Patrick McGrath (Irish republican) facts for kids
Patrick MacGrath (born in 1894) was an important figure in Irish history. He came from a family in Dublin that supported an independent Ireland. He was involved in the Easter Rising in 1916, fighting in Church Street alongside his two brothers, Peter-Paul and Gabriel. After the Rising, he was sent to Frongoch internment camp in Wales. Patrick MacGrath was a senior member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He went on hunger strike and became the IRA's Director of Operations and Training during a time when they carried out bombings and sabotage in England. He was the first of six IRA members executed by the Irish Government between 1940 and 1944. After the Easter Rising, MacGrath stayed with the IRA and became a major leader.
Contents
Patrick MacGrath's Early Life and Challenges
On February 19, 1920, Paddy and Gabriel MacGrath were returning home to Rathmines, Dublin, after an IRA operation. Paddy was badly hurt in a gunfight with police. This happened after they tried to get ammunition in Dublin. During this event, a police officer named Constable John Walsh was killed, and another, Sgt Dunleavy, was injured. MacGrath's injuries were so serious (a bullet stayed in his shoulder) that he couldn't be brought to trial. After a long time in the hospital, he was set free.
This event led to changes for the police in Dublin. They stopped arming uniformed officers, and a curfew was put in place from midnight to 5 AM. After Constable Walsh's death, there was a big police and military search in Dublin. Military trucks, an armored car, and a tank went to a blinds shop owned by the MacGrath family on Aungier Street. At one point in 1920, five of the MacGrath brothers were in prison at the same time.
In 1940, Patrick MacGrath was executed quickly. This was because the IRA had increased its activities, including bombings and sabotage in England. In 1939 and 1940, the Irish government passed new laws. These laws gave the government special powers. The Treason Act 1939 made treason a crime punishable by death. The Offences against the State Acts 1939–1998 and the Emergency Powers Act 1939 (passed in February 1940) also allowed for death sentences for treason. These laws were used to execute MacGrath and other IRA members.
At this time, the government led by Éamon de Valera wanted Ireland to stay neutral during the war in Europe. The executions also showed a big change in the relationship between the ruling party, Fianna Fáil, and the IRA. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Kathleen Clarke, tried to save MacGrath. She was the wife of Tom Clarke, a main planner of the Easter Rising. She was also the sister of Edward Daly, under whom MacGrath had fought in 1916. Her appeal to the Minister of Justice, Gerald Boland, was not successful. When MacGrath was executed, Kathleen Clarke lowered the national flag at Dublin City Hall. She also closed the blinds of the Mansion House as a protest. In her book, Kathleen Clarke said that MacGrath's execution was a "crime." This event made her eventually leave the Fianna Fáil party.
The S-Plan Campaign
In 1938, MacGrath was the IRA's Adjutant general. This meant he helped organize the bombing and sabotage campaign in England from the IRA's main headquarters. MacGrath helped plan the "English Campaign," also known as the "S-Plan." This plan aimed to target important buildings and systems in the United Kingdom, especially in England.
MacGrath was known for being one of the main teachers for making bombs for this campaign. Classes were held in Dublin by Seamus O'Donovan and Paddy MacGrath. This bombing campaign lasted from January 1939 to March 1940. There were about 300 explosions. These attacks led to 10 deaths, 96 injuries, and a lot of damage to buildings in England. Because of these bombings, the Irish government put more pressure on the IRA in 1939. This led to MacGrath's arrest and quick execution.
Arrests and Escape
MacGrath was arrested on October 22, 1939. On the same day, he started a hunger strike. He said he would either be free or die. He was held in Arbour Hill Prison under the new laws. On November 15, 1939, he was moved to Jervis Street Hospital. On December 4, 1939, after 43 days without food, he escaped from the hospital. A person working at the hospital who supported the IRA helped him. Three days later, the government dropped the charges against him at the Special Criminal Court.
Final Arrest, Trial, and Execution
Paddy MacGrath was an important leader during the IRA's S-Plan attacks in England. He trained IRA members and helped with getting supplies. On August 17, 1940, MacGrath was arrested again. This happened at a house on Rathgar Road, Dublin, during another police raid on the IRA's headquarters. Another IRA member, Thomas Harte, was also arrested then. Harte was later executed with MacGrath.
They were arrested after a gunfight with Garda Síochána (police) Special Branch. During the fight, two police detectives, Patrick McKeown and Richard Hyland, were shot and killed. Another detective, Michael Brady, was also injured. As MacGrath and Harte tried to escape, MacGrath went back to help the injured Harte. Both were then arrested. Another IRA man, Tom Hunt, escaped but was later arrested. He was also charged with the killings, but his death sentence was changed to prison time. He was sent to the Curragh prison camp.
The meeting at the IRA headquarters was reportedly about "Plan Kathleen." This was a plan by the Nazis to invade Northern Ireland. At the time of these arrests, Stephen Hayes (Irish republican) was the IRA Chief of Staff. On June 30, 1941, IRA members from Northern Ireland kidnapped Hayes. They accused him of being a spy for the Irish Government. In his written confession, Hayes admitted giving the meeting address to government officials. This led to the capture of Harte, MacGrath, and Hunt.
Harte, MacGrath, and Hunt were tried by a Military Tribunal. This court was set up under the Emergency Powers Act 1939. All three men were represented in court by Seán MacBride, who later won the Nobel Peace Prize. They challenged the law in the Irish High Court and then appealed to the Irish Supreme Court. Their appeal was not successful. At that time, there was no right to appeal the decisions of a Military Tribunal.
Harte and MacGrath were executed by firing squad at Dublin's Mountjoy Prison on September 6, 1940. This was 22 days after the shooting incident. MacGrath was buried in an unmarked grave in the prison yard. In 1948, his remains were given to his family. He is now buried in Glasnevin Cemetery next to the graves of Seán MacBride and the Irish revolutionary Maud Gonne.
