George Plant facts for kids

George Plant (born January 5, 1904 – died March 5, 1942) was a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was executed by the Irish Government in 1942.

George Plant's Early Life and Joining the IRA

George Plant was born on January 5, 1904, in Fethard, County Tipperary. His family were farmers and belonged to the Church of Ireland. He was the second oldest of six children.

In 1916, when George was about 12, he and his older brother Jimmy were arrested. Police officers from the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) saw them talking to two well-known Irish republicans. The brothers were treated badly while in custody. This experience made them dislike the RIC very much.

George Plant joined the IRA and fought during the Irish War of Independence. He also fought with the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish civil war.

Life After the Civil War

In 1923, George and Jimmy Plant left Ireland. They went to Canada and the United States. Even though they were abroad, they continued to be active members of the IRA.

They returned to Ireland in 1929. On April 17, 1929, they robbed a bank in Tipperary town for the IRA. They were arrested two days later at their family farm. Both brothers were sentenced to seven years in prison.

However, in 1932, they were released early. This happened because of a general amnesty. An amnesty is when a government officially forgives a group of people for certain crimes. This amnesty followed the election victory of the Fianna Fáil party. Éamon de Valera became the new leader of Ireland, known as the Taoiseach.

Ireland During World War II

In 1939, World War II began. In Ireland, this period was called The Emergency. Éamon de Valera wanted Ireland to remain neutral, meaning it would not take sides in the war. He did not want the IRA to put this neutrality at risk.

The IRA had some connections with Germany. They also carried out a bombing campaign in Britain between 1939 and 1940. This campaign was known as the S-Plan. These actions made relations between Ireland and Britain very tense. Because of this, new emergency laws were put in place in both countries.

Events Leading to George Plant's Arrest

After the IRA leader Sean Russell died in 1940, Stephen Hayes became the new IRA Chief of Staff. George Plant was a strong supporter of Sean Russell.

In August 1940, police raided a house in Dublin. Among those arrested was Michael Devereux. He was a 24-year-old truck driver and an IRA member. He was released after three days. Soon after, police found an IRA weapons hiding place in County Wexford. Many in the IRA suspected that Michael Devereux had told the police about it. Stephen Hayes then ordered Devereux's execution.

Some people in the IRA believed that Stephen Hayes himself had given information to the Irish government. They thought he had set up Devereux to look like the informer. To this day, some in the IRA still see Hayes as a traitor. In June 1941, while he was being held captive, Hayes wrote a four-page letter. In it, he admitted to giving information to the Irish government.

George Plant and another man, Michael Walsh, were ordered to carry out the execution of Michael Devereux. Plant and Walsh met Devereux. They told him that another IRA leader was blamed for the discovery of the weapons. They said they had shot that leader. They then told Devereux to drive them to a safe house in County Tipperary. Devereux believed he was a suspect in a murder, so he stayed willingly at the safe house.

A week later, on September 27, 1940, Devereux went for a walk with George Plant and Paddy Davern, the owner of the safe house. During the walk, Plant accused Devereux of being an informer and shot him dead. George Plant was arrested nine weeks later. He was suspected of being an IRA member and was brought before a special court in Dublin.

Trials and Execution of George Plant

In September 1941, Stephen Hayes was captured by a group of IRA members from Northern Ireland. They accused him of being an informer. Hayes managed to escape and fled to a police station. Soon after, a large group of police and army officers searched the area around the Davern farmhouse. They found Devereux's car buried under an onion patch. Eventually, they found Devereux's body on Slievenamon mountain, exactly one year after his death.

Two weeks later, George Plant, who was already in prison, was charged with Devereux's murder. A trial was held, and another senior IRA officer, Joseph O'Connor, was also charged. The first trial stopped after two days because two witnesses, Paddy Davern and Michael Walsh, refused to give evidence. This meant the case should have ended. However, both men were rearrested and charged again with the same crime under a special emergency law.

The case was moved to a Special Military Court, where army officers acted as judges. Seán MacBride, a lawyer, argued that a person could not be tried twice for the same crime. However, his argument was not successful. This Military Tribunal system was set up under emergency laws. These laws were very strict and allowed for things like imprisonment without trial and the death penalty for certain activities.

In addition to Plant, Joseph O'Connor, Paddy Davern, and Michael Walsh were now all charged with Devereux's murder. The second trial began in February 1942. Seán MacBride again represented the men. Davern stated that his original statement was given under threat. However, under the new emergency law, even statements given under threat were allowed as evidence. The court had only two choices: death or acquittal (being found not guilty).

Joseph O'Connor was found not guilty. Despite MacBride's efforts, George Plant, Paddy Davern, and Michael Walsh were sentenced to death. Davern and Walsh had their sentences changed to life in prison, and they were both released in 1946.

On March 5, 1942, just one week after his sentence, George Plant was executed. He was killed by a firing squad at Portlaoise Prison. His body was buried on the prison grounds.

George Plant's family was treated very harshly. His wife, mother, and infant son were not allowed to visit him in the week before his execution. His family only learned about his execution from a short radio broadcast before they received a telegram. News about his execution was also censored in newspapers. The night before Plant's execution, a small protest took place in Dublin.

George Plant's body was later moved from Portlaoise Prison on September 19, 1948. He was reburied with full IRA military honors in his local churchyard, St Johnstown in Fethard, County Tipperary. A Celtic cross was placed over his grave. His wife later moved to the United States and remarried. George's brother Jimmy died in London in 1978. The Plant family farm is now part of the Coolmore Estate.