1 (1) Confidential Bantry 13.VII.1916. My dear Mr Leigh-White, We had a public meeting in Bantry outside
the Chapel after last Mass on Sunday in support of the
National Aid Society. Canon Cohalan P.P. was in the chair
& spoke as also did Messrs. Cotter, Gilhooly INP., Robert Kelly,
Father O'Connell. Father O'Connell struck the key note when
he described it as a 'recruiting meeting' — it has
proved one for Sinn Feinism. Fortunately he could
not resist attacking Gilhooly & they had some 'words'
which took some of the 'edge' off the meeting.
Canon Colahan said the Irish people would as soon
take down the pictures of the leaders as those of
Wolfe Tone or Emmet — he denied that it was a
lawless outbreak & described it as a 'push'
towards National Independence. The acts of the English
Statesmen was the best test that they too recognized
that the 'push' was a legitimate one. Gilhooly & Cotter were on the same lines & Fr O'Connell's
speech was very inflammatory. Referring to Belgium
he said ' change the name of Von Bissing & Von Fluck
for Carew & you have a page of Irish history.'
I am glad to say he referred contemptuously to entrusting
powers of arrest to Jack a dandy Police Officers!
(And my tailor knows me not since August 1914!) Such shortly was the meeting — but as
a prelude our astonished eyes in Bantry that
Sunday morning were met by Republican flags
at all the street corners tied on the top of the
electric light standards and a large banner
from the Town Hall floating across the road
with this 'we love them yet, we cant forget The felons of our land' & republican
Streamers. 2 I had to wait until the people were at Mass & I removed
these & saw the leaders & the band and told them
if any such flags were carried in their procession
I would remove them forcibly. Fortunately they obeyed.
I say fortunately because my force consisted of one
Head Constable one Sergeant and 3 Constables.
This is the 'nub' of my letter.
I want more men & I can't get them.
The Co: Inspector assures me he is satisfied that Bantry
is perfectly normal & that it is the most peaceful
part of this County. The thing is almost comic — he does not know
six people in Bantry and here am I living
here and meeting all classes as you know
and I have reported a dozen times since
Easter that the state of the public mind is causing
me grave uneasiness. As an answer he
takes away two of my men who have local knowledge
and replaces them by that Constable Batt Riordan
who cross examined you & another poor man who
has been 120 days in hospital this year ( & is
there still.) I secured a verbatim report of the speeches & and sent them on
& again handed an applica drew attention to the state of
the public mind and applied for more men.
I did not get them nor even a polite refusal.
No one has ever accused me of being an alarmist before
& I should have thought the authorities would have learned
a lesson from the rebellion. 3 It may be that as a matter of high policy they want to
hand over Redmond something to occupy his time
but I think the people of any given locality are entitled
to see that the forces of the Crown are either withdrawn
or in adequate numbers. I do not apprehend a fresh rebellion but this shortly
is my view. The people in the remote parts such as Bantry have now
had time to talk over the happenings in Dublin —
they have made heroes of those who tried to establish a
Republic. Their courage has grown as Home Rule
has again become a matter of practical politics.
The younger generation are out to strike a blow for
Ireland. The Sinn Feiners are no longer to be laughed at
as a small power & their numbers have so grown
that I scarcely know in my district where to put
my hand on one who is not imbued with their
doctrines. Even the Canon has come out of his
shell.... Well who is to say where this
leads? This feeling of discontent, this high excitement,
the recognition of their power must find expression in
violence. It is all very well for Lord Lansdowne
to say in the House of Lords that General Maxwell has
40,000 troops & controls the R.I.C. The local people
are quick to see that nothing is being done to see
that the Forces of the Crown are adequate in their
part of the country. The local D.I is (or ought to
be !) wise enough to let matters drift.
And then when some striking event comes along
— a British reverse, the fall of Verdun, a
Naval disaster, a landing in England or Ireland 4 you may find the French revolution re enacted
in Bantry or in Cork. A sympathetic
report from a Royal Commission in 1917
would be a poor plaster. I cannot do any more than I have done through
my authorities to represent this growth & the
necessity for a stronger & better selected force in
Bantry. Would it be feasible to have General Maxwell
directly approached on behalf of those in Bantry
or Cork Co. whose sympathies are with the Empire & who feel
as I do? You will I know pardon this long letter — it
is your own fault if your friends turn to you
for counsel in their difficulties. Yours very Sincerely
'Chief'