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Carlow County - Ireland Genealogical Projects (IGP TM)


Pat Purcell Papers
Kevin Barry's brother. February 1921

Michael Barry

By kind permission of Mr Michael Purcell


Nationalist and Leinster Times, February 1921.

Kevin Barry's Brother.

Possession of a braid of hair.

From: Mr M.F. Healy:

In reference to the case of Michael Barry, brother of the late Kevin Barry recently arrested:-

This boy has, after a trial conducted without any notice to his family or friends, been sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment upon charges which deserve some further investigation. The Charges against Michael were:-

(1) Being in possession of arms (not in a martial law area).

(2) Being in possession of uniform.

(3) Cutting off a girl's hair.

As the first two charges referred to (1) two cartridges (2) two little Celtic caps that Michael and Kevin used to wear when they were 10 and 8 years old. It is to be hoped that the real animus lay behind the third charge.

As to this, it is true that there had been a hair-cutting outrage some 15 miles away, but the only incriminating evidence against Michael Barry was a braid of girl's hair, found in his house.

But what was the true explanations of this braid?

Many years ago Michael Barry's aunt entered a convent to join a community of nuns. As is known to everybody except military courts when a lady takes the vows admitting her to such an Order she sacrifices amongst other things, her hair, which is cut off, and kept by her family as one of the few mementos left to them of a relative who is as if dead to the world. Of course this good nun cannot testify to anything except the one incident - that here is an innocent explanation of the braid of hair.

The relatives of Michael Barry (aged 20) have learned that he is at present at Beresford Barrack, Curragh Camp, and that he has been sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.

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


From Old newspapers in the PPP.
 
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