Nationalist. March 1919.
Medical Student Court-Martialed.
In the course of a Court Martial in Dublin on
Thursday, on a charge against a medical student, named Michael
Farrell, of having in his possession copies of documents of
anti-conscription.
Capt. McWilliams who prosecuted, quoted from
the first volume of the official organ of the Irish Volunteers,
which, inter alia, contained the following:-
A Carlow Dispatch Rider.
A Volunteer dispatch rider in Carlow, while
carrying dispatches recently, noticed two policemen cycling after
him. Realising the danger of their attempting to seize him and
capture his dispatches, he decided to take the offensive himself,
and on reaching a lonely spot he "held them up" with his revolver,
compelling them to dismount, took the valves out of their bicycles,
and rode away in Triumph. This fine example of Volunteer efficiency
should not be lost upon his fellow soldiers.
[end of report!]
Monk Gibbon 1896-1987.
[Note added in 2010 by
Michael Purcell. Under the Defence of the Realm Acts (DORA) power
was given to the military to hold trials by court martial in the
event of a "special Military emergency" such as the issuing of
seditious literature (the 1916 leaders were executed under DORA).
In the case outlined below, Michael Farrell of the Hardware shop in
Tullow Street (present-day Dempsey's Hardware) is charged by Court
Martial.
Carlow born Michael was the
author of the autobiographical novel "Thy Tears Might Cease",
unpublished during his lifetime; it was edited and published,
following Michael's death, by his friend and neighbour, Monk
Gibbon. In 1983 Carlow Heritage Society erected a Plaque in memory
of Michael Farrell, I invited Monk Gibbon to Carlow to unveil it.
During the course of the evening Monk told me that he had "edited
out" 100,000 words from the novel to make it readable! Monk Gibbon
was an officer in the British Army on leave in Dublin during Easter
Week 1916, he told me that he resigned his army commission in
protest at the killing of Sheehy Skeffington during the 1916 Rising,
however I can find no record of his resignation!]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The above is a true and
accurate transcript of the original document.
- Transcribed by M. Purcell c2010.
- Old newspapers in the PPP.