WE NEVER FORGET: Irish Rebel James Connolly, Executed at Kilmainham Goal on Friday May 12, 1916

During the Easter Rising, James Connolly served as Vice-President of the Irish Republic and Commandant-General of the Dublin Division of the Army of the Irish Republic. He was severely wounded during the fighting at the General Post Office and was carried from there on a stretcher. He was taken from his hospital bed on May 12, 1916, placed in chair because he could not stand, and executed by firing squad.

That fall [1910] James Connolly came to say goodbye to our family. He had been called back to Ireland and was glad to go. He said he was not sorry he had come to America and not sorry to leave. Movements were on foot to organize industrial unions in Ireland. We sat and talked quite a while. The baby was very fretful that day. Connolly, who was well experienced with babies, having had seven, took the baby from me, laid him face down across his knees and patted his back until he burped soundly and then went to sleep. We all felt very sorry to see Connolly go. His family left shortly afterward-the older children not too willingly. This was the last time I saw this good friend.

On Tuesday I went with mother. There were soldiers on guard at the top of the stairs and in the small alcove leading to Papa’s room. They were fully armed and as they stood guard they had their bayonets fixed. In the room there was an R.A.M.C. officer with him all the time. His wounded leg was resting in a cage. He was weak and pale and his voice was very low. Mother asked was he suffering much pain. “No, but I’ve been court-martialled today. They propped me up in bed. The strain was very great.” She knew then that if they had court-martialled him while unable to sit up in bed, they would not hesitate to shoot him while he was wounded. Asked how he had got the wound he said: “It was while I had gone out to place some men at a certain point. On my way back I was shot above the ankle by a sniper. Both bones in my leg are shattered. I was too far away for the men I had just placed to see me and was too far from the Post Office to be seen. So I had to crawl till I was seen. The loss of blood was great. They couldn’t get it staunched.” He was very cheerful, talking about plans for the future, giving no sign that sentence had been pronounced an hour before we were admitted.

He was very proud of his men. “It was a good clean fight. The cause cannot die now. The fight will put an end to recruiting. Irishmen will now realize the absurdity of fighting for the freedom of another country while their own is enslaved.” He praised the women and girls who fought. I told him about Rory (Connolly’s son; the boy had been arrested with other rebels but had given a false name and was released along with all other boys under sixteen). “He fought for his country and has been imprisoned for his country and he’s not sixteen. He’s had a great start in life, hasn’t he, Nora?” Then he turned to mother and said: “‘There was one young boy, Lillie, who was carrying the top of my stretcher as we were leaving the burning Post Office. The street was being swept continually with bullets from machine- guns. That young lad was at the head of the stretcher and if a bullet came near me he would move his body in such a way that he might receive it instead of me. He was so young-looking, although big, that I asked his age. “I’m just fourteen, sir,” he answered. “We can’t fail now.”

I saw father next on Thursday, May 11, at midnight. A motor ambulance came to the door. The officer said father was very weak and wished to see his wife and eldest daughter. Mama believed the story because she had seen him on Wednesday and he was in great pain and very weak, and he couldn’t sleep without morphine. Nevertheless she asked the officer if they were going to shoot him. The officer said he could tell her nothing. Through dark, deserted sentry-ridden streets we rode. I was surprised to see about a dozen soldiers encamped outside Papa’s door. There was an officer on guard inside the room. Papa turned his head at our coming.

“Well, Lillie, I suppose you know what this means?”

“Oh, James, it’s not that – it’s not that.”

“Yes, Lillie. I fell asleep for the first time tonight and they wakened me at eleven and told me that I was to die at dawn.”

Mamma broke down and laid her head on the bed and sobbed heartbreakingly. Father patted her head and said: “Don’t cry, Lillie, you’ll unman me.”

“But your beautiful life, James. Your beautiful life!” she sobbed.

“Well, Lillie, hasn’t it been a full life and isn’t this a good end” I was also crying. “Don’t cry, Nora, there’s nothing to cry about.”

“I won’t cry. Papa,” I said.

“He patted my hand and said: “That’s my brave girl.”

“He tried to cheer Mama by telling her of the man who had come into the Post Office during the Rising to try and buy a penny stamp. “I don’t know what Dublin’s coming to when you can’t buy a stamp at the Post Office.”

The officer said: “Only five minutes more.” Mama was nearly overcome – she had to be given water. Papa tried to clasp her in his arms but he could only lift his head and shoulders from the bed. The officer said: “Time is up.” Papa turned and said good-bye to her and she could not see him. I tried to bring Mama away but I could not move her. The nurse came forward and helped her away. I ran back and kissed Papa again. “Nora, I’m proud of you.” Then the door was shut and I saw him no more.

It was a terrible shock to me, I’d been with him that evening and I promised to come to him this afternoon. I felt sure there would be no more executions. Your father was much easier than he had been. I was sure that he would get his first real night’s rest. The ambulance that brought you home came for me. I was astonished. I had felt so sure that I would not be needed. For the first time since the Rising, I had locked the doors. And some time after two I was knocked up. The ambulance brought me to your father. Such a wonderful man – such a concentration of mind. They carried him from his bed in an ambulance stretcher down to a waiting ambulance and drove him to Kilmainham Jail. They carried him from the ambulance to the jail yard and put him in a chair. He was very brave and cool. I said to him, “Will you pray for the men who are about to shoot you” and he said: “I will say a prayer for all brave men who do their duty.” His prayer was “Forgive them for they know not what they do” and then they shot him.

In the afternoon of THURSDAY I called to see Connolly at the Castle, He seemed very feverish and told me that he had not slept the previous night. I suggested that I should call again in the morning to hear his confession and give him Holy Communion again. He thanked me but said he would not like to put me to the trouble of coming again in the morning when I had so kindly come that evening. When I insisted that it would be no trouble – that in any case I should come in the morning to give him H. Communion and I could hear his confession before that, he thanked me again and said he would be glad as he really felt very unwell just then I left him, but a very uneasy feeling took possession of me. I asked for Captain Stanley and after a long wait was told that they, had searched everywhere and could not find him I left but when I reached the Castle gates the same uneasiness troubled me – I simply could not go on. So returning to the Castle I succeeded in seeing Capt. Stanley. I asked him if there was any danger of any thing happening that night. He assured me that nothing could happen, for, he said, you saw in the papers that Asquith promised there would be no executions pending the debate which is on tonight. But about 9 o’c – Stanley was at Church Street to say that my services would be needed about 2. am. next morning (Friday). He was not at liberty to say more, but he knew that I’d understand what it meant.

At. 1 a.m. the car came for me. I heard Connolly’s Confession and gave him Holy Communion again. Then I left while he was being given a light meal. I had a long talk with Stanley in the Castle Yard. He told me that he had been very much impressed by Connolly, and that Surgeon Tobin had been very struck too by his character. He told me an amusing story he had from Surgeon Tobin I dont know if I ought to narrate it.

Now the time appointed – Connolly was to be taken to Kilmainham. I had a few words. I said that the men who would execute him were soldiers – probably they knew nothing about him -and like soldiers would simply obey orders and fire, and I wanted him to feel no anger against them but to say as Our Lord said on Calvary -“Father, forgive them” and to say a prayer for them, “I do, Father,” he answered “I respect every man who does his duty.”

James Connolly was then brought down to the car and laid on a stretcher in it. I sat in the ambulance car with him – and said a last word to him before they took him from the car in Kilmainham Yard, He was put sitting on a chair. And the order was given. They fired and Father Eugene McCarthy who had been in attendance on Sean McDermott earlier, went over and anointed Connolly. I had stood just behind the firing line. It was a scene I should not ask to witness again, I had got to know Connolly -to wonder at his strength of character and marvellous power of concentration. I had got to regret that I had not known him longer and now I had to say goodbye. All I could do was to return with a heavy heart and to offer the Holy Sacrifice for his soul. Now I thank God that I knew him.

SOURCES

1916 Easter Rising, Profiles, James Connolly 1868-1916
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/profiles/po04.shtml

James Connolly from Spartacus Educational
http://spartacus-educational.com/Sconnolly.htm

The Rebel Girl: an autobiography, my first life (1906-1926)
-by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
International Publishers, 1973
https://books.google.com/books?id=TK2y0I-E9EkC

BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY, 1913-21
STATEMENT BY WITNESS, DOCUMENT NO. W.S. 200
Witness: Rev. Fr. Aloysius, O.F.M. Cap.,
-Capuchin Friary, Church St., Dublin.
Identity: Chaplain to Irish Volunteer Leaders, 1916.
http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0200.pdf

IMAGES
Irish Rebels, We Never Forget James Connolly, May 12, 1916
-by Janet Raye, -text BBC 1916 Easter Rising Profiles
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/profiles/po04.shtml
Irish Rebels of 1916, James Connolly
http://spartacus-educational.com/Sconnolly.htm

See also:

James Connolly: portrait of a rebel father
-by Nora Connolly O’Brien
Four Masters, 1975
https://books.google.com/books?id=RNBAAAAAYAAJ

James Connolly – Marxist Internet Archive (1894-1916)
https://www.marxists.org/archive/connolly/

The Working Class Hero of Ireland – The Wolf Tones

James Connolly – Poem by Liam MacGabhann
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_MacGabhann

The poem was written by Liam MacGabhann. He wrote in “Rags, Robes and Rebels” that it was based on reading comments made by the son of a Welsh miner who was part of Connolly’s firing squad who later asked Connolly’s relatives to forgive him.

Connolly
The man was all shot through that came today
Into the barrack square;
A soldier I – I am not proud to say
We killed him there;
They brought him from the prison hospital;
To see him in that chair
I thought his smile would far more quickly call
A man to prayer.
Maybe we cannot understand this thing
That makes these rebels die;
And yet all things love freedom – and the Spring
Clear in the sky;
I think I would not do this deed again
For all that I hold by;
Gaze down my rifle at his breast – but then
A soldier I.
They say that he was kindly – different too,
Apart from all the rest;
A lover of the poor; and all shot through,
His wounds ill drest,
He came before us, faced us like a man,
He knew a deeper pain
Than blows or bullets – ere the world began;
Died he in vain?
Ready – present; And he just smiling – God!
I felt my rifle shake
His wounds were opened out and round that chair
Was one red lake;
I swear his lips said ‘Fire!’ when all was still
Before my rifle spat
That cursed lead – and I was picked to kill
A man like that!

James Connolly
Lyrics: Author Unkown
http://celtic-lyrics.com/lyrics/266.html

A great crowd had gathered Outside of Kilmainham,
With their heads uncovered they knelt on the ground,
For inside that grim prison lay a brave Irish Soldier,
His life for his Country about to lay down,

He Went to his death like a true son of Ireland,
The firing party he bravely did face,
Then the order rang out: “Present arms, fire,”
James Connolly fell into a ready made grave.

The black flag they hoisted, the cruel deed was over,
Gone was a man who loved Ireland so well,
There was many a sad heart in Dublin that morning,
When they murdered James Connolly, the Irish Rebel.

God’s curse on you England, you cruel-hearted monster
Your deeds they would shame all the devils in Hell
There are no flowers blooming but the shamrock is growing
On the grave of James Connolly, the Irish Rebel,

Many years have rolled by since that Irish rebellion,
When the guns of Britannia they loudly did speak.
The bold IRA they stood shoulder to shoulder
And the blood from their bodies flowed down Sackville Street

The Four Courts of Dublin the English bombarded,
The spirit of freedom they tried hard to quell,
But above all the din rose the cry “No Surrender”,
‘Twas the voice of James Connolly, the Irish Rebel.

WE NEVER FORGET