Carlow Ireland 1922.

Cathal Brugha dead.

Nationalist and Leinster times.

10th July 1922.

Attack On Carlow Barracks.

About 6 o'clock on Monday morning a party of Executive forces took up positions along the railway line at the rear of Carlow Military Barracks and made an attack on the building with rifle fire.

The attack was promptly answered by machine- gun fire and the engagement lasted about twenty minutes when the attackers retired.

So far as is known there were no casualties.

Bullets from the attacking party actually struck the roofs of houses in the Numbers, Graiguecullen, more than a mile away.

There was no sortee from the Barracks.

Captain Terry Byrne.

Details of the shooting of Capt. Terry Byrne by Irregulars in Nenagh state that after he was shot his assailants fired four shots into his body as he lay on the ground. Capt. Byrne who served in the Great War and in the I.R.A. gave valuable service.

Abbeyleix Evacuated.

Early on Wednesday morning (July 5th) National troops attacked the Executives in Abbeyleix, capturing the Courthouse and taking 10 prisoners with arms and ammunition including quantities of slugged cartridges.

After putting out the white flag the Courthouse garrison fired on the National troops. The building was then raked with machine-gun fire and the white flag was again put out.

Volunteer McGlynn, a native of Mountmellick was killed by a sniper.

Irregulars visited Mountmellick on Sunday night and carried away quantities of clothing from Shaw's establishment and foodstuffs from McEvoys' and Pims' stores.

Cathal Brugha Dead.

Cathal Brugha, T.D., passed away in the Mater Hospital at 11am on Friday morning. when the Dail was formed he was appointed Minister for Defence, a position he held until about six months ago.

Cathal Brugha was aged about 45 years. In 1916 he fought under Eamonn Kent and was wounded in 13 places so that for a long time after he had to walk in a kind of a half trot.

He was re-elected for Waterford and East Tipperary under the Collins-deValera Pact and was part proprietor of Lalor's Altar Wax Candle Factory in Ormond Quay.

His body was laid in the mortuary attached to the Hospital. Three members of Cumann na mBan in uniform, stood on guard over the body which was covered in the tri-colour.

About 95 clergymen attended the funeral.

[ - Note added 2011 by Michael Purcell.

"Executive forces" also known as Irregulars, were the forces engaged in fighting against the acceptance of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty.

In January 1922, Cathal Brugha spoke against the Anglo-Irish Treaty in the Dail debates. During which he pointed out that Michael Collins only had a middling rank in the Department for Defence which supervised the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence, whilst Brugha himself had acted as Minister for Defence.

 It has been argued that by turning the issue into a vote on Collins' popularity, Brugha swung the elected representatives  who had been doubtful as to which side they would take, to vote for the acceptance of the Treaty.

The following account of the death of Cathal Brugha is recorded in the Marie Comerford link on Carlow IGP:

 "At the outbreak of the Civil War Marie Comerford reported to the Four Courts garrison in Dublin, opened a first-aid station and riding her bicycle along the bullet-swept streets and quays kept communication open between the Four Courts and the IRA Headquarters where de Valera was stationed, he had re-enlisted as a private in the Third Battalion (called "Dev's Own") of The Irish Volunteers.

She later joined the O'Connell Street garrison and was there when Cathal Brugha walked out the door of the Hammam Hotel, a revolver in each hand raised against the levelled rifles of the Free State troops, Brugha, rushed forward, firing, and fell amid a volley of shots. Marie rushed to his side and held a severed artery until medical attention arrived. Two days later, on the 7th July 1922, he died." - ]

[Note from M. Brennan:

Cathal Brugha born (Charles William St. John Burgess) 18 July 1874 – 7 July 1922 was an Irish revolutionary and politician, active in the Easter Rising, Irish War of Independence, and the Irish Civil War and was the first Ceann Comhairle (chairman) of Dáil Éireann.]

Source:  M. Purcell c2011.