The shooting of George Adamson in Athlone, April 1922

Ascendant

An article about a bloody incident in Athlone in April 1922, a prelude of sorts to the Irish Civil War later in the year.

A Death in Athlone: The Controversial Case of George Adamson, April 1922

In the early hours of the 25th April, a group of officers from the pro-Treaty IRA stationed in Athlone were searching the streets for a missing comrade of theirs. When they saw a lone man loitering in a doorway, the leader of the party, Brigadier-General George Adamson, demanded to know his name.

"I know you, George. You know me, Adamson," came the cryptic reply. When the officers demanded at gunpoint that the stranger raise his hands, they found themselves confronted in turn by an armed group, who swiftly disarmed them.

At least, that was what happened according to the report from the pro-Treaty IRA GHQ later that day. The report went on to claim that the first stranger drew a revolver of his own and fired point blank through Adamson’s ear, into his head.

The blame for this incident was immediately lain on the anti-Treaty IRA who had remained in Athlone after being expelled from the military barracks a month before. Warfare between the two factions had been avoided with the mediation of the local clergy, and the leaders of both sides had agreed to a tentative truce, one that had seemingly been suddenly and shockingly broken.

But the anti-Treaty IRA denied any responsibility for the shooting, and made claims of their own about what had happened that night, which made the seemingly straightforward case considerably less so...

(George Adamson)

4ensic15

The general view is that the shot was fired inside the barracks and Adamson was brought out from the barracks and dumped in the street.

Ascendant

4ensic15 wrote: »

The general view is that the shot was fired inside the barracks and Adamson was brought out from the barracks and dumped in the street.

I haven't heard that one before.

4ensic15

It has long been known that a shot was fired in the Officers Mess. The whole story about arriving back in the barracks and discovering someone missing is nonsense.

Ascendant

4ensic15 wrote: »

It has long been known that a shot was fired in the Officers Mess. The whole story about arriving back in the barracks and discovering someone missing is nonsense.

Source? 'Cos no one from either IRA faction at the time ever publicly said such a thing.

4ensic15

It has never been said publicly. There was constant talk about McKeown in the barracks into the 1980s. Many of the men serving there had relations who were present at many incidents involving McKeown at that time. There were numerous extra judicial killings.

Ascendant

4ensic15 wrote: »

It has never been said publicly. There was constant talk about McKeown in the barracks into the 1980s. Many of the men serving there had relations who were present at many incidents involving McKeown at that time. There were numerous extra judicial killings.

Agreed about the 'extra judicial killings', some of which could be traced back to Mac Eoin, who seems to have been a pretty ruthless individual during the Civil War.



But as not even the Anti-Treatyites who were present in Athlone on the night of Adamson's shooting claimed that he was shot anywhere but in the street, I'll have to take that claim about him being shot in the barracks with a pinch of salt.

4ensic15

Ascendant wrote: »

Agreed about the 'extra judicial killings', some of which could be traced back to Mac Eoin, who seems to have been a pretty ruthless individual during the Civil War.



But as not even the Anti-Treatyites who were present in Athlone on the night of Adamson's shooting claimed that he was shot anywhere but in the street, I'll have to take that claim about him being shot in the barracks with a pinch of salt.

The anti-treatyites denied being involved. What went on it the street was a charade. They may well have been taken in by it.

Ascendant

4ensic15 wrote: »

The anti-treatyites denied being involved. What went on it the street was a charade. They may well have been taken in by it.

It would have to have been an especially elaborate charade, considering how Timothy Buckley wrote to the papers about he and three other Anti-Treatyites encountered Adamson alive and well on the streets just before a mystery gunman appeared to open fire on them.

Surely, if Adamson had been dumped outside and already dead, Buckley or one of the others would have said so in order to get themselves off the hook for his killing?

4ensic15

Ascendant wrote: »

It would have to have been an especially elaborate charade, considering how Timothy Buckley wrote to the papers about he and three other Anti-Treatyites encountered Adamson alive and well on the streets just before a mystery gunman appeared to open fire on them.

Surely, if Adamson had been dumped outside and already dead, Buckley or one of the others would have said so in order to get themselves off the hook for his killing?

People said a lot of things both true and untrue for various reasons. Nobody was ever charged, which is significant in itself. A lot of MacEoin's activities of that period were never documented but were widely talked about for years. It has tailed off now as the people involved and their children have died. Remember that at that time there were numerous prisoners in Custume Barracks who were being used as hostages. Some were shot and the bodies returned to the families a year later. Deals were being done to spare some of the prisoners.