§ 88. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he now has information as to whether, on the 25th October last, a band of armed men, who described themselves as secret service agents, entered the house of William Gleeson, Moher, county Tip-perary, in search of his son, James, whom they stated they had come to kill; whether they threatened the father with death, and, on his son, William, offering his life for his father they took him, the son, outside the house and murdered him; whether any form of inquiry has taken place; and what was the evidence and finding?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND (Mr. Denis Henry)The report of the military court of enquiry held in lieu of inquest in this case has now been received. The finding of the Court was that William Gleeson was wilfully murdered by unknown men on the 25th October, 1990, at Moher, County Tip perary, and that there was no evidence as to the identity of the murderers, or the circumstances of the murder.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYMay I ask if the Court of Inquiry was held in public or in secret, and whether the next-of-kin or solicitors were allowed to be there?
§ Mr. HENRYI may inform my hon. and gallant Friend that the next-of-kin were allowed to be present, and gave evidence. In the course of that evidence the sister of the deceased was ordered by her father to refuse to give further evidence. Both the father and another sister were present in the house at the time of the murder.
§ 90. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he now has information as to whether Charles Lynch, of Milltown Malbay, and Michael Ryan, of Curraghduff, Thurles, were dragged from their beds on the night of the 24th October and shot dead by servants of the Crown; whether Charles Lynch was a man of 70 years of age; whether Michael Ryan was the only son of a widow and was seriously ill in bed when the band of men arrived; whether any form of inquiry has been held into these murders; and what was the evidence and finding?
§ Mr. HENRYI have not yet received the report of the Court of Inquiry in the case of Lynch. In the case of Ryan the finding of the Court was that he was wilfully murdered by unknown men on the 25th October, 1920, at Curraghduff, County Tipperary, and that there was no evidence as to the identity of the murderers, or the circumstances of the murder.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYWas this Court of Inquiry held in public?
§ Mr. HENRYI am able to inform my hon. and gallant Friend that the evidence was cut short in the same way as in the last case, by the refusal of the relatives to continue.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYWhen will the case of Lynch be looked into?
§ Colonel ASHLEYArising out of that answer, is there any evidence at all, in relation to the allegations in Questions 88 and 90 that servants of the Crown had anything to do with those outrages?