#OnThisDay 1923 William Downes, a soldier in the Free State Army was hanged for his part in an armed robbery (of £43) & the death of Captain Fitzgerald who pursued him. Downes was the first person to be executed by the Free State in peace time. (Pic not Downes)
#OnThisDay 1919 Detective Sergeant John Barton (2nd left) was shot dead in Dublin by Seán Treacy. Barton identified & arrested 296 rebels after the Easter Rising, including Seán Mac Diarmada & many women. His dying words were “What did I do to deserve this”?
#OnThisDay 1641 Rory O’More defeated a Royalist army, made up mostly of displaced planters/settlers at the Battle of Julianstown. The untrained Royalists mistook orders, fell back & was set upon by the Irish. 500 enemy were killed or captured from 650 men. #Ireland #History
#OnThisDay 1920 Tom Barry’s flying column killed 17 British Auxiliaries in the Kilmichael ambush in Cork. This was the IRA’s deadliest ambush. The 18th Auxiliary Officer never recovered from his head wounds. It is most likely that at least 4 Auxies were shot after surrendering.
#OnThisDay 1905 Arthur Griffith created the political party Sinn Fein in Dublin. Griffith opted for a Dual Monarchy system for Britain & Ireland based off the Austro-Hungarian Empire model. The party was almost non-existent by 1912 and it wasn’t until after the 1916 Rising that Sinn Fein became popular.
The Irish at War 