Appeal to find relatives of Killarney waitress who was last victim of War of Independence

Hannah Carey was fatally shot on the morning of July 11, 1921, by a bullet from a passing RIC lorry

Our photograph shows a camouflaged Vickers Machine Gun manned by members of the Royal Fusiliers protect the train carrying supplies and personnell near Headford, Killarney in 1921.

A Killarney waitress was the last person to be shot in the War of Independence and an appeal has gone out to trace her relatives as her anniversary approaches.

Hannah Carey, a 48-year-old waitress at the Imperial Hotel in College St, had stepped onto the street on Monday, July 11, 1921, when she was fatally wounded by a bullet from a passing RIC lorry.

Minutes earlier, there had been an attack by the IRA on the Royal Fusiliers who were stationed in Killarney. 

The policeman from whose shot she died was never identified.

According to research by Kerry historian, Owen O’Shea, Ms Carey lay dying for two hours before succumbing to her injury

“Hannah was standing at the door of the Imperial Hotel on College St when she sustained a bullet wound to the neck just a few minutes before noon on Monday, 11 July 1921, when the agreed cessation of hostilities was to come into effect,” Mr O'Shea said.

She died a short time after the shooting of two British soldiers at High St and as the Crown Forces and the IRA continued to exchange fire as the clock ticked down to the official ceasefire at noon on July 11.

"Hannah Carey has been a minor footnote in the history of the War of Independence for so long that I felt her story deserved more attention," said Mr O’Shea.

Official reports and several newspapers suggested Ms Carey died during an attack on Mears and Clarke, but this was not true, he has found.

Instead, she met her fate as an RIC lorry travelled along College St in the aftermath of that incident.

“There is no known photograph of Hannah Carey nor have I been able to trace any descendants," said Mr O'Shea.

"I would love to hear from anyone who might be descended from Hannah Carey or who might have a photograph of her.

Any one with information is asked to contact Owen O'Shea