§ 41. Lieut-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Chief Secretary if he has any information as to the burning down by Crown forces of two labourers' cottages, occupied by Patrick Cronin and Elizabeth Twomey, the property of the Macroom Rural Council, situated at Coolnacahera, Macroom, on the 25th February, 1921; whether notice was given and an order made out by the military governor; and who ordered these burnings?
§ Mr. HENRYI am informed by the Commander-in-Chief that nothing is known of the origin of the burning of these cottages. It is possible that they took fire during the extensive fighting which occurred in the surrounding district on the 25th February, when a mixed force of Auxiliary police and permanent constabulary were attacked by a strong body of rebels who were entrenched in the hills between Ballyvourney and Macroom.
§ 42. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Chief Secretary whether, following an attack on certain police constables in Limerick on 8th April last, Crown forces on the 9th April blew up the house of the late P. M'Jueray, publican, at Loch Quay, burned the house of Patrick Burke, Denmark Street, burned the house of Mrs. Mary Kielan, in John Street, and removed the furniture 1862 of Miss Madge Daly from her house in North Circular Road and burned it; whether these were official or non-official reprisals; and on what principle this property was selected for damage?
§ Mr. HENRYOn the night of the 8th and 9th instants a patrol of the Royal Irish Constabulary was fired on and bombed in Limerick, resulting in the wounding of two head constables, one sergeant, and one constable. At the same time one civilian was killed and three wounded, including a woman and a boy. Following this outrage, the houses of three prominent Sinn Feiners close to the scene, who must have known of the preparation for the ambush, were destroyed by order of the Military Governor, and the furniture of Miss Daly burnt. The house of the latter is a well-known haunt of the Irish Republican Army.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether most of the houses in Limerick are not occupied by hardened Sinn Feiners, and why, if it was just to pick out these people's houses for destruction, they did not burn down the whole city while they were at it?
§ Mr. STANTONWho primed you with the information. Where did you get it?
§ 59. Mr. GRIFFITHSasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the house of Mrs. Nealon, a widow, of John Street, Limerick, was destroyed as a military operation in view of an attack on a party of police; whether this woman or her household were in any way connected with the crime; and whether this house was selected because her cousin, who used to live there and is now in prison, was believed to be a Sinn Feiner?
§ Mr. HENRYThis place is in the martial law area and I have therefore asked the Commander-in Chief to furnish me with a Report. Perhaps the hon. Member will kindly repeat the question, of which I only received notice yesterday, one day next week.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs it not possible in the Martial Law areas to have only the houses of men destroyed and not those of widows? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this is one 1863 of several cases of widows' houses being burned?