Kerry has a particular reputation for tit-for-tat killings during the Civil War. However, the county was certainly not alone in this respect. This post will address one of the most controversial incidents that occurred in County Wexford during the Civil War. It focuses on the execution of three (Patrick Horan, Edward Gorman and Thomas Jones) and the wounding of one (John Croke), all members of the National Forces at Adamstown on 23 March 1923. Supporting evidence of the tit-for-tat nature of the incident is found in the Brigade Activity Report for the South Wexford Brigade. This indicates approval for the action, referred to as operation 90, at Divisional and Brigade level in reprisal for the “Wexford executions of three IRA” [Lieutenant James Parle, Volunteers John Creane and Patrick Hogan, who had been executed in Wexford County Jail on 13 March 1923].

Extract from A65_2 Brigade Actiivity Report for South Wexford.

The four men, Horan, Gorman, Jones and Croke were stationed at the garrison at Palace East. The garrison consisted of 1 Officer, 3 NCO’s and 25 men. The purpose of the post was to protect the railway line of the Dublin and South Eastern Railway. There is, as with some of these incidents, conflicting evidence recorded among the different files in the collection. In Croke’s application it is stated that a complaint had been received from a Mrs McCabe, Adamstown that some armed men had attempted to seize some money from her at McCabe’s Public House and that Croke and Lieutenant Jones went to investigate. According to the statements on file after a number of minutes a party of armed men numbering between 7 and 10 rushed in to the pub. Private Croke reached for his revolver and was shot by a Thompson machine gun in the left hip. It is reported that Gorman left the public house with the armed men and that Horan and Jones, who were already outside, were taken away. It is stated that the IRA party numbered about 50 in total. The dead bodies of Gorman, Horan and Jones were recovered the next day.

An alternative account was provided in a letter from Commandant S Gallagher, OC, 41 Battalion to Discipline Office, GHQ, Portobello. This letter stated that Horan went with another two soldiers to a public house: “they created a scene there and were drunk and disorderly”. The post at Palace East received information of the disturbance in McCabe’s Public House and Lieutenant Jones and Private Croke were dispatched to McCabes. It is noted elsewhere in Horan’s file that the men had left their post without permission. This however seems unlikely; as had the military authorities any reason to believe that there was negligence on the part of the deceased they would have rejected the applications (the dependants of Horan, Jones and Gorman were all awarded gratuities).

Letter confirming that there was no negligence on the part of the deceased.

While there may be conflicting reports as to how the men were drawn to McCabes there is no doubting the horrific injuries that were inflicted upon them after their capture. The three men, Horan, Jones and Gorman were taken away and their bodies discovered the next day in an outhouse near Adamstown. It is reported that they were ‘riddled’ with bullets.

John Croke was discharged as medically unfit in August 1924. He was awarded a temporary wound pension of £0.8.4 under the Army Pensions Acts and in 1925 was made a one off payment of £20 in respect of his injury.

Although the incident at Adamstown occurred towards the closing days of the Civil War, and the fighting in many parts of the country was winding down, this incident caused much division in the locality. The tragic loss of life such retaliatory killings caused has left an indelible mark on families on both sides of the Civil War, creating legacies of division and loss.