Dublin July 11 1921. A beautiful day. People gather outside the Castle gates, awaiting the official announcement of the Truce. At that time the summer heat was unusually intense and large parts of the country were parched and drought-stricken. Wildfires were burning in the UK - heaths, peat bogs and forests were ablaze and fire crews were battling to save villages and towns throughout the country. In Ennis, County Clare, two days before this photograph was taken, a small party of policemen from Lisdoonvarna went swimming in a stream near Doolin. While they were cooling off a party of republicans surprised them and stole their revolvers. The republicans then opened fire on the policemen, killing one, badly wounding another, inflicting superficial wounds on two more. The Cork Examiner, July 12, 1921, had this to add: When the news reached Ennistymon much excitement prevailed. Constables fired shots in the streets, and shopkeepers hurriedly closed their businesses. The name of the dead constable is stated to be Hewitt. This morning a number of men raided the premises of the West Clare Railway, and destroyed a quantity of stores consigned to military and auxiliaries at Corolin. Also this morning, fifty men raided the County Infirmary and removed the two men wounded by the police in Ennis a fortnight ago after an attempt to take a revolver from a constable. It was rumoured they were to have been taken into custody by the authorities in a few days for courtmartial. The jubilation felt by ordinary citizens at the announcement of the truce had much to do with their hope that violence - of the kind that took place by a stream near Doolin in July 1921 - had ended once and for all. Does anyone have any additional information on Constable Hewitt?
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 22:51:04 +0000
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