Joseph Whitty facts for kids
Michael Joseph Whitty (born January 7, 1905 – died August 2, 1923) was a young Irish man who sadly died at just 18 years old. He was one of the youngest people to die during a hunger strike in Ireland in the 1900s. Joe Whitty was part of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He fought in the Irish War of Independence and later in the Irish Civil War. He died while being held by the Irish Free State government.
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Early Life and Joining the IRA
Michael Joseph Whitty was born in 1904 in Newbawn, a place in County Wexford, Ireland. When he was older, he joined the Irish Republican Army (IRA). This group was fighting for Ireland's independence from British rule.
Joe Whitty was a "Volunteer" in the IRA. He served in the South Wexford area during the Irish War of Independence, which lasted from 1919 to 1921. After this war, a peace agreement called the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed in 1921. However, not everyone agreed with this treaty. Joe Whitty joined the side that was against the treaty, and they fought in the Irish Civil War.
Arrest and Being Held Without Trial
In late 1922, Joe Whitty was arrested. He was never officially charged with a crime or put on trial. Instead, he was held by the Irish Free State troops. First, he was taken to Wexford Prison. Later, he was moved to a large camp called the Curragh Camp.
Some people believe Joe was arrested because his brothers were very involved with the IRA. The authorities couldn't find his brothers, so they arrested Joe instead.
Joe Whitty's Hunger Strike and Death
While Joe Whitty was held at the Curragh Camp, he decided to start a hunger strike. This meant he refused to eat any food. He died because of this hunger strike on August 2, 1923, at the Curragh Camp hospital.
At that time, hunger strikes were not a planned action by the IRA leaders. Each person decided to go on hunger strike by themselves. The new Irish Free State government did not want news about prison conditions to get out. They had a "news embargo," which meant they stopped information from being published. Because of this, we don't know much about why Joe went on strike or how many days he went without food.
Why News Was Kept Quiet
Earlier, some important people had died on hunger strike. These deaths, like Thomas Ashe in 1917 and Terence MacSwiney in 1920, brought a lot of international attention to the Irish cause. The Irish government did not want to be embarrassed by having to announce that a young 18-year-old prisoner had died from a hunger strike. They wanted to avoid drawing attention to the situation.
Later in 1923, the news rules became less strict. The deaths of other hunger strikers, like Denny Barry and Andy O'Sullivan, were reported in the news. But Joe Whitty's death in August 1923 remained mostly unknown to the public.
Mass Hunger Strikes of 1923
After Joe Whitty's death, many other Irish prisoners decided to go on hunger strike. In October 1923, a leader named Michael Kilroy announced that 300 men in Mountjoy Prison would start a hunger strike. Soon, thousands of Irish republican prisoners across Ireland were refusing to eat.
About 8,000 out of 12,000 prisoners went on hunger strike. They were protesting being held without charges or trials. They also wanted better prison conditions and to be released immediately. The Irish Free State government had passed a rule saying they would not release prisoners who were on hunger strike.
Because so many prisoners were on hunger strike, the government sent people to talk with the IRA leaders. On November 23, 1923, the mass hunger strike was called off. This led to many prisoners being released, though some were not freed until 1932. The big hunger strike of 1923 lasted for 41 days.
Burial and Remembering Joe Whitty
Michael Joseph Whitty is buried in Ballymore Cemetery in Killinick, County Wexford, Ireland. His gravestone has a special message: "In Memory of Joseph Whitty, Connolly St, Wexford. South Wexford Brigade who died for Ireland 2nd August 1923".
The Sinn Fein group in Wexford City is named after Joe Whitty. Every year, a special event called the Joe Whitty Commemoration is held on Easter Saturday evening in Ballymore, County Wexford, to remember him.
Images for kids
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Hunger Strike Memorial in Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery
