R.I.C. Sergeant Shot Dead
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SHOCKING TRAGEDY NEAR BONNICONLON
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(Ballina Herald, Thursday, July 14,
1921)
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Thursday morning a postman named James Maloney, discovered the dead body of an
R.I.C. Sergeant, named Foody, at a place called Carralavin, about a mile from
Bonniconlon, and three miles from Ballina. The body, which was lying in the
middle of the road, was pierced by two bullets, one in the region of the heart.
Attached to the unfortunate man’s neck was a card, which bore the words:
“Remember Dwyer and The Rag.” He was dressed in a suit of brown, and appeared
to be of middle age. Death seems to have taken place some hours before the
tragic discovery was made.
He had only arrived in Ballina the evening
before. He remained in the town for some time, and afterwards was seen going
through Ardnaree, walking in the direction of Bonniconlon with a coat on his
arm. He was not seen afterwards until the dead body was discovered by the
postman. There were no signs of a struggle in the vicinity, and a remarkable
feature was the absence of blood stains on the body. His clothes, however, were
covered with the hairs of an ass and from this the theory is adduced that after
he was shot the body was placed on an ass and conveyed to the place where it was
found. Surmise has it that he was shadowed from Roscommon by a number of men
and met with his tragic end shortly after he left Ballina.
He was a native of Rathreedaune, Bonniconlon.
It is only a short time ago that a brother of his, also a policeman, was killed
in an ambush at Dromkeen, Co. Limerick. Subsequently to the discovery five
arrests were made, two of the men arrested being cousins of the deceased. The
prisoners were, however, afterwards released.
Sergt. Foody’s brother, Constable Patrick Foody (44), born Carralavin, Bonniconlon, when
his patrol was ambushed near Dromkeen, Co. Limerick. After the initial firing he surrendered to his
attackers but it is alleged he was then executed by an I.R.A. man, Maurice
Meade.
(One report states that two brothers, Eamon and Francis Dwyer, from the 1st Battn. 3rd
Tipperary Brigade were shot in their homes by armed and masked men at
Ballydavid, at the foot of the Galtee Mountains and near Bansha, Co. Tipperary.
Another report says they were killed in The Ragg (aka Bouladuff), Co.
Tipperary. There is also a report that only a Thomas (O’)Dwyer of the Ragg, Co.
Tipperary, was shot dead in his bed. The jurors at his inquest found that
“Thomas Dwyer was wilfully murdered by unknown members of the R.I.C.”
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TRAGIC DISCOVERY NEAR BALLINA
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POLICE SERGEANT FOUND SHOT DEAD
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(Western People,
July 16, 1921)
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The shooting of ex-Sergt. Foody was also
reported in the other local Ballina paper, the Western People, and there are a
lot of similarities with the story in the Ballina Herald. The Western People
reporter had a gathered a few different facts about the killing, so it is only
right that both reports get published.
Said the Western People: “A tragic discovery
was made in Carralabin, a village midway between Ballina and Bonniconlon, in
the early hours of Thursday morning, when the dead body of a middle-aged man,
believed to be a sergeant of the R.I.C. named Foody, was found bearing a number
of bullet marks.
“The body was found by Mr. J. Maloney, a
rural postman, who travels with the mails each morning from Ballina to
Bonniconlon. Interviewed by a ‘Western People’ representative, Mr. Maloney said
that he left Ballina about 6 a.m. with the mails. He was cycling and had
reached the bottom of Carralavin when he was what appeared to be the body of a
man on the roadside. Dismounting, he approached the man and found that he was
quite dead. Suspended from his neck was a card, bearing the words:- “Remember
Dwyer and The Ragg.” The man was of average height, and was clothed in a dark
brown suit. Over the heart and abdomen his clothes were stained with blood,
showing that he had been shot, but Mr. Maloney could not find any exit wounds.
There was no blood about the body, and the man appeared to have died of
internal haemorrhage. The man must have been dead for some hours, as the body
was quite cold and rigor mortis had set in. The body presented no appearance of
a struggle, as the clothes were unruffled and the watch and chain, which he was
wearing, were intact. He saw nothing about the body which would indicate that
he was a policeman, and he at first believed that he was a man of the farming
class. After finding the body Mr. Maloney continued on his rounds, and on
arriving in Ballina reported the matter.
“Further inquiries amongst a number of people
of town elicited the information that a man answering the description of the
deceased arrived in Ballina by train on Wednesday. People who saw him
recognised him as Sergeant Foody. It is presumed that in the evening he set out
for Bonniconlon, where there was a farm in the ownership of which he was
interested.. Nothing further was heard of him until the dead body was found on
Thursday morning.
“It may be recalled that Sergeant Foody was
stationed at The Ragg, Tipperary, some months ago when two brothers named Dwyer
were taken out and shot, one of them being killed instantaneously. He was
afterwards transferred to another county. He had 26 years’ service in the
R.I.C. and was co0ntemplating retirement. Other accounts state that he had
actually retired, and was on his way to Bonniconlon to make arrangements for
taking up permanent residence there. He is stated to be a native of Carns,
Culleens, Co. Sligo, and a brother or relation of his, also a policeman, was
shot dead in an ambush at Pallasgreen, Co. Limerick, some months ago.
LATER:
“It is now definitely established that the
body is that of Sergeant Foody. The unfortunate man arrived in Ballina on a few
days’ leave on Wednesday. His remains were removed to Ballina barracks on
Thursday evening. Some parties stated to be relatives of the deceased sergeant,
and who lived near the scene of the shooting have been taken into custody on
suspicion, but no charge has so far been preferred against them.”
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THE SHOOTING OF SERGEANT FOODY
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(Ballina Herald,
October 20, 1921)
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At the
Ballina Quarter Sessions on Wednesday week, before his Honor County Court Judge
Doyle, K.C., Mrs. Foody, Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh, claimed £12,000
compensation for the shooting of her husband, ex-Sergeant Anthony Foody, R.I.C.
Mr.
Carson, B.L., (instructed by Messrs. Garvey & Huggard), for applicant.
Applicant was examined and deposed that her
husband had 26½ years’ service and retired on 18th June, 1921, at Lisnaskea.
Witness was living at Irvinestown at the time. On 1st July he left home and
said he ws going to Ballina to see his friends. He had some land near Ballina.
He stopped at Frenchpark a few days, and she heard no more about him until she
heard of his death. He was at one time stationed at The Ragg, Co. Tipperary,
and he incurred a good deal of odium, with the result that he had to
transferred for protection.
Mr. Carson—This was something in connection
with the murder of a man named Dwyer?—Yes.
Witness further stated that her husband’s pensions
was £160 a year. He was 48 years of age.
Sergeant McCarthy deposed that on the 7th
July he saw the body of the late Sergeant Foody on the side of the road outside
Ballina. The clothes and face were covered with blood. There was a label
attached to his breast bearing the words “revenge for Dwyer of The Ragg.” The
coat of the deceased bore traces of gunfire.
Dr. Macaulay, examined on Thursday, said he
held a post mortem examination on the body of Sergt. Foody. He found a bullet
at the base of the right lung, the bullet having entered at the back and made
its exit at the front. There was also a bullet wound at the base of the left
lung, which touched his heart and must have been instantly fatal, There was
also a bullet wound through the muscles of the left arm.
His Honor said they did not know who
perpetrated this awful deed, just as they did not know who perpetrated the
awful deed that appeared to have a fatal association with it—the murder of this
man, Dwyer, at The Ragg.
He would allow £7,000 to be levied over the
county at large, and apportioned in the following manner--£3,000 to the widow
and £800 each to the children, the latter amount to be held in court until the
children come of age.
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