Commemoration of centenary of 17-year-old Civil War prisoner's death planned in Carrick-on-Suir

A ceremony to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the tragic death of a 17-year-old Carrick-on-Suir youth from a gun shot wound he suffered while an Anti-Treaty side prisoner during the Civil War, takes place in his hometown this Sunday, September 3. 

The commemoration in memory of the late Patrick O’Hanlon from Greenside, Carrick-on-Suir will take place at the Republican plot in St Mary’s Cemetery in Carrickbeg at 3pm.  

It is a non-political public event being organised by the 3rd Brigade Old IRA Commemoration Committee and all are welcome to attend. 

Patrick O’Hanlon died in the Curragh Army Camp hospital on September 3, 1923 the day after he was shot in the leg while a prisoner in Kilkenny Gaol. 

He is survived by his niece Mary Casey (née Aylward) from Connolly Pk., Carrickbeg, Carrick-on-Suir and his nephew Patrick Aylward, Clonmel and their families.

Patrick O’Hanlon was the son of Mary and Patrick O’Hanlon Snr, who moved to Carrick shortly after the end of World War 1. 

Patrick Snr. commenced a new career as an outdoor maintenance employee with the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. He previously served as a soldier based in Tralee where he married Mary (née Swift) in early 1906. He also spent some time in England during his army service.

The O’Hanlon family set up home at Greenside adjacent to the Fair Green where they were joined by Mary’s elderly parents who also moved from Tralee to live with them. Patrick Jnr. followed his father into the P&T, securing a job as a telegram boy. His duties entailed delivering telegrams and messages to houses in the locality.

Patrick joined Na Fianna Eireann (boy scouts) of the Irish Republican Army in 1920 during the War of Independence. Na Fianna was commanded locally by Captain Bernard Thompson, a member of A Company, Carrick-on-Suir, 8th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, Old IRA. 

The role of Na Fianna was to carry messages between IRA companies, pick up intelligence, act as lookouts, and observe enemy movements. 

Patrick’s job as a telegram boy gave him free rein to travel throughout the locality unimpeded by British Forces and made him very effective in his role as a member of Na Fianna gathering information and delivering dispatches.  When the  Civil War broke out, Patrick took the Anti-Treaty side.  

On August 3, 1922, Carrick was taken by Free State troops under the leadership of General John Prout. 

Republicans who had previously held the town withdrew to the hills over Carrickbeg from where they sniped on the occupying soldiers. After their retreat a series of raids were made into the town and in December 1922 a large quantity of guns and ammunition were successfully seized on one of these raids. Some of the cache was dumped for safe keeping in the Millvale area. 

In early February 1923 the arms hide-out at Millvale was uncovered. Equipment and sensitive secret documents were recovered in the raid. At the beginning of March 1923, Patrick O’Hanlon, who was then 16-years-old was arrested along with Delahunty, Kirwan and McGrath by Free State soldiers and jailed in Clonmel. They were subsequently moved to Kilkenny Gaol where they remained without trial throughout the summer.

In July 1923, Patrick’s mother Mary took ill and died within a few days of her illness. Despite being only 16-years-old old and being detained in close proximity at Kilkenny Gaol, he apparently was not given temporary release to attend his mother’s funeral. 

Conditions in the jail were difficult during that period as witnessed by another local man Jimmy Crotty from Coolnamuck, who is said to have shared a cell with Patrick at one point.

Following the end of the Civil War many Republican prisoners remained in jail. Patrick continued to be held without trial in Kilkenny where on September 3 1923 he was shot in the leg by a sentry. He was immediately moved to the Curragh military hospital where he died from his wounds the following day.

While the circumstances surrounding his shooting remain unclear, what is undisputed is that he was unarmed and defenceless at the time. 

The soldier responsible for Patrick’s death is named on the Register of Death where he is described as ‘discharging his duty’ to explain his actions.

 However, the Registrar makes it clear that this account of events is deeply unsatisfactory and in a very unusual step includes the following comments on the Register, “we consider the order issued a disgrace with regards to prisoners. We can consider the other prisoners in the cell should have been called as witnesses”.

 Poignantly. according to family tradition, Patrick is said to have been shot while reading a letter sent to him by his mother prior to her death. 

After Patrick’s death, he was returned to his home in Carrick and arrangements were made for his funeral. 

According to family members, his father was charged with the task of cleaning the remaining blood from Patrick’s body before he was laid out and prepared for his final journey.

  His funeral Mass took place in St. Nicholas Church, Carrick. His coffin was draped with the Irish tricolour and he was escorted by a guard of honour made up of the local Anti-Treaty IRA Battalion to his final resting place in the Republican plot in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Carrickbeg where a volley of shots were fired over his grave.