Sir,—With regard to John Dorney’s recent article, ‘How many died in the Irish Civil War?’ (HI 32.4, July/Aug. 2024), I wanted to draw your readers’ attention to a small local research project carried out in Tipperary, pertaining to a murder that occurred in the later stages of the conflict, which shed new light on the circumstances of the death of Michael Caudy. His death, though commemorated by a memorial cross in Littleton, Thurles, had remained shrouded in mystery until the dedicated efforts of the Men’s Shed of Moycarkey-Borris, Littleton, brought clarity to this tragic event.
Michael Caudy, a 23-year-old bicycle mechanic and former Irish Volunteer from Parkstown, Littleton, met a tragic end on 16 May 1923. While returning home after performing repairs at the National Army barracks, Caudy was shot and killed by Sgt John Ryan of the National Army. The inquest revealed that Caudy had been shot in the head with a Webley revolver, resulting in instantaneous death. The incident led to Ryan’s detention at the military barracks in Templemore and his subsequent trial at the Commission in Green Street, Dublin, on 12 February 1924. The jury found Ryan guilty of murder but recommended mercy. Justice Pim, who presided over the case, passed the sentence of death while noting the jury’s recommendation. However, the circumstances for such mercy to be applied were not obvious to the judiciary, as neither Ryan nor his legal representation had offered much in the way of defence. John Ryan’s only recorded statement claimed that it was an accident, that ‘he didn’t mean to do it’. Justice Pim wasted little time in contacting the relevant authorities, and on the evening of the trial wrote to Minister for Home Affairs Kevin O’Higgins; while outlining the details of the case, he wrote:
‘It is a matter requiring serious consideration whether a man who fires a revolver to kill, and does kill, is deserving of any mercy, even though the crime was unpremeditated. There was evidence that John Ryan had some drink before the commission of the crime but no evidence he was drunk and he was fully aware of what he was doing. In any case, semi-intoxication would be no answer to such a crime.’
Justice Pim could give no support to the appeal for mercy, and arrangements were put in place to carry out the hanging as scheduled.
While the government deliberated on Ryan’s fate, his family and supporters launched a campaign to have his sentence commuted. Col. Diarmuid Ó Riain, a pivotal figure in this effort, lobbied government members on Ryan’s behalf. At the time, Col. Ó Riain served as deputy general commanding officer of the Waterford command of the National Army, based at Clonmel Barracks. On 12 February 1924, he wrote to Minister for Local Government Seamus Burke, highlighting John Ryan’s exemplary character and the adverse effect that alcohol had on his behaviour. Col. Ó Riain recounted instances when Ryan lost control after drinking and cited local testimonies asserting Ryan’s intoxicated state during the incident. These testimonies emphasised the role of alcohol in the unpremeditated killing, bolstering the case for clemency.
John Ryan had served in the Volunteers under Col. Ó Riain’s command in the Mid-Tipperary Brigade and continued his military career in the National Army, stationed at Richmond Barracks, Templemore. Caudy and Ryan had been friends and remained so after the War of Independence despite Caudy’s return to civilian life, with witnesses attesting to their amicable relationship three weeks before the incident. Support for commuting Ryan’s sentence grew locally, culminating in a petition delivered to the Ministry for Home Affairs by Thurles solicitor L.J. Ryan. The petition, signed by 163 individuals from Thurles and surrounding areas, reiterated the unpremeditated nature of the killing and the significant influence of alcohol.
On 5 March 1924, John Ryan’s death sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life. Governor-general Tim Healy signed the decree, mandating Ryan’s life imprisonment. However, Ryan’s supporters did not relent in their efforts and lobbied the government relentlessly, eventually securing his release from prison on 11 December 1927. Following his release, John Ryan emigrated to America, leaving behind a tale of tragedy and redemption. This account of Michael Caudy’s untimely death and John Ryan’s subsequent trial and commutation of sentence illuminates a poignant chapter in the Irish Civil War’s history. The dedicated research by the Men’s Shed of Moycarkey-Borris, Littleton, has not only preserved the memory of a tragic event but also provided valuable insights into the complexities and human elements of this element of the conflict.—Yours etc.,
PAT McMAHON
(on behalf of Moycarkey-Borris Men’s Shed, Thurles, Co. Tipperary)