Murder of Father Griffin

Hi Siobhán,
I assume you have Pádraic Ó Laoi's book on Father Griffin. Barna is right about Ó Droighneáin's Witness Statement. You can access that at Military Archives or at National Archives. Military Archives you need an appointment with Nat/arch you just need to register. Both of those are in Dublin. ó Droighneáin speaks very highly of Geoghegan in his witness statement.
Check the Truce period 1921-1922 a monument was unveiled to Geoghegan in Moycullen by the East Connemara Brigade.

I wouldn`t get carried away by the Michael collins note though. He was in possession of a despatch but British Forces carried out a number of dirty tricks killings in Galway which they tried to blame on the IRA.
As far as I know there are no connections between MGQ and John Geoghegan but your John Geoghegan's family are still around. Get in touch with Seán Kyne TD. He`s from Moycullen, interested in history and a nice fella as well. you wouldn`t know who he'd know that' s still around.
Is mise
Cormac Ó Comhraí

Thanks for that info, I have been in touch with Sean Kyne, it was his family that erected the monument in Uggool in 2004. I will look for the other monument too. This is all really helpful, I was at a brick wall earlier, I knew about the witness statements but wouldn't have know to look at O'Droighneain's specifically so that is great. The essay is only around 5000 words and as it is for local history it is more about placing the event in it's locality and the locality itself, I will be focused on IRA activity in the area anyway, so I should have enough (I hope!).

I Came across a poem by Catherine Byron called 'The Black and tans deliver a son- Galway 1921' and wondered if t was about John Geoghegan,

Didn't she step out into the yard God love her
and see her own son's brains scattered like mash about the flags? And didn't she then kneel down
and gather the soggy shards of her womb's child into her apron
carefully, as a girl gathers mushrooms in the September
And didn't she then stifle the outbreath of her grieving tillonlya whistle
or whimper of her lamentation was heard in that place
fields?
lest the soldiers note her the more?

sorry it came out like that- copy and paste! sounds like it could be written about him but have no proof!

Anyway, thanks again for all your help,

Siobhan

Hi All,
I'm a newcomer to 'Boards' - my very first entry!
I live in Moycullen, Co. Galway and (amongst other things) I'm a (very) mature student of Irish history and local history - and am interested in all that has been written on this thread.
I'm unsure if 'Siobhan' has completed her essay but if she hasn't I might be able to suggest a few things to her.
I've done quite a bit of research on 'the history of parish police' and in particular the history of the police in Moycullen...probably the makings of a mini book! I'm also very interested in the entire 1912 - 1923 period.
By the way the old Moycullen RIC Barracks, where the White Gables restaurant is today, was burnt down on 4th April 1920, the same night that 4/5 other Co. Galway Barracks (and 200 plus other ones around Ireland) were attacked - like Moycullen practically all were 'empty'...the RIC men having been earlier withdrawn to larger towns (the Moycullen force to Galway). Subsequently, this Barracks was rebuilt after compensation had been paid to the owner - which by then had been purchased for another use. Then when the new 'Civic Guard' force arrived in 1923 - with instructions to take up duty in the old Barracks - they found themselves 'locked out'...and were basically 'homeless'. A few chapters of my 'mini book' could be devoted to what happened over the following few years - until the new (present) 'Station' was constructed and occupied in 1927.
Also, you all probably know by now that much of the BHM digital files are freely down-loadable on the web - and I'm informed more files will be added shortly and in early 2013.
Thanks to all and keep up the good work.

According to personal witness statement accounts provided in 1950's, Patrick Joyce was arrested as a spy and after trial held by IRA was executed by East Connemara Brigade (Thornton was OC). According to Bureau Military History 1913-1921) Witness statements the IRA were certain that there was spy in Barna area as Tans/RIC were lifting too many of the boys so IRA had few fellas in post office check mail going to British from locals. Joyce had sent several letters informing on several members, then another one or two complaining when his first complaints were not acted on quickly enough. To confirm it was indeed Joyce writing them they broke into his office to check his handwriting and signature against the letters. Shortly after he was disappeared/executed his son Joseph purportedly left Ireland for Britain and joined the Tans, dying in Palestine still part of Tans.

Where did you hear that? I don't have Willie Henry's book to hand on the War of Independence in Galway so I can't categorically say that the allegation isn't made in it. From my own point of view I have certainly never seen any evidence that suggested that members of the IRA were able to trace and then kill anyone directly implicated in Father Griffin's death. On the other hand I have seen it being used to motivate IRA men to shoot against men in police uniforms (as a reprisal against the uniform in general).

Have a look at the Bureau of military history statement of Joe Togher a leading IRA intelligence officer in Galway city and that of Mícheál Ó Droighneáin the OC of the IRA's East Connemara Brigade. Neither of them make any mention of an allegation of that kind. They would surely have been involved in the tracing of a suspect. I'd suspect that there is no basis at all to the story. If you are interested in tracing McEhill you could trace where he was stationed in the National Archives in Kew, London in the Home Office series. The press at the time would probably have mentioned where he was previously stationed as well.

"While I do not have an opinion either way, it annoys me when so called 'historians' make wild and unsupported allegations that brings disrepute on anyone who is genuinely trying to bring the historical evidence into the public forum."

Comes with the territory I'm afraid.