Informer at work
Nationalist, February, 1921.
Raids and Arrests.
In the past few weeks lorries laden with
soldiers arrived in Killeshin and district, the houses visited being
those of Messrs. John Gaffeny, William Rourke, Thomas Curran, and
Henry Bolton's Kelogue.
No arrests were made. Messrs. John Dunne,
Patrick Byrne, and Thomas Whitney, all of Monure were also visited
and searched but nothing was found.
On Friday week an exhaustive and fruitless
search was made at a sandpit near Stradbally, and digging operations
were carried on for some time. So far as can be ascertained the
excavations revealed no discoveries.
Auxiliaries visit to Carlow.
Early on Sunday morning a lorry load of
cadets visited Carlow and searched the following houses --- Mr
Gerald Donnelly's, Mr. Michael Hughes's and Mrs. Leonard's in Tullow
Street. There was nothing found in any of the places.
Jim McDarby, Graiguecullen, was sentenced to
12 months, instead of four, as published in last week's issue.
On Sunday, about noon, the military visited
Stradbally, and arrested Michael J. O'Connor, Sculptor, Stradbally,
and conveyed him to Maryborough.
On Monday morning the police arrested John
Nolan, The Hermitage, Monasterevan, and brought him to Portarlington
Barracks.
[Note added in 2010., there was an
"informer" at work as all of the people named above were active
members of the I.R.A., and all the houses raided were regarded as
"safe-houses" by republicans, - The information that the military
was operating under was spot on...]
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The above is a true and
accurate transcript of the original document.
Transcribed by Jean Casey, 2010