The story centres on the execution of Patrick Joseph D’Arcy by the IRA on 17th June 1921. The charge against him – supplying information that led to the execution of two members of the IRA (Michael McNamara and William Shanahan).

The only certainty within this file is that almost every statement is contradicted. The story is full of claim and counter claim. The list of characters involved is extensive. It is without doubt one of the most noteworthy files to date to be released from the Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection.

The file was created following an application by Margaret Daly, sister of the deceased, for the posthumous awarding of a Service (1917-1921) Medal in respect of her brother Patrick. This application ultimately led to sworn evidence being collected by the Referee and Advisory Committee regarding D’Arcy’s membership of the IRA and the circumstances that led to his death. The Referee and Advisory Committee had been established under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934 to assess applications. Separately investigations were conducted by Dan Bryan (Acting Colonel, G2 Branch) on instruction from An Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, in whose constituency the incident occurred.

The D’Arcy family resided at Cooraclare, County Clare and consisted of seven children and their widowed mother, Margaret. The D’Arcy’s were heavily involved in the nationalist movement in the area. At least three sons – Patrick, John and Michael were connected with the IRA. From the file, we know that Patrick was employed as a National School teacher in Doonbeg, County Clare and also gave instruction in Irish class after hours. He had lodgings in Doonbeg and returned home to Cooraclare at weekends.

One of the first areas of contention centres on D’Arcy’s membership of the Irish Volunteers/IRA. Seán Liddy (Brigade Commander) and Thomas Martin (Brigade Quartermaster) state that D’Arcy was not a member of the IRA. According to Liddy, D’Arcy was “never a member…he was tried, found guilty and executed [as an] … enemy agent”. However, Daniel Sheedy (Battalion Commandant) contends that D’Arcy was indeed a member and attended parades. It is accepted by the Referee that D’Arcy joined the local Cooraclare Company of the Irish Volunteers upon its formation. It may be that he was not a sworn member of the Volunteers but that he took part in general activities. It was also established that in March 1919 D’Arcy, Liddy, and two others were participants in the disarming of an RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) patrol near Cooraclare. There is also conflicting evidence recorded regarding D’Arcy’s role in intelligence work prior to his death. In the summation of their findings the Referee states that D’Arcy’s services were used by Officers of the Brigade for intelligence work.

Ultimately the focus on D’Arcy intensified from the 14th or 15th June 1921 following the arrest of Denis Sheehan, Kilrush, County Clare by the IRA. Sheehan, a publican, was a former member of the RIC and his public house was allegedly used by ‘spies’ to pass information. Sheehan was questioned in connection with supplying information to the RIC and ‘Black and Tans’ regarding the activities of the IRA. According to evidence supplied by both Stephen Hanrahan (Vice Commandant) and Michael Russell (Transport Officer), Sheehan was blindfolded and Seán Liddy pointed a weapon at him. Sheehan allegedly stated, “that he was innocent but that he could not be responsible for his wife…or he didn’t know whether she gave information to the Tans or not”. Questioning completed, Sheehan was informed that he was going to be “shot and to write a word to his wife”. After a recess Sheehan requested to speak to Liddy. Liddy returned stating “D’Arcy was the man” and Sheehan was released. Liddy states to the Referee that “Sheehan told us that he knew that D’Arcy had given away Shanahan and McNamara”. However, Stephen Hanrahan (Vice Commandant) who was also present at Sheehan’s interrogation claims that Sheehan was previously questioned about Patrick D’Arcy and proved to his satisfaction that D’Arcy was innocent of any charge.

While Sheehan’s supposed statement was the most crucial evidence against D’Arcy, it is clear from sworn statements compiled by the Referee that there was suspicion of D’Arcy’s activities prior to his arrest. In the context of the time his activities, alleged or otherwise, furthered the belief of his superiors regarding his supposed association with the enemy. In his statement Liddy claims that D’Arcy “adjourned and spent the night with the Tans and RIC” in Sheehan’s public house. William Haugh (Brigade Adjutant) states that he learned that D’Arcy had made enquiries from the schoolchildren as to his (Haugh’s) whereabouts. Thomas Marrinan (Brigade Quartermaster) says a statement was received that D’Arcy was seen at a property in Cooraclare which was later raided by the RIC suggesting “that D’Arcy acted as a guide to the RIC”. D’Arcy’s visit to Ennis on the day prior to his arrest was also viewed as an attempt to avoid questioning, adding further suspicion to his supposed guilt.

In addition to the above statements, there were a number of connected incidents which occurred between January and December 1920 that played a part in the execution of Patrick D’Arcy on 17th June 1921.

The first of these occurred with the drowning of Patrick’s brother, Michael D’Arcy, at Cooraclare on 19th January 1920. On this date, a party of IRA attacked an RIC patrol in Cooraclare. While the IRA party dispersed Michael D’Arcy fell into the Cooraclare River and drowned. Margaret Daly (sister of Michael and Patrick) in her sworn evidence alleges that Seán Liddy (Brigade Commander) informed the D’Arcy family that “all the party were safe and that my brother was with them”. Liddy, she states, then allegedly informed other IRA members “to drag the river and find the body and to bury him and not to tell us at all…to bury him in a bog”. This, his sister states, was the incident that led to the souring of relations between Patrick D’Arcy and Liddy. This souring of relations is denied by others who refer to Liddy and D’Arcy as “pals” even after the death of his brother. However, Liddy, in his evidence claims that Patrick D’Arcy made certain threats “that he would get some of his own back because of the brother” suggesting that there was a breakdown in relations.

The second incident revolves around the death of a Captain Alan Lendrum. Lendrum was a former British Army Officer who was employed as a Resident Magistrate in Kilkee, County Clare. The car in which he was travelling was ambushed by the IRA on 22nd September 1920 and Lendrum was killed in the exchange. In his statement, Laurence Nolan (retired RIC Sergeant stationed at Doonbeg) claims that an unsigned letter was delivered to a Captain Woods, an officer in the British forces at Milltown Malbay, denouncing William Shanahan, Michael McNamara and another local man “Sheldrake” Kelly as the murderers of Lendrum. Shanahan and McNamara were, as outlined above, the men that Patrick D’Arcy allegedly informed on. Nolan says he believed the letter was not from D’Arcy but “was the work of some girl and a badly educated girl at that”.

James Spellissy (Intelligence Officer) states that he received intelligence that on 19th December 1920 a man, believed to be D’Arcy, stopped British troops outside Sheehan’s public house and told them of the whereabouts of Shanahan and McNamara. This information supposedly led to the capture of Shanahan and McNamara who were killed three days later while in the custody of British forces.

Arrest

Following Sheehan’s alleged implicating of D’Arcy, it was decided that D’Arcy would be arrested. In her sworn affidavit dated 19th May 1945 Margaret Daly (sister) states that a party of IRA twice visited their home on 15th and 16th June 1921 looking for her brother. She was told he was “the man that spied on Shanahan and McNamara and took the blood money”. Margaret says that her brother was not present at the time but returned home on the evening of the 16th from his teaching post in Doonbeg having the previous day visited Ennis to enquire after his brother John. Seán Barrett (Commandant) in a statement dated 8th June 1947 confirms that D’Arcy had travelled to Ennis as it had been reported (incorrectly) that his brother, John, had been killed in an engagement with British forces at Darragh. Margaret states that D’Arcy was arrested by a party of IRA including Haugh, Michael Russell (Transport Officer) and a John J Cunningham. D’Arcy was led away allegedly telling his mother “if anything happens to me you can curse them all your life because I am innocent”. Russell states that upon arriving back in Cooraclare, D’Arcy had attempted to avoid an IRA party by returning home via an “unusual road” but that following his arrest he offered no resistance. D’Arcy was then taken to the property of Sheedy or Kelly near Cree, County Clare.

Trial?

Following D’Arcy’s arrest there are conflicting accounts in the statements of Liddy, Haugh and Marrinan regarding the nature of the trial/court-martial that D’Arcy received. Or, if in fact, he received any at all. The Referee goes so far as to state that D’Arcy was shot without trial. In the following exchange with the Referee and Advisory Committee, Haugh suggests that D’Arcy’s fate was already sealed even prior to his arrest:

Q: In other words the Brigade Commandant had decided that he must be executed? A: Yes, already. Q: Before you arrested? A: Yes certainly before I arrested him. …Q: What orders had you got from him [Liddy] besides to arrest D’Arcy? A: I was given to understand that he was to be executed. Q: Forthwith? A: Forthwith. …Q: Are you certain then that no trial took place of D’Arcy from the time you arrested him until he was shot? A: Yes.

Seán Liddy challenges this by claiming that he; Thomas Marrinan and William Haugh were among those who tried D’Arcy. Marrinan states that he acted as defence for D’Arcy.

Execution

In relation to the execution, Thomas Marrinan says that two or three men were in the firing party, but denies that he was involved in the execution. Haugh contradicts this by stating he and Marrinan were in the firing party. This conclusion was also reached by the Referee. Marrinan says that following the guilty verdict, D’Arcy was taken to another premises where he wrote his last letter. It is reported that a messenger was sent to Doonbeg to get a priest for D’Arcy. The messenger returned having been informed by the priest “to carry on – that the man was alright.” D’Arcy was then taken and executed. Haugh states:

I was his personal escort across country. We went to this particular house and wrote this particular label and took him to Doonbeg village that night and finished him off there.

Counter evidence

The news of D’Arcy’s execution was received with shock and surprise from those of the locality. Laurence Nolan (retired RIC Sergeant) states his reaction was shock “that such a ghastly mistake had been made”. Nolan says of D’Arcy’s execution: “it struck me that perhaps he was the victim of some petty jealously or spite…sufficient to say he was not the “spy””. Nolan’s affirmation is backed up by a brother of William Shanahan who stated: “as far as I ever knew and as far as I could find out there was no evidence which could connect Patrick D’Arcy with spying on my brother or Mick McNamara”. James Spellissy (Intelligence Officer, IRA) says that he “found it a terrible surprise…in fact I don’t believe he was guilty at all of any connection with the British”. Others point to the fact that the family was so involved with the nationalist movement that such an idea could not be feasible.

Conclusion

The one thing that is clear from the material in the file is that the story of D’Arcy’s execution is one of accusation and allegation. It is also apparent that in 1947, over 25 years after the incident, those sentiments were still to the fore. Margaret Daly’s application for a Service (1917-1921) Medal was ultimately unsuccessful. In a memorandum from Seamus Robinson and Hugh Brady to the Referee dated 31st July 1947 it states that:

no satisfactory evidence has been forthcoming to prove that Patrick D’Arcy was a member of the Forces (IRA) at any time later than 1920 or that he rendered continuous service to the Forces during any of the months in 1921 preceding his death.

This article first appeared in the Autumn 2017 issue of Irish Lives Remembered. The file (MD6954) relating to Patrick Joseph D’Arcy was released in April 2016 and is available, by appointment, for public consultation in the reading room of the Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Contact details are available here.