Easter Rising Stories

ON THIS DAY

29 October

1920. Ireland stops — not everywhere

Terence MacSwiney, 1920. The Dáil’s day of mourning was also for Michael Fitzgerald and Joseph Murphy.

Dáil Éireann called Friday 29 October a national day of mourning after three hunger-strike deaths: Michael Fitzgerald in Cork Gaol, 17 October (67 days); Terence MacSwiney in Brixton, 25 October, 5.40 a.m. (74 days); Joseph Murphy in Cork Gaol, 25 October, 8.35 p.m. (about 76 days). Shops shut. Work stopped. Places of amusement stayed closed. Requiem Masses named all three.

It was not one Ireland. In Cootehill a Sinn Féin flag at half-mast on the town hall was taken down by the military; unionists cheered. In Castleblayney police and soldiers moved on licensed houses that had closed. Kevin Barry was three days from hanging in Mountjoy. Fr Augustine Hayden, who had married MacSwiney and Muriel Murphy, was also going to Barry.

In Dublin the coffin was missing. The family had booked Holyhead–Kingstown. The funeral train reached Holyhead just before midnight on the 28th. Authorities ordered the body onto the Rathmore for Cork. Relatives and railwaymen refused. Mary MacSwiney and others were put out of the van. Police loaded the coffin. The ship left about 1.15 a.m. under armed escort. Those left on the quay knelt as it went. Fr Dominic led the De Profundis. The family then took the mail boat to Kingstown. At 11 a.m. they heard Mass in the Pro-Cathedral. Tens of thousands walked behind an empty hearse piled with wreaths toward Kingsbridge. Dublin shops were shut. Troops stayed in barracks.

1920. The coffin reaches Cork

MacSwiney’s coffin, October 1920.

The Rathmore met the Admiralty tug Hellespont and reached Deep Water Quay, Queenstown (Cobh), about 1.45 p.m. Crowds came. Nobody would take the coffin. Harbour pilots would not bring the ship to the city. Officers had already told church authorities that formed ranks and flags would not be allowed. Organisers first answered by refusing the body.

Hands later moved the coffin, under sailcloth, onto the tug Mary Tavy, which flew a black flag upriver. It reached Custom House Quay about 4.15 p.m. Again no one received it. The family train from Dublin arrived later at Glanmire. About 9.30 p.m. Volunteers shouldered the coffin into City Hall, clergy ahead, wreaths behind. An IRA guard stood the night. Dublin had walked without him. Cork had him first under Crown escort, then under Volunteer hands.

References

Century Ireland, ‘World pays tribute to MacSwiney as funeral brings Cork to a standstill’. Day of mourning 29 October; Masses for MacSwiney, Fitzgerald and Murphy; body sent Cork not Dublin. rte.ie/centuryireland/…/world-pays-tribute-to-macswiney

Cork Independent (4 Nov. 2020), ‘Remembering 1920: Terence MacSwiney’s funeral’. Rathmore at Cobh 1.45 p.m.; Hellespont; Mary Tavy; Custom House Quay 4.15 p.m.; City Hall 9.30 p.m. corkindependent.com/2020/11/04/remembering-1920-terence-macswineys-funeral

Irish Examiner, ‘MacSwiney’s body was sent straight to Cork despite protests from Lord Mayor’s family’. Holyhead; Kingstown contract set aside. irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-40070420.html

Cork City Council / Cork Public Museum, ‘Suffering the Most’. corkcity.ie/…/suffering-the-most