In this decade for commemorating events of a century ago there has been much media attention for the high-profile deaths of men in uniform at Soloheadbeg and the innocents of Bloody Sunday, but little mention of hundreds of other civilian casualties through the War of Independence.
On February 9, 1921 the IRA killed Alfred Charles Reilly, a 58-year-old prominent Cork businessman.
Just a footnote to history for some, one of 200 civilians who died in that phase of the Anglo-Irish War, but a very traumatic event for his family.
According to one of his killers, as recorded in the Bureau of Military History (see also Gerard Murphy’s The Year of Disappearances, Political Killings in Cork 1921-1922), they were acting on orders from brigade intelligence that an organisation had been formed by the Freemasons and YMCA to spy on IRA men in the city.
Despite Reilly not being a Freemason or a member of the YMCA, and no historian lending credence to such a conspiracy, he was a legitimate target for some.
He was English, a Methodist, had been a justice of the peace in Cork, although he stepped down six years earlier and refused on principle to perform jury service from 1920 when republicans began to appear before the courts.
A supporter of Home Rule he organised an unsuccessful petition to request the release of Terence MacSwiney.
Reilly marched behind the coffins of Tomás MacCurtain and MacSwiney. Months later Barry Egan, Sinn Féin Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork attended Reilly’s funeral. At the time, Sinn Féin TD Liam de Róiste, and many others could see no motive for the killing.
Reilly left work, as manager of Thompson’s Bakery in what is now MacCurtain Street, where four members of the local brigade with revolvers hijacked his pony and trap and drove him to his home outside Douglas.
He was shot in the chest, abdomen, left arm and right side of his face. A card was fixed to his body with “Spies and Informers, Beware” written on it.
His startled pony continued up the drive and the family ran towards the gate to find him. His daughter had lost her mother 10 years earlier to pneumonia, her younger brother to a ruptured appendix, remaining brother on the Somme, and now her last family member to a brutal murder.
The family could see no motive and put it down to a personal grudge, possibly from his time as a judge, dealing with minor civil and criminal matters. His only surviving child was a strong and gentle woman, who went on to have 16 grandchildren, of which I am proud to be one.
Nigel Monaghan
Clondalkin
Dublin 22
Travel: Surely gardaí can arrest?
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says gardaí do not have the power to arrest people travelling abroad for non-essential purposes. They can only fine them €500, and instruct them to go home.
As far as I’m aware, there is ample precedent, both before Covid and during, of gardaí using their power to arrest people who refuse to comply with the lawful instruction of a garda.
The travel fine is all well and good, but it’s basically putting a wealth restriction on holidays. If you can afford €500 to €1,000 additional cost (or package add-on) off you go.
If they don’t want to arrest those who can afford to be above the law, why not prosecute them in court immediately that day?
Then, when the defendant doesn’t turn up in court because they are in the south of Spain, lay on additional charges.
Jack Desmond
Bandon
Cork
We made a hames of Covid modelling
Dr Phillip Nolan chose to describe the proponents of “Zero Covid” pandemic policy as the makers of false promises. That was a choice. The phrase had faint insinuations.
There are other ways to disagree. Drs Holohan and Nolan are doing their best and they have served the State with distinction in extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
But here is an inconvenient truth. In recent months, as Dr Nolan admits himself, epidemiological events have “confounded” our “modelling”.
This is just a fancy way of saying “lads, didn’t we make a hames of that auld modelling”.
Dr Nolan’s arguments on Zero Covid policy would be far more convincing if the “modelling” was more accurate.
Michael Deasy
Carrigart
Co Donegal
Can we all be hero and aim for zero
Everything we are seeing suggests, yet again, that the only viable strategy is zero community transmission.
If the virus cannot meet a new host it cannot learn new tricks, and it dies out. Simple enough. Complex to organise, yes. But not complicated.
Prevents death and long term chronic disease? Yes!
Reduces variants? Yes!
Expensive? Yes. (ish) Cheaper than cycles of open/lockdown? Yes!
Worth it? Yes!
Safe? Yes!
Compare New Zealand, Vietnam, Finland to UK, US, or Germany.
Can we please unite behind a workable zero community transmission stategy, now that the evidence is tragically and so shocklingly clear?
Corneilius Crowley
South Harrow
London
A pharmaceutical helping hand
Is it possible that we could ask the many pharmaceutical companies here in Ireland for their help with a Covid-19 vaccine?
Surely in a country that is the third largest exporter of pharmaceuticals, it would be in the producers’ and exporters’ interest to protect their employees, if our government cannot do so.
Joyce Anderson
Belgooly
Co Cork
Christmas lights are hollow and empty
During a recent shopping trip to my beloved town of Rathkeale I was dismayed to see the Christmas lights are still up and illuminated.
I appreciate that there has been a national movement to leave the Christmas lights up for longer this year with the intention of lifting the mood of the people.
On approach to the town, being greeted by a large illuminated “Happy Christmas” at this stage of the year feels hollow and empty.
Having passed the feast day of St Brigid, marking the beginning of spring, we should be looking forward to a time of hope and optimism.
For a lot of people in Rathkeale, Christmas 2020 will be best forgotten, as we look forward to Christmas 2021 with great trepidation.
Dónal Ó Donnabháin
Rathkeale
Co Limerick
Hold the front page for the press polka
Austrian Airlines have done it. Tambo International Airport Airlink has done it. As has Lizt Alfonso Dance Club Cuba and many others in the last four months.
Members of An Garda Síochána this week stepped up to the challenge from the Swiss police who did their synchronised dance video of a popular song which is one of those surprise hits.
The Garda version has since been unofficially called the Síochána Shuffle.
I thought their video was very good. It showed great camaraderie and including the two police horses.
It shows how doing the unexpected gives an emotional lift and spreads some cheer as we wait around the world to be vaccinated from Covid-19.
‘Jerusalema’ is by South African DJ and record producer Master KG, and was first released in South Africa in November 2019 and as a music video that December and is described as an upbeat, gospel, house song. It topped the South African charts in December 2019. Maybe The Echo or Irish Examiner might do theirs?
Mary Sullivan
College Rd
Cork
What a treat from gardaí on the beat
OK now, twinkle-toed gardaí.
Enough with the Riverdancing and leppin’ around the country.
Get back to the serious business of arresting citizens on our near deserted and crime-free streets.
Look! There’s a number of guys over there with beer cans in their hands — and others gathering suspiciously, possibly with a view to saying a few prayers at a holy statue. Go get ’em!
Robert Sullivan,
Bantry
Co Cork
