Three More Executions - 1923
This newspaper article was written on Janaury 22, 1923 THREE MORE EXECUTIONS Young Men Shot in Dundalk ____ On Monday evening the following official communiqué was issued from G.H.Q., Dublin James Melia, 2 Bridge Street, Dundalk, was tried on the charge of having arms and ammunition in his possession, with-out proper authority, at Dowdallshill, Dundalk on January 7, 1923. Thomas Lennon, Dowdallshill, Dundalk, was tried on the charge of having arms and ammunition in his possession with-out proper authority, at Dowdallshill, on January 7, 1923. Joseph Ferguson, Gyles Quay, Belurgan, Dundalk, was similarly charged with having arms and ammunitions in his possession, with-out proper authority, at Lordship Hall, Co. Louth, on January 7, 1923. All three accused were found guilty of the charges against them and sentenced to death. The findings and sentence were confirmed. The executions took place today at Dundalk at 8 a.m. WELL –KEPT SECRET. News of the terrible happening in Dundalk was kept until after the three men had been sent to death. It was known last week that the men were to be tried, but few realized that within a week we should have the second batch of execution in a town where the capital punishment has not been legally administered for almost a hundred years. When the news was released there was general mourning, the more particularly as on this occasion two of the lads shot were natives of the town and were hardly out of their teens. The Offence. It is clear that the offence against them was that of being in possession of arms and ammunition without proper authority. Melia and Lennon, the two Dundalk lads are know to have been arrested by troops on Sunday, January 7, at Dowdallshill, They were in a motor car, stated to have been the property of Mr. Bernard O’Rourke of Innisken, which had been commandeered from that gentleman’s house same day. At the time it was reported that news having reached Carrickmacross of the affair, two parties of soldiers left the barracks there and succeeded in following the motor car to Dundalk and thence to Dowdallshill, where the occupants were held up and placed under arrest. Young Lennon is said to have been driving the car on the occasion and in addition to the other lads taken in the same party two girls, Annie Mulhern, of New Street, Dundalk, and Evelyn Garvey, of the Blackrock Road, were found in the car and taken into custody,. The girls have been removed to a prison in Dublin. It was stated on that Sunday evening that an attempt was also made on the same occasion to take the car of Mrs. Patrick O’Rourke, a brother of Mr. Bernard O’Rourke, but that a vital part could not be found, and that the soldiers were unable to seize this second car. Word of the executions was sent to the relatives of the deceased on Monday morning and it is known that the men had the consolation of the church before facing the firing squad. The Executed Men. James Melia, who was only aged 20 years, resided with his uncle, Mr. Frank Rooney, in ridge Street, Dundalk. His father was one of the crew of the ss.“Dundalk,”, which was torpedoed by a German submarine in October 1918. His mother is also dead. His elder brother, Peter, is amongst those in prison in Dundalk jail. It is stated that James Melia had been previously imprisoned since the Truce. Thomas Lennon was a native of Dowdallshill, and had been employed in a Dundalk hardware establishment until recently. He was only aged 19 years, and was one of a family of several brothers, at least one of whom is still in custody. The deceased is stated by those who knew him well to have been a quiet and obliging lad, who was not known to have been prominently identified with any political movement. Both his parents are alive. A last message from young Lennon to his mother, couched in touchingly simple terms, giving her and his brothers and sisters his love, declared his preparedness to meet death, and stated that he would die quite happy. Joseph Ferguson, the other man executed, was aged about 27 years, and was a fine, well-built lad from Gyles’Quay. He was not arrested in the motor car from which Melia and Lennon were taken but was taken into custody same day in his native district. He was very popular in Gyles’ Quay and the country round about. Some years ago he was a prominent member of the Cooley Kickhams football club, and was a well- known figure in local football contests. For the relatives of the three young men sent to their deaths under such tragic circumstances the greatest regret is felt in Dundalk and North Louth. And the prayer of all is that we have reached the end of the terrible chapter of which executions are a part. Unlike the previous executions of a week ago, the three men sent to death on Monday morning were shot at the military barracks, and not at the jail. Beyond the facts set out in the official report given above, nothing has been published as to the trial or sentence of the men.
This newspaper article was written on Janaury 22, 1923 THREE MORE EXECUTIONS Young Men Shot in Dundalk ____ On Monday evening the following official communiqué was issued from G.H.Q., Dublin James Melia, 2 Bridge Street, Dundalk, was tried on the charge of having arms and ammunition in his possession, with-out proper authority, at Dowdallshill, Dundalk on January 7, 1923. Thomas Lennon, Dowdallshill, Dundalk, was tried on the charge of having arms and ammunition in his possession with-out proper authority, at Dowdallshill, on January 7, 1923. Joseph Ferguson, Gyles Quay, Belurgan, Dundalk, was similarly charged with having arms and ammunitions in his possession, with-out proper authority, at Lordship Hall, Co. Louth, on January 7, 1923. All three accused were found guilty of the charges against them and sentenced to death. The findings and sentence were confirmed. The executions took place today at Dundalk at 8 a.m. WELL –KEPT SECRET. News of the terrible happening in Dundalk was kept until after the three men had been sent to death. It was known last week that the men were to be tried, but few realized that within a week we should have the second batch of execution in a town where the capital punishment has not been legally administered for almost a hundred years. When the news was released there was general mourning, the more particularly as on this occasion two of the lads shot were natives of the town and were hardly out of their teens. The Offence. It is clear that the offence against them was that of being in possession of arms and ammunition without proper authority. Melia and Lennon, the two Dundalk lads are know to have been arrested by troops on Sunday, January 7, at Dowdallshill, They were in a motor car, stated to have been the property of Mr. Bernard O’Rourke of Innisken, which had been commandeered from that gentleman’s house same day. At the time it was reported that news having reached Carrickmacross of the affair, two parties of soldiers left the barracks there and succeeded in following the motor car to Dundalk and thence to Dowdallshill, where the occupants were held up and placed under arrest. Young Lennon is said to have been driving the car on the occasion and in addition to the other lads taken in the same party two girls, Annie Mulhern, of New Street, Dundalk, and Evelyn Garvey, of the Blackrock Road, were found in the car and taken into custody,. The girls have been removed to a prison in Dublin. It was stated on that Sunday evening that an attempt was also made on the same occasion to take the car of Mrs. Patrick O’Rourke, a brother of Mr. Bernard O’Rourke, but that a vital part could not be found, and that the soldiers were unable to seize this second car. Word of the executions was sent to the relatives of the deceased on Monday morning and it is known that the men had the consolation of the church before facing the firing squad. The Executed Men. James Melia, who was only aged 20 years, resided with his uncle, Mr. Frank Rooney, in ridge Street, Dundalk. His father was one of the crew of the ss.“Dundalk,”, which was torpedoed by a German submarine in October 1918. His mother is also dead. His elder brother, Peter, is amongst those in prison in Dundalk jail. It is stated that James Melia had been previously imprisoned since the Truce. Thomas Lennon was a native of Dowdallshill, and had been employed in a Dundalk hardware establishment until recently. He was only aged 19 years, and was one of a family of several brothers, at least one of whom is still in custody. The deceased is stated by those who knew him well to have been a quiet and obliging lad, who was not known to have been prominently identified with any political movement. Both his parents are alive. A last message from young Lennon to his mother, couched in touchingly simple terms, giving her and his brothers and sisters his love, declared his preparedness to meet death, and stated that he would die quite happy. Joseph Ferguson, the other man executed, was aged about 27 years, and was a fine, well-built lad from Gyles’Quay. He was not arrested in the motor car from which Melia and Lennon were taken but was taken into custody same day in his native district. He was very popular in Gyles’ Quay and the country round about. Some years ago he was a prominent member of the Cooley Kickhams football club, and was a well- known figure in local football contests. For the relatives of the three young men sent to their deaths under such tragic circumstances the greatest regret is felt in Dundalk and North Louth. And the prayer of all is that we have reached the end of the terrible chapter of which executions are a part. Unlike the previous executions of a week ago, the three men sent to death on Monday morning were shot at the military barracks, and not at the jail. Beyond the facts set out in the official report given above, nothing has been published as to the trial or sentence of the men.