Laurence Sheekey (1901 - 1923), County Meath ~ Sheekeys
Laurence Sheekey (1901 - 1923), County Meath ~ Sheekeys [Reseach Ireland] [Research] [Research County Meath] [Previous] [Patty's Ireland Trip] [SHEEKEYS]
YEAR 1923
MEATH MEN EXECUTED
Three Meath men were executed in 1923, Two, Laurence Sheeky from Braytown and
Terence Brady from Wilkinstown were executed in Portobello on 8th January 1923
and Thomas Murray from Kilcarn but originally from Whitecross Co, Armagh was
executed on 13th January 1923 in Dundalk Jail.
Laurence Sheeky and Terence Brady were executed with comrades Leo Dowling from Askinran Co, Kildare, Sylvester Heavey from Dillonstown Co, Louth and Anthony O`Reilly from Celbridge Co, Kildare.
All five who deserted from the National army were arrested in Leixlip Co, Kildare on 1st December 1922 when an attack was carried out on an army supply lorry which had broken down in the townland of Collinstown on the Maynooth road. In follow up searches carried out by the Free State army a number of confrontations occurred with insurgents resulting in over twenty insurgents being arrested. During the battles three insurgents were wounded and a Free State soldier killed.
Twenty one rifles, a Thompson sub-machine gun, six revolvers, a Lewis sub-machine gun, grenades and a substantial amount of ammunition were recovered. The five, Sheeky, Brady, Dowling, Heavey and O`Reilly were brought to Kilmainham Jail and Court Marshalled on 11th December 1922. The charges were as follows: 1) " TREACHERY ON THE 1ST DECEMBER 1922 IN THAT THEY AT LEIXLIP, CO, KILDARE ASSISTED CERTAIN ARMED PERSONS IN USING FORCE AGAINST THE NATIONAL ARMY" 2) "TREACHERY COMMUNICATING AND CONSERTING WITH ARMED PERSONS MENTIONED IN THE FIRST CHARGE, IN THE PLACE AND AT THE TIME MENTIONED" All five were found guilty of both charges and sentanced to death.
The men were executed on 8th January 1923 at Keogh barracks and were buried
there however just a year later the bodies were handed over to the families
for burial in their own home towns. Thomas Murray was arrested with two of his
comrades, Louth men Thomas McKeown from Piedmount and John McNulty from Corremanon
at Hackballs cross Co, Louth in possession of a revolver and a quantity of ammunition.
The three were charged with the possession of the revolver and ammunition on
9th January 1923. All three were found guilty and sentenced to death. They were
executed on 13th January 1923 at Dundalk Jail. In November 1924 the bodies of
Laurence Sheeky, Thomas Murray and Terence Brady were taken from Portobello
and Dundalk jails and brought to the mortuary chapel in Navan where they remained
over night. Mass was said in St Mary`s church before the tricolour draped coffins
of Volunteers Laurence Sheeky and Terence Brady were laid to rest with full
military honours in the republican plot in the new cemetery on the Boyne road
Navan. Their comrade Thomas Murray was buried with full military honours later
that day in the republican plot in Dundalk.
THERE EXISTS A COPY OF LETTERS SENT TO THE NEXT-OF-KIN OF EXECUTED PRISONERS
[Image was to be added later, but it can't be found ew 6/10/15]
BELOW IS AN IMAGE OF GRAFFITI ABOUT THE EXECUTED PRISONERS
In Kilmainham Jail, in a cell in the West Wing there is a piece of graffiti, scrawled in pencil on the back wall:
By their comrades
of the column
R.I.P.
In Memoriam
Executed 8 January 1923
Brady
Leo Dowling
Sylvester Heaney
O'Reilly
Sheehy (SEE NOTE)
NOTE: Comrades misspelled name. Should be Sheeky.
Sources: http://11sixtynine.blogsome.com/2008/05/24/ (url is defunct ew 6/10/15)
Graffiti Kilmainham Jail from article "A damn good clean fight. The Last Stand of the Leixlip Flying Column"
online at http://www.theirishstory.com/2015/01/08/a-damn-good-clean-fight-the-last-stand-of-the-leixlip-flying-column/#.VXcj96a1UnU accessed 6/10/15
Image "Graffiti commemorating the executed Leixlip men." downloaded from http://i2.wp.com/www.theirishstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Kilmainham-Graffiti.jpg
Note: Laurence Sheeky (1858-) born Bradford, Yorkshire, England to John and Teresa Sheekey is presumed to be a different Laurence Sheekey.
For more stuff on Irish independence activities see blog 1169 And Counting.....
...an award-nominated Irish blog on Irish history and Irish politics-from today and yesterday:all 32 Countieshttp://1169andcounting.blogspot.com/ last accessed June 10, 2015
added June 10, 2015 to file which was started in 2009
YEAR 1923
Drogheda Independent, Published 16/05/2015
Laurence Sheeky had a remarkable short life. He was just 22 when he was executed in 1923 during a turbulent time in Irish history. Many of his relations still live in this locality and filled in details. Laurence was born 1901, the son of Patrick and Margaret Sheeky, in Braystown, Robinstown Co. Meath. He joined the National Army and in 1922 Private Sheeky was assigned to Baldonnel Aerodrome to guard aircraft. Around this time the Leixlip Flying IRA Column was founded and its leader, Patrick Mullaney, a teacher from Balla, Co. Mayo, would often visit Baldonnel and became very friendly with the Free State soldiers, Laurence Sheeky amongst them. On the 27th September 1922 the provisional government granted itself emergency powers, that any civilian charged with taking up arms against the state or even possessing arms could be tried in a military court and face the death penalty. Still, such a sentence did not impact on Laurence's Republican feelings and he decided to join the Flying Column. In December 1922, the Column came under attack after taking over Grangewilliam House in Leixlip and after a fierce gun battle, 20 IRA gunmen were captured, Sheeky and Sylvester Heaney from Dillonstown amongst them as well as Thomas McCann from Duleek Street, Drogheda, who had also been stationed at Baldonnel. They were put on trial and the death sentence was handed down to Sheeky and Heaney, who was just 19 at the time. Three others would also be put to death. On 8th January 1923, the five were executed by firing squad. Laurence Sheeky's family were never told about his execution and his parents learned of their son's death on their way to Ardee by a family friend who sympathised with them. In 1938, Laurence Sheeky's body was brought home to Co Meath and he was buried in the new cemetery on the Boyne Road with full military honours. On 90th Anniversary of their execution in January 2013 a family commemoration took place, and it is hoped to have a similar event in 2016.
Note: a separate article tells more about Sylvester Heaney and his story.
Source: from "The execution of Laurence Sheeky and Sylvester Heaney" Drogheda Independent May 16, 2015
online at http://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/the-execution-of-laurence-sheeky-and-sylvester-heaney-31244228.html accessed 6/10/15
================== First name(s) Laurence Last name Sheekey Registration year 1900 Registered quarter/year Jul - Sep 1900 Registration district Ardee Volume 2 Page 312 Mother's last name (original) - Country Ireland Record set Irish Births 1864-1958 Category Birth, Marriage & Death (Parish Registers) Subcategory Births & baptisms Source: email from Patty Sheekey 6/10/15 =========================
Posted on 01/12/2013 Stair na 'Eireann
After a skirmish on the border of County Kildare and County Meath, the Meath Anti-Treaty IRA column, consisting of 22 men under Paddy Mullally is captured. The Republicans attack a Free State supply column near Leixlip. One Republican and one Free State soldier are killed in the action and three Republicans are wounded. Five of the Anti-Treaty men, who had previously deserted from the National Army, are executed in Dublin on 8 January 1923 for "treachery". Three Meath men were executed in 1923, Two, Laurence Sheeky from Braytown and Terence Brady from Wilkinstown were executed in Portobello on 8th January 1923 and Thomas Murray from Kilcarn but originaly from Whitecross Co, Armagh was executed on 13th January 1923 in Dundalk Jail. Laurence Sheeky and Terence Brady were executed with comrades Leo Dowling from Askinran Co, Kildare, Sylvester Heavey from Dillonstown Co, Louth and Anthony O`Reilly from Celbridge Co, Kildare. All five who deserted from the National army were arrested in Leixlip Co, Kildare on 1st December 1922 when an attack was carried out on an army supply lorry which had broken down in the townland of Collinstown on the Maynooth road. In follow up searches carried out by the Free State army a number of confrontations occurred with insurgents resulting in over twenty insurgents being arrested. During the battles three insurgents were wounded and a Free State soldier killed. Twenty one rifles, a Thompson sub-machine gun, six revolvers, a Lewis sub-machine gun, grenades and a substantial amount of ammunition were recovered. The five, Sheeky, Brady, Dowling, Heavey and O`Reilly were brought to Kilmainham Jail and Court Marshalled on 11th December 1922. The charges were as follows:
1) "TREACHERY ON THE 1ST DECEMBER 1922 IN THAT THEY AT LEIXLIP, CO, KILDARE ASSISTED CERTAIN ARMED PERSONS IN USING FORCE AGAINST THE NATIONAL ARMY"
2) "TREACHERY COMMUNICATING AND CONSERTING WITH ARMED PERSONS MENTIONED IN THE FIRST CHARGE, IN THE PLACE AND AT THE TIME MENTIONED"
All five were found guilty of both charges and sentanced to death. The men were executed on 8th January 1923 at Keogh barracks and were buried there however just a year later the bodies were handed over to the families for burial in their own home towns.
Thomas Murray was arrested with two of his comrades, Louth men Thomas McKeown from Piedmount and John McNulty from Corremanon at Hackballs cross Co, Louth in possession of a revolver and a quantity of ammunition. The three were charged with the possession of the revolver and ammunition on 9th January 1923. All three were found guilty and sentenced to death. They were executed on 13th January 1923 at Dundalk Jail. In November 1924 the bodies of Laurence Sheeky, Thomas Murray and Terence Brady were taken from Portobello and Dundalk jails and brought to the mortuary chapel in Navan where they remained over night. Mass was said in St Mary's church before the tricolour draped coffins of Volunteers Laurence Sheeky and Terence Brady were laid to rest with full military honours in the republican plot in the new cemetery on the Boyne road Navan. Their comrade Thomas Murray was buried with full military honours later that day in the republican plot in Dundalk.
Source: History of Ireland - Stair na 'Eireann 1922 - Irish Civil War
online at https://stairnaheireann.wordpress.com/2013/12/01/1922-irish-civil-war-2/ accessed June 10, 2015
created 5/29/09; updated 6/10/15
