Kevin Barry
January
20, 1902–November 1, 1920
Kevin Barry was born in Dublin on January 20, 1902; he was
the fourth of seven children. The Barrys came from a well-off family in
Hacketstown, Co. Carlow. Carlow at that time was very nationalistic, so the
Barry family brought this nationalistic sentiment with them to Dublin.
Kevin’s father ran a successful dairy business on Fleet
Street in Dublin. This area today is part of Temple Bar which is a tourist area
in Dublin. Kevin’s father died when Kevin was six years old and the family went
back to the farm in Carlow. He went to school in Rathmines, Dublin and later
attended Belvedere College where he excelled in rugby and hurling.
While at Belvedere Kevin joined the Irish Volunteers in 1917
at the age of 15 and+6, was in the C Company of the First Battalion. After the
1916 Rising, there was a major swing in Ireland towards nationalism and his
family became involved in the national movement. One of Kevin’s early
assignments was to deliver messages and orders, he would cycle all over Dublin
in the course of his duties and became well acquainted with the city. He took
part in a number of more serious operations including a raid on Marks in Chapel
Street for ammunitions. His education did not suffer from his work with the
Movement he won a scholarship to the National University Dublin, now University
College Dublin and went in for the -study-of medicine.
In 1920 the War of Independence was raging in Ireland and
Kevin was involved in a number of skirmishes with his Company; by this time he
was a Section Commander. On June 1, 1920, Company C under the command of Peader
Clancy in a daring raid on King’s Inn captured a large quantity of ammunitions
and weapons. In another operation around the same time, Kevin led a group and
raided the guard room on Constitutional Hill. More the 25 British soldiers were
captured as well as arms and ammunition. The soldiers were later released
unharmed.
On September 20, 1920 the Volunteers ambushed an army bread
van on Queens Street near Monks bakery. The morning of the ambush, Kevin had
been to Mass and was due to sit for his first-year medical exams that
afternoon. According to British sources, in the ensuing gun battle a number of
soldiers died in the ambush ranging in age from 15 to 23 years. According to
Irish sources there has but one British fatality during the fight. The volunteers fled the scene as
additional British forces arrived. Kevin Barry was captured while hiding under
a lorry in the area.
He was interrogated and tortured by the British but refused
to divulge the names of his Company. He was court-martialed and sentenced to
death on October 20th. Several unsuccessful attempts to rescue him
were made in the following days and all appeals on his behalf failed. Meanwhile
in Cork, the Lord Mayor, Terence MacSwiney died from hunger strike generating
huge world-wide publicity. He was buried in Cork on October 29, 1920. Most
observers believed that the British would not go ahead with the execution of
Kevin Barry in the midst of a tense political situation after MacSwiney’s
death.
On the morning of November 1, 1920, at 8.30am, Kevin Barry
was let to the gallows at Mountjoy Jail and hanged. He was buried in the yard
of the jail. Between March and June 1921, nine more Irishmen were hanged in
Mountjoy and were also buried in the jail yard. His was the first official
execution since the executions following the 1916 Rising. There was widespread
indignation across Europe and America at the execution of Kevin Barry due to
his extreme youth. The British tried to justify the hanging by saying that one
of the soldiers that died was younger than he was. His execution led to many of
his fellow students joining the IRA.
Kevin Barry has been the topic of many Irish rebel songs. He
is eulogized for his youth, but despite his youth he was an active fighter in
the cause for Irish Freedom. He immediately became an icon for the Irish, not
so much for what he did but for what had been done to him. He became another
martyr for Irish Freedom.
by
Patrick Higgins
Kevin Barry Irish Club Membership Application
