Letter from Philip J. McArdle to John Dillon, 21 May 1916. Letters 1916-1923 Philip J. McArdle

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Letter from Philip J. McArdle to John Dillon (1851-1927). The writer delivers an account of a conversation he had on board a boat in Greenore, Co. Louth, with a soldier from the Royal Irish Rifles. The soldier recognised Francis Sheehy-Skeffington in a front page picture of the newspaper which Mr. McArdle had been given and this gave rise to the conversation. It emerged that the soldier had been part of the firing squad at Portobello Barracks which executed Sheehy-Skeffington and two others. He described the shooting of Sheehy-Skeffington, saying that he was shot as he lay on the ground. He named the officer in charge as Adjutant Morgan and said that all of the firing party were from Victoria Barracks.John Dillon was an Irish Party MP in the House of Commons. In a speech in the House on 11 May 1916 he strongly condemned the British handling of the Rising which had been put down 'with so much blood and so much savagery', and called for an immediate end to executions. Mr. Dillon assisted Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington in her plea for a public inquiry and in various correspondence relating to her husband's murder and raids on her home.

 Trinity College Dublin TCD Ms. 6837/22a, TCD Ms. 6837/22a https://letters1916.ie/item/1501 English Philip J. McArdle 1916-05-21 12 Harberton Road, Highgate, London W., England. John Dillon Male Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 12 Harberton Road Highgate London W. 21st May 1916 Dear Mr. Dillon I am in receipt of your letter of the 18th May & as you wish to have details of this conversation, I shall endeavour to put it on paper as best I can. I was sitting in the cabin of the Greenore boat where there was a good number of Soldiers & some one near handed me the 'Sketch' of the day to have a look at it. As I was about to open it, I noticed on the front page a photo of Mr Sheehy-Skeffington, evidently addressing a gathering. Whilst looking at it , a soldier on my left bent over in some surprise, & said 'Hello, I saw that fellow; he was shot along with three others in Portobello barracks'! I said, is that so? 'Oh yes, I was one of the firing party & a devil of a job we had with them', he answered. ' We placed them along some brick walls & shot them, one after another, at breakfast time.' There were eight of us in the firing party. That fellow there' (pointing to the picture of Sheehy-Skeffington) when he heard the first discharges, fell insensible & when it came his turn we tried to stand him; but it was no use, so we had to shoot him on the ground.' He then went on to say, that he deserved to be shot, although in his opinion he got no trial & he seemed to think too that the officer 'would get into a row over it. I said I thought the officer was not an Englishman. As no, he answered, I know him well, he belongs to near Newtownards, - it was Adjutant Morgan. We were all Belfast men who shot them - all from the Victoria Barracks'! I was rather nervous about questioning him too sharply & went cautiously. I got news, however that Mr Sheehy-Skeffington would eat nothing after being taken. This the soldier put down as a fear of his being poisoned & appeared never to have heard of a hunger-strike. Several of his remarks were very strange & made his story appear extremely likely. He appeared to be puzzled, for instance, that the bullets passed through the bodies of the victims, & smashed the bricks behind. This soldiers name was Morrison, as I learned from some of his comrades remarks; he was going to Grantham from the Victoria Barracks, Belfast & belonged to the Royal Irish Rifles. Looking up the Army list on reaching here I found that a Lieut. Morgan was attached to the 3rd Batt. Royal Irish Rifles Such is a brief account of the affair & I regret that I could not see you personally as I think it would be more satisfactory You have information, no doubt, which will enable you to set a proper value on the story; to me, of course, it is simply mysterious I shall be thankful though to have your opinion of it & shall be glad, at any time, to give you further details. I am Yours truly Phil. J. McArdle Philip J. McArdle Letter from Philip J. McArdle to John Dillon, 21 May 1916. John Dillon Letter from Philip J. McArdle to John Dillon, 21 May 1916.Letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to John Dillon, 23 May 1916.Letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to John Dillon, 16 June 1916.Letter from Francis Vane of Hutton to John Dillon M.P., 3 October 1916.Letter from Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington to John Dillon, c. October 1916. Letter from Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington to John Dillon, 21 October 1916.Postcard from Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington to John Dillon, 23 October 1916.Letter from Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington to John Dillon, 28 October 1916. Letter from Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington to John Dillon, 4 November 1917.Cablegram from John Dillon to John P McGoorty, 20 May 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 19 June 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 29 June 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 29 June 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 30 June 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 30 June 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 2 July 1916 12 Harberton Road, Highgate, London W., England. Letter from Philip J. McArdle to John Dillon, 21 May 1916.