Carlow to Mageney was held up on the lonely road and all she possessed in money was taken. It happened to be only a couple of shillings. The amount is nothing, but the crime is everything.

STERN ACTION.

Last week we briefly drew attention to certain happenings around Carlow and Graiguecullen. On a Saturday night, about a month ago, three young men came to the farm residence of an old couple, Mr. John Reilly and his wife at Crosseen. They knocked and were admitted by the unwary couple.

The place was ransacked and an amount of money between £12 and £15 was taken.

About a fortnight afterwards they called again and knocked, claiming they were policemen. they were admitted.

When inside they claimed they were Sinn Feiners. The house was again searched and not finding any money this time they took the man's clothes and a large portion of the woman's wearables.

They then left -- but not to go --. Mrs Reilly -- thinking they had gone -- went to see if £5 was safe, where she had it hidden.

It was there, but it did not remain long. The gang kept watching and again knocked, and the £5 went the way of the clothes. Mrs Reilly was unable to go to Mass the following Sunday owing to the insufficiency of clothing.

DEVELOPMENTS.

The Sinn Fein Volunteers took the matter in hand promptly.

On Friday night at 11o'clock, one of the suspected parties was quietly arrested outside the Cinema Palace in Burrin Street, Carlow. Afterwards the others were arrested. All were conveyed by motor lorry to an unknown destination, where the court was held.

Three Volunteer officers constituted the court, in which the prisoners were described as civilians.

A Volunteer officer was appointed to defend them. Two of the parties pleaded guilty and were fined £1 each and ordered to find work or to leave the district.

The third was found not guilty and honourably discharged.

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Transcribed by M. Purcell c2011.
Old newspapers in the PPP.

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