Petrichor ᚄᚔᚅᚐᚁᚆᚃᚒᚔᚂsinabhfuil@mastodon.ieOct 9, 2026, 8:23 AMDeath by firing squad, an example #DeathPenalty #Savages
![This report gives a sanitised version of what happened when Rory O'Connor, Dick Barrett, Liam Mellowes & Joe McKelvey were executed [illegally - they were already in jail before the "Murder Law" was passed] by the Free State Govt, of which Eoin Mac Neill was part. What actually happened is best described by the words of Brian's cousin, Hugo MacNeill [who isn't buried here, but was born nearby in Howth]:
"At 8am the officer in charge of the firing squad gave the order to fire. The majority of those in the firing squad aimed at Rory O'Connor. We had detailed five members to fire at each prisoner but this didn't happen. Rory O'Connor fell dead immediately. There were so many bullets in him that his clothes went on fire.
None of the other prisoners were dead after the first volley. Two of them were on the ground. | walked over and gave them the coup de grace by revolver. While | was doing this, Joe McKelvey cried to the Medical Officer: "For Christ's sake, kill me Doc!"
The doctor, seeing that | was standing in a daze, pulled me away from the other men and grabbed me by my Sam Browne belt and pulled me down until | was close to Joe McKelvey, who said: "Another one!" | then shot him in the chest through the paper target. But it wasn't enough and he repeated: "Another one!" This | gave him and | was satisfied he was dead."](https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonie/media_attachments/files/117/409/978/230/196/591/original/1ac9c038bb709dd5.png)