Patrick Maher (Irish republican)

Patrick Maher (c. 1889 – 7 June 1921) was a member of the Irish Republican Army executed in Mountjoy Prison. He was 32 years old at the time of his death.[1]

Patrick Maher
Bornc. 1889
County Limerick, Ireland
Died7 June 1921(aged 32/33)[1]
Mountjoy Jail, Dublin, Ireland
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
NationalityIrish
OccupationRailway worker
Known forExecuted IRA volunteer : One of The Forgotten Ten

Background

A native of County Limerick, Maher was hanged along with Edmond Foley for his alleged involvement in the rescue of Seán Hogan at Knocklong Railway Station on 13 May 1919 in which two Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) officers were killed.[2][3]

Trial and Execution

Unlike Foley, Maher had no direct involvement in the rescue.[4] He merely worked at the station grading poultry and eggs and he was at a crossroads three miles away at the time of the ambush. Maher strongly protested his innocence.[3] Two civilian juries failed to reach a verdict.[3] He was finally convicted of involvement by a military court-martial and sentenced to death.[3]

In a final message to other members of the IRA, Foley and Maher wrote:[4]

Fight on, struggle on, for the honour, glory and freedom of dear old Ireland. Our hearts go out to all our dear old friends. Our souls go to God at 7 o'clock in the morning and our bodies, when Ireland is free, shall go to Galbally. Our blood shall not be shed in vain for Ireland, and we have a strong presentiment, going to our God, that Ireland will soon be free and we gladly give our lives that a smile may brighten the face of 'Dear Dark Rosaleen'. Farewell! Farewell! Farewell!

Reinterment

Maher is one of a group of men hanged and buried in Mountjoy in the period 1920–21, commonly referred to as The Forgotten Ten.[4] In 2001 Maher and the other nine, including Kevin Barry, were exhumed and given a full State funeral.[5] He is the only one of the Ten not to be buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.[3][6] In accordance with his wishes and those of his family, he is buried at Ladywell Graveyard in Ballylanders, County Limerick.[3][6][7]

References
  1. "Deaths Registered in the Superintendent Registrar's District of Dublin" (PDF). irishgenealogy.ie. 1921. Entry Numbers 21–30. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  2. Fielding, Steve (1995). The Hangman's Record 1900–1929. Vol. 2. Beckenham: Chancery House Press. p. 184. ISBN 0-900246-77-4.
  3. "Irish Volunteer reburied after State funeral". RTÉ. 20 October 2001. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  4. "The Forgotten Ten". republican-news.org. An Phoblacht. 11 October 2001. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  5. "Requiem mass celebrated for executed volunteers". RTÉ. 14 October 2001. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  6. O'Doherty, Caroline (20 October 2001). "Maher's last wish realised as his body is returned to Limerick". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  7. "Ladywell Graveyard in Ballylanders". historicgraves.com. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
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