Mutineers Commemorated
Listowel pays tribute to the RIC men who said ‘Irish lives matter’
MANY events in the early stages of conflict might come to be seen as critical with the benefit of hindsight.
But the Listowel Mutiny can credibly lay claim to being a turning point in the War of Independence as a group of brave RIC men made a stand against their superiors, effectively espousing a mantra resonating today with another marginalised community.
A hundred years ago, this group’s guiding principle was ‘Irish lives matter’, if not articulated precisely that way. Their action inspired Irish men across the RIC nationally, leading to the resignation of over 1,000 of their fellows and the escalation of the guerilla war as the Black and Tans were brought in to replace the police who refused to fight fellow Irish men and women.
A century on, their stand was commemorated by a small group in the grounds of the barracks they refused to hand over to the British crown forces in 1920.
Among the group who took part in the commemoration this week was none other than the grandson of Listowel mutineer Patrick Sheeran, Knocknagoshel’s Éamon Walsh.
The former Kerry selector proudly took part in the tribute to his grandfather and fellow brave policemen on a weekend that would have seen a much more expansive commemoration but for COVID.
Also taking part in the commemoration at the weekend were former Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan; Kerry Writers’ Museum manager Cara Trant and historians Tom Dillon and Vincent Carmody. Had it not been for the pandemic, all would have addressed a weekend of commemorative events at the Writers’ Museum honouring the men. Instead they observed a minute’s silence outside what is now Listowel Garda Station, where a special plaque remembers the 14 RIC officers by name.
The stakes were high and getting higher as they outright refused – at great personal cost – to hand over the station to the British military being drafted in to fight the IRA in Munster.
None other than Divisional Commissioner of the military and police of Munster Colonel Smyth arrived to Listowel to marshal his troops in the war against the Volunteers, exhorting them to shoot civilians who refused to put their hands up when required.
“You may make mistakes occasionally and innocent people may be shot, but this cannot be helped, and you are bound to get the right persons sometimes. The more you shoot, the better I will like you, and I assure you that no policeman will get into trouble for shooting any man”, he said.
That is how Constable Jeremiah Mee, leader of the Mutiny, reported the Colonel’s speech in words that sent a chill down the spines of the RIC men.
They outright refused, as the cry ‘Up Listowel’ began to ring out across the land as word of the affair spread.
“This is regarded as a seminal event in the War of Independence and a major game-changer. Within three months of the mutiny, 1,100 Constables had resigned from the RIC to be replaced by additional Black and Tans and Auxiliaries,” Jimmy Deenihan explained.
“The story of the mutiny received widespread national and international coverage. In order to commemorate this historic event, Kerry Writers’ Museum is doing an online exhibition and producing a special video which will include contributions from historians Fr Tony Gaughan, former Chief Superintendent Donal O Sullivan and Dr Mary McAulliffe,” said Cara Trant. A number of the direct descendants of those who mutinied will also be featured on the video,” she added.
The online exhibition and video can be viewed on the Museum’s website www.kerrywritersmuseum.com/listowelpolicemutiny.
The Museum will also host an in-house exhibition on the Listowel Police Mutiny when it reopens to the public on June 29.