Ballina Court Cases 1920

BALLINA COURT CASES

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RAILWAY STATION INCIDENT

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  In early March, 1920, a Sinn Fein meeting was held in Crossmolina and an address was delivered by Mr. John Clarke, Ballina, who was described as speaking as a soldier of the Irish Republic. He was followed by Mr. John Moylett, also of King Street, Ballina, and both left no doubt, as to their opinion of British rule.

  There was a sequel to this meeting when a case was heard at Ballina Petty Sessions later on that month in which four men – Patrick Gallagher (assistant in Mr. Beirne’s establishment); John Clarke (barber in the employment of Mr. E. P. McLoughlin, Arran Street); William Lydon (assistant in Mr. Shanley’s premises, Knox Street; and Francis Jordan, King Street—were charged by D. I. Sheehy who applied to have them bound to the peace for alleged disorderly behaviour at Ballina railway station  on March 12th, when Thomas Ruane, Volunteer captain, was being removed on remand to Sligo jail.

  Reported the “Ballina Herald”: “When the case was called none of the defendants answered to their names and the Chairman ordered the names to be called outside the court. This was done but there was no response. After some preliminary enquiries to establish service of the summonses, the case went on and Head Constable Dwyer told of the removal of the prisoner and how thirty boys rushed on to the platform.

  “Mr. Sheehy—Who was their leader?

  “Witness—John Clarke appeared to be the most prominent. The crowd was excited and cheering and rushed across to the railway carriage where the prisoner was. I was immediately outside the carriage door and in the first rush I got what I believed to be, a kick on the back of the leg. John Clarke got on the step of the carriage where the prisoner was and called for cheers for the Irish Republic and made another remark which I don’t recollect. I saw the other defendants and I heard Jordan shout “To hell with the King.”

  “Mr. Sheehy—What was Clarke’s demeanour?

  “Witness—Both aggressive and disorderly. Outside the station I saw Gallagher and Clarke form up the party in military formation and number them off and Gallagher gave the command “Form Fours,” and then turned them in the direction of the town and they marched away.

 To cut short the one-sided proceedings, warrants were issued for the defendants and they were taken into custody from the places of employment. A big force of police took them to the station where a company of Volunteers had formed up singing songs while waiting for the train. The prisoners were cheered, applauded and overwhelmed with signs of public favour as they set off to face their four months in Sligo jail.

  It wasn’t long after this—on Good Friday morning—that Patrick J. Hegarty, a postman of Carrowkeel, Lahardane, was hauled from his bed by police and charged with unlawful assembly at Ardagh and Ballina on March 17th, the day of the Sinn Fein demonstration at Ballina. He was brought to Ballina and was charged before Resident Magistrate Bull and the story of his “misdeeds” were recounted., which were that he drilled a company of young men near Ardagh Chapel on March 17th and led half of them into Ballina with a man called Clarke leading the other half. Hegarty said he did not recognise the Court and he was then lodged in Castlebar Bridewell to the next Petty Sessions in Ballina where he was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment. When the crowd heard the sentence there were some cheers and after a short time the prisoner was removed to the railway station surrounded by police, some with rifles and the Volunteers marched behind two Republican flags. Patrick led his supporters in songs and choruses while waving his flag from the carriage window and before the train departed he addressed the people and advised them to keep their composure and to do nothing to being discredit on the organisation—everyone then dispersed quickly.

A VOLUNTEER DISAPPEARS

  At the end of May police arrested Martin Lacken, The Quay, Ballina, and charged him with unlawful assembly at Gurteens, on the Crossmolina road, on the 19th May and at Ballina on the morning of May 21st on the occasion of the return of two Ballina Volunteer prisoners, Patrick Gallagher and Frank Jordan. Asked he wanted the services of a solicitor he answered Resident Magistrate Bull by saying: “I don’t recognise this place at all.”

  The evidence against the accused given by Constable King was to the effect that he had, wearing the uniform of an Irish Volunteer officer, assembled a party of 30 Ballina Sinn Feiners at Gurteens and drilled them. The later combined with another force from Ballina and carried some skirmishing drill at Rathduff. From the evidence given by the Constable he must have been breathing down their necks throughout the day. The second charge related to May 21st when the defendant assembled a detachment of 100 persons near the Sinn Fein hall in King Street and marched them to the station and escorted the two men, Gallagher and Jordan, from the station back to Ballina., and “passing by the barracks they booed and drummed vigorously” and went on to say that the whole crowd was addressed by John Moylett and a man named Sean Kelly.

  Lacken was released on bail and when the case was called at the next Petty Sessions in Ballina Lacken was not to found, and Messrs. John Moylett and W. J. Tolan, who had gone surety for Lacken’s appearance were dealt with instead. Mr. Tolan turned up in court but Mr. Moylett was absent and the magistrate (Mr. Flanagan) said: ”There is an application to have the recognisances estreated in the full amount (£10). Mr. Tolan’s estreatment was reduced to £5 (because he appeared) while the Moylett one was dealt with in full and Mr. Tolan remarked: “Thank you very much gentlemen.”

  Reported the “Herald”: Chairman (R. G. Bull)—You should know better in future, Mr. Tolan, than to go bail for a person who doesn’t attend on his recognisance.

 “Mr.Tolan—To be very candid, I may tell you I am not sorry for what I have done.

  “Chairman—I may say the same observation applies to me. I am not sorry either.”

  And on that note the polite exchange ended.

THE COURT SEQUEL TO THE GREAT WAR MEETING

 Along came the court sequel in due course to the interruptions of this meeting. A number of young men were taken into custody, according to the “Herald” of 31st October, and charged with unlawful assembly on the night of the recruiting meeting held by Judge Doyle and others.

  The following were arrested: Patrick Ruane, painter, Castle Road; Patrick Duggan, shop assistant; Anthony Carden, shop assistant; Michael Keeneghan, shop assistant; Joseph Courell, shop assistant; John E. Kilker, motor mechanic; Dennis Sheeran, shop assistant; James Forde, carpenter; -- Moyles, shop assistant; John Broderick, baker; Stephen Hannon, labourer.

  Evidence was given by Sergeant O’Reilly who swore that he saw the defendants in the gallery engaged in “riotous and tumultuous assembly.” They also engaged in the singing of “Wrap The Green Flag Around me Boys.”

  At this stage Forde interjected: “And we’ll sing it again.”

 Sergeant O’Reilly—Shouts of “Up de Valera”—

  Forde—And again.

  The defendant had a high time crossexamining the police. One such passage was when D. J. Sheehy was eliciting the facts from a witness went:--

  Mr. Sheehy—Did you see Joseph Ruane?

  Ruane—I am not Joseph Ruane.

  Deponent—Patrick Ruane is the name. He was a constant interrupter. I spoke to him and I asked to remain quiet. He did not do so.

  Ruane—Joseph Ruane, is it?

  Deponent—You. He proceeded with “He engaged in singing and shouting”—

  Ruane—Some fellow named Joseph Ruane is charged—I am not Joseph Ruane.

  Mr. Sheehy—You are the man charged.

  Ruane—It was Joseph Ruane that you charged.

  Sergt. O’Reilly—He is known locally as “Doe” not Joseph  and the man whose name I now understand is Patrick and is the man in court.

  Ruane—That’s three names I have got—Patrick, Joseph and “Doe.”

  Later in cross-examination by the defendant Broderick the following passage occurred:

  Broderick—What charge do you bring against me?—Illegal assembly.

  Where was I—Beside Joseph Ruane.

  Ruane (amidst laughter)—Who is Joe Ruane?

  At any rate the first day’s hearing dragged on many the defendants were remanded overnight in the Bridewell for the next day’s court at which they were represented with the exception of Forde, by Mr. H. C. Bourke. Forde stated he did not recognise the court.

THE SERGEANT’S MOUSTACHE

  There was another sequel after the case when an applicant was made to bind Joseph Ruane, Castle Road, to the peace. The applicant was made by D.I. Sheehy who said that on the previous evening (28th October), while the prisoners were being removed to the Bridewell in the presence of a large number of people congregated outside the railings, Joseph Ruane said he would cut the moustache off Sergeant O’Reilly.

  This was denied by the defendant but the charge was pressed by the D.I. who is reported as saying: “I ask your worship to put under substantial bail for the police must be protected. The class with which this boy associated with are becoming very aggressive towards the police but I can tell him and them that the peace of the town will be preserved notwithstanding their behaviour.” Ruane entered bail.

SEQUEL TO W.A.A.C. MEETING

  The “Herald” of November 7th put it; “Another chapter was added to the story of the recent scenes in Ballina when on yesterday morning the local police, augmented by forces from outside stations, arrested a further party of seven young men in connection with the scenes following the W.A.A.C. meeting in the Town Hall on Monday, 21st October. The prisoners were charged with unlawful assembly.

  The following were charged: Michael J. Patten, Harry Waters, John Clarke, Patrick Burke (J. J. Murphy’s establishment), Frank Jordan, Michael Clarke and Thomas Greene.

  Evidence was given by D.I. Sheehy of what took place on the streets after the meeting and he told of stones being hurled at the police from all directions. He ordered a baton charge up King Street and cleared it and then went into the Sinn Fein hall and also cleared that. While a party of police were in the Sinn Fein hall a missile was thrown through one of the windows from the opposite side of the street and stones continued to pour on the police from all sides and stone throwing groups had collected at different street and lane corners and a tumultuous din of booing and groaning was indulged in by the mob.

  A violent stone-throwing mob had collected in Bridge Street and while charging that mob a large stone whizzed past his head and broke Patrick McAvock’s window. The stone came from the house directly opposite. McAvock had lodged a claim for £10 for damage to his window. The police broke up the mob, forced most of them across the bridge and up Ardnaree hill where they continued stoning and booing the police at a distance. The stone throwing continued practically without cessation from 10.30 until midnight and during that time he was obliged to carry out series of baton charges to restore order.

  Next morning he found the streets converging on Tyler’s Cross littered with large stones which appeared to have been specially picked for the occasion. From information received he had reason to believe that the defendants were members of the riotous and unlawful assembly that made an un provoked attack on the police.

  Mr. P. J. Ruttledge appeared for the prisoners and were allowed out on bail until the following Tuesday’s court. The bail was put up by Mr. E. P. McLoughlin and Mr. Michael Moylett.

  In the interval the “War to End All Wars” ended.

  The writer of these series of articles in the “Western People” ended 1918 by reporting “that a large gap for the next two weeks exists in the “Herald” files and his narrative must be broken. Files of the period of the “Western People” were destroyed subsequently” and he appealed to the public that if they had any local records of the time they might care to fill in the missing links in his recreation of 1919.

  This narrative then dealt extensively with 1920 and it must be reported that extensive files of both papers are missing from the records, but there is quite an amount of stories reported on for the reader to get a great glimpse of what took place in those troubled times.