Gilbert Potter
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Norman Potter, was a District Inspector of the Royal Irish Constabulary
. He was born in Dromahair
, County Leitrim
and was stationed at Cahir
, County Tipperary
, during the Irish War of Independence
. In April 1921 he was captured and executed by the Irish Republican Army
in reprisal for the British execution of one of their men.
, Dublin. His first assignment was to Castlepollard
, County Westmeath
. During the 1909 ITGWU strike in Cork, he was temporarily posted there from Dublin and was also involved in policing the August 14 marches in Portadown
. Having had charge of No. 4 Company at the Depot, he was assigned to Cahir in 1912.
, IRA, following the Hyland's Cross Ambush. This occurred near Curraghcloney, close to the village of Ballylooby
.The ambush
party was initially made up of a combination of the 1st and 2nd Flying Column
s 3rd Tipperary Brigade.This was the largest force assembled to date by the Tipperary IRA in anticipation of a major battle. However, the convoy of military lorries that was expected never materialised. Dan Breen
and Con Moloney returned to Battalion Headquarters, while Seán Hogan's
Column withdrew northwards in the direction of the Galtee Mountains
. As Dinny Lacey
's (No.1) Column prepared to leave towards the south, a small party of British soldiers accompanying two horse-drawn carts unexpectedly approached from Clogheen
and were immediately fired upon. Amid some confusion Lacey's scattered men withdrew southwards towards the Knockmealdown Mountains
. One British soldier was reported as seriously injured (and may have subsequently died) and two others from the relieving party wounded. Reports that army lorries were burned during the exchange may have been abandoned by the relieving soldiers sent from Clogheen. By chance, Potter, who was returning by car from police duties at Ballyporeen
, drove into a section of the withdrawing No.1 Column. Although in mufti
, he was recognised by one of the IRA Volunteers and taken prisoner. As part of a new strategy, he was held as a hostage
for the safe release of Thomas Traynor
, an I.R.A Volunteer, (and father of ten young children), then under sentence of death at Mountjoy Jail. Traynor has since been honoured by the Irish state
as one of 'The Forgotten Ten'
.
. Losing their pursuers, they stayed for a period of time at the townland
of Glasha. Here Potter was detained in an out-building of a farm which was regularly used by the IRA as a safe-house. From there the party was guided into the Nire Valley by a contingent of local Waterford Volunteers and on to the Comeragh Mountains
. Accounts from Rathgormack
County Waterford
suggest that he was kept for at least one night at a nearby Ringfort
before being taken down the hill to a field then owned by Power's of Munsboro, where he met his ultimate fate. At 7p.m., on the 27th of April, following news of Traynor's execution by hanging, he was shot to death , and hastily buried in a shallow grave on the banks of the Clodagh River. A diary he kept during his period of captivity and some personal effects and farewell letters (copies of which transcribed below), were returned anonymously to his wife. It was the first confirmation she had that he had been killed. The artifacts were later lost when his son's ship was torpedoed in 1942, during the Second World War.
where it was returned to his widow Lilias.
Two days later he was brought to Cahir and buried with full military honours at the Church of Ireland
cemetery at Kilcommon, 4 kilometres south of the town. The funeral, presided over by Bishop Miller of Waterford, and attended by the Band of the Lincolnshire Regiment, the locally stationed Royal Field Artillery
and officers and men of the R.I.C. took place in the afternoon of Tue. 30 August 1921.
In the heated debates in the Dáil following the signing of the Treaty
, when the names of the dead were invoked by both sides to justify their respective positions. Richard Mulcahy
made the appeal shown.
by cattle boat before settling in Tunbridge Wells, England
. For some time, the sale of the damaged motor car which realised £50, £25 back-pay due her husband, an insurance policy to the value of £300 and some sundry personal effects were all that came to Lily. There was a modest pension on the basis of her husband's death, but the family were in dire financial circumstances. Some time later, a compensation award of £12,000 was made by the authorities for the benefit of Potter's dependants. Lilias died at Broadstairs
in 1926, and within a short period two of the children also died. The two surviving children, Hilda and Charles, lived for some time with their uncle in Liverpool
and with various other relations during holidays from school.
Gilbert Charles joined the Royal Navy
. He survived when his ship was torpedoed during the Second World War and lived to see a daughter of his married. While serving in the Navy, he met an Irish sailor named Traynor, whose father, according to his service record, had been executed by the British during the Irish War of Independence. Charles believed him to be a son of the man in retaliation for whom his father had been shot.(see Notes)
In the mid-1960s, he returned to Cahir. During this, his first visit back to Ireland he met with Dan Breen
in a Wicklow
Nursing home
. Breen was one of the I.R.A officers closely involved in his father's detention and the abortive prisoner exchange. They spent a strained period of time discussing contemporary affairs as well as the events of forty-five years previous. Charles was glad if surprised to learn from locals he met that many people in the Cahir
area across the political spectrum had held his father in the highest regard as a kindly and honourable man, notwithstanding his participation on the 'wrong side' of the war.
New York Times contemporary report of Potter's disappearance.
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
. He was born in Dromahair
Dromahair
Dromahair is a small village in County Leitrim, Ireland. Dromahair is 10 km from Manorhamilton and 17 km from Sligo town.-Geography:Dromahair lies in the hilly north west of Leitrim amid some stunning unspoiled natural landscapes...
, County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
and was stationed at Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, during the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
. In April 1921 he was captured and executed by the Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
in reprisal for the British execution of one of their men.
Career
Potter received his commission as District Inspector on 27 April 1901 having completed his cadetship at the Depot, Phoenix ParkPhoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
, Dublin. His first assignment was to Castlepollard
Castlepollard
Castlepollard is a large village in north County Westmeath, Ireland. Located in the barony of Demifore, in the civil parish of Rathgarve, it lies west of Lough Lene and northeast of Lough Derravaragh and Mullingar.-Name:...
, County Westmeath
County Westmeath
-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...
. During the 1909 ITGWU strike in Cork, he was temporarily posted there from Dublin and was also involved in policing the August 14 marches in Portadown
Portadown
Portadown is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about 23 miles south-west of Belfast...
. Having had charge of No. 4 Company at the Depot, he was assigned to Cahir in 1912.
Hyland's Cross Ambush
On 23 April 1921 District Inspector Potter was captured by the 3rd (South) Tipperary Brigade3rd Tipperary Brigade
The 3rd Tipperary Brigade was one of approximately 80 such units that constituted the Irish Republican Army since the time of their formation from the Irish Volunteers, until after the Civil War...
, IRA, following the Hyland's Cross Ambush. This occurred near Curraghcloney, close to the village of Ballylooby
Ballylooby
Ballylooby , is a village in the barony of Iffa and Offa West, South Tipperary in Ireland. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore.- Location :...
.The ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
party was initially made up of a combination of the 1st and 2nd Flying Column
Flying Column
Flying Column was the name adopted by a group of Irish traditional musicians and singers who formed a folk band in Belfast around 1967/68. They took their name from the small tight cells that comprised the IRA active service units during the Anglo-Irish war of 1916-1921.-Name:Sammy Largey, the...
s 3rd Tipperary Brigade.This was the largest force assembled to date by the Tipperary IRA in anticipation of a major battle. However, the convoy of military lorries that was expected never materialised. Dan Breen
Dan Breen
Daniel "Dan" Breen was a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. In later years, he was a Fianna Fáil politician.-Background:...
and Con Moloney returned to Battalion Headquarters, while Seán Hogan's
Seán Hogan
Seán Hogan was one of the leaders of the 3rd Tipperary Brigade of the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence.-Soloheadbeg:...
Column withdrew northwards in the direction of the Galtee Mountains
Galtee Mountains
The Galtee Mountains or Galty Mountains are a mountain range in Munster, located in Ireland's Golden Vale across parts of counties Limerick, South Tipperary and Cork. The name "Galtee" is thought to be a corruption of the Irish "Sléibhte na gCoillte" - "Mountains of the Forests" in English,...
. As Dinny Lacey
Dinny Lacey
Dennis Lacey, better known as 'Dinny', was an Irish Republican Army officer during the Irish War of Independence and anti-Treaty IRA officer during the Irish Civil War. Lacey was born in 1890 in a village called Attybrack, near Annacarty, county Tipperary.He joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and...
's (No.1) Column prepared to leave towards the south, a small party of British soldiers accompanying two horse-drawn carts unexpectedly approached from Clogheen
Clogheen, County Tipperary
Clogheen is a village in South Tipperary, Ireland. The latest census of 2006 recorded the population of Clogheen at 509.-Location:It lies in the Galtee-Vee Valley with the Galtee Mountains to the north and the Knockmealdowns in close proximity to the south. The River Tar which is a tributary of...
and were immediately fired upon. Amid some confusion Lacey's scattered men withdrew southwards towards the Knockmealdown Mountains
Knockmealdown Mountains
The Knockmealdown Mountains are a mountain range located on the border of counties South Tipperary and Waterford in Ireland, running east and west between the two counties. The highest peak of the range is Knockmealdown, situated in County Waterford...
. One British soldier was reported as seriously injured (and may have subsequently died) and two others from the relieving party wounded. Reports that army lorries were burned during the exchange may have been abandoned by the relieving soldiers sent from Clogheen. By chance, Potter, who was returning by car from police duties at Ballyporeen
Ballyporeen
Ballyporeen is a village in South Tipperary, Ireland. The latest census of 2006 recorded the population of Ballyporeen at 304 with an additional 573 in its rural hinterland.-Location:...
, drove into a section of the withdrawing No.1 Column. Although in mufti
Mufti (dress)
for more information see civilians Mufti, or civies/civvies , refers to ordinary clothes, especially when worn by one who normally wears, or has long worn, a military or other uniform.-Origin:...
, he was recognised by one of the IRA Volunteers and taken prisoner. As part of a new strategy, he was held as a hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
for the safe release of Thomas Traynor
Thomas Traynor
Thomas Traynor, was a member of the Irish Republican Army hanged in Mountjoy Prison during the Irish War of Independence.-Background:...
, an I.R.A Volunteer, (and father of ten young children), then under sentence of death at Mountjoy Jail. Traynor has since been honoured by the Irish state
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
as one of 'The Forgotten Ten'
The Forgotten Ten
The Forgotten Ten is the term applied to ten members of the Irish Republican Army who were executed in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin by British forces following courts martial from 1920-1921 during the Irish War of Independence. Based upon military law at the time, they were buried within the prison...
.
Kept as hostage and executed
The Column, under sporadic fire from soldiers alerted at the nearby Clogheen barracks, followed the contours of the mountains to the village of NewcastleNewcastle, County Tipperary
Newcastle is a village in the barony of Iffa and Offa West in South Tipperary, Ireland. The River Suir runs past the village. Newcastle is located 17 kilometres from Clonmel, the county town....
. Losing their pursuers, they stayed for a period of time at the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Glasha. Here Potter was detained in an out-building of a farm which was regularly used by the IRA as a safe-house. From there the party was guided into the Nire Valley by a contingent of local Waterford Volunteers and on to the Comeragh Mountains
Comeragh Mountains
The Comeragh Mountains are a glaciated mountain range situated in the south east of Ireland in County Waterford. They are located between the town of Clonmel on the County Tipperary border and the villages of Kilrossanty and Kilmacthomas in County Waterford.The twelve mountains which form the...
. Accounts from Rathgormack
Rathgormack
Rathgormack or Rathgormac is a village and parish in northern County Waterford, Ireland. The village has two pubs, a shop and a Roman Catholic Church. The closest centres of population to Rathgormack are the County Tipperary towns of Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel. It is the twin parish of...
County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
suggest that he was kept for at least one night at a nearby Ringfort
Ringfort
Ringforts are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Iron Age , although some were built as late as the Early Middle Ages . They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland...
before being taken down the hill to a field then owned by Power's of Munsboro, where he met his ultimate fate. At 7p.m., on the 27th of April, following news of Traynor's execution by hanging, he was shot to death , and hastily buried in a shallow grave on the banks of the Clodagh River. A diary he kept during his period of captivity and some personal effects and farewell letters (copies of which transcribed below), were returned anonymously to his wife. It was the first confirmation she had that he had been killed. The artifacts were later lost when his son's ship was torpedoed in 1942, during the Second World War.
Military retaliation
Three weeks after Potter's death, on 18 May, the following notice of officially sanctioned military reprisals appeared in local newspapers :.
Official Reprisals in South Tipperary
14 Homes Destroyed
We are requested to publish the following.
(1) The houses of the following persons were destroyed on Friday 13th May and Saturday 14th.
CahirCahirCahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
District
(1) Mrs. T. O'Gorman, Burncourt Castle (2) Mrs. Tobin, Tincurry House (3) Edmund Mulcahy, Coolagarranvoe (4)Pat McCarthy, Drumlummin
(5) James Slattery, Killbeg (6) Robert Keating, BallyloobyBallyloobyBallylooby , is a village in the barony of Iffa and Offa West, South Tipperary in Ireland. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore.- Location :...
TipperaryTipperaryTipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
District
(7)Bryan Shanahan, Grantstown (8) J. Dwyer Ballinavasin (9) J. Barry, Cross of DonohillDonohillDonohill or Dunohil is a village and parish in the barony of Kilnamanagh Lower, South Tipperary, Ireland. The village is located on the R497 regional road from Nenagh to Tipperary town. Donohill is located 8 kilometres north of Tipperary...
(10) Patrick Corbett, Donohill
CashelCashel, County TipperaryCashel is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 2936 at the 2006 census. The town gives its name to the ecclesiastical province of Cashel. Additionally, the cathedra of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly was originally in the town prior to the English Reformation....
District
(11) Edmond Riley, Coolanga (12) J. Ryan, Turrabeen (13) O'Keefe,,Glennagh (14) John Grogan, Shanballyduff
The contents of the following person was destroyed on Friday 13th May
James Taylor, Cashel.
(2) The destructions were ordered by Colonel Commandant N.J.G. Cameron C.B., C.M.G A.D.C Commanding 16th Infantry Brigade and Military Governor on the grounds that the persons concerned are active supporters of armed rebels and especially of the 3rd Tipperary Brigade of the Irish Republican Army and that they reside in the area and that the 3rd Tipperary Brigade has admitted responsibility for the brutal murder of District Inspector G.N. Potter R.I.C. (D.I. of Cahir) on or about 20th April 1921.
(3) Before the work of destruction commenced, Notice "B" was served on the owner of each house telling him that his property was going to be destroyed and the reason and giving him one hour in which to clear out valuables and foodstuffs, hay and corn, but not furniture.
Truce and re-interment
During the Truce , by arrangement through specially appointed Liaison Officers, Potter's body was disinterred by the IRA and conveyed to ClonmelClonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
where it was returned to his widow Lilias.
Two days later he was brought to Cahir and buried with full military honours at the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
cemetery at Kilcommon, 4 kilometres south of the town. The funeral, presided over by Bishop Miller of Waterford, and attended by the Band of the Lincolnshire Regiment, the locally stationed Royal Field Artillery
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided artillery support for the British Army. It came into being when the Royal Artillery was divided on 1 July 1899, it was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery in 1924....
and officers and men of the R.I.C. took place in the afternoon of Tue. 30 August 1921.
In the heated debates in the Dáil following the signing of the Treaty
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
, when the names of the dead were invoked by both sides to justify their respective positions. Richard Mulcahy
Richard Mulcahy
Richard James Mulcahy was an Irish politician, army general and commander in chief, leader of Fine Gael and Cabinet Minister...
made the appeal shown.
Family
Lily and the four children Hilda, Georgina, (Gilbert) Charles, and Freddie soon after had a stormy crossing of the Irish SeaIrish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
by cattle boat before settling in Tunbridge Wells, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. For some time, the sale of the damaged motor car which realised £50, £25 back-pay due her husband, an insurance policy to the value of £300 and some sundry personal effects were all that came to Lily. There was a modest pension on the basis of her husband's death, but the family were in dire financial circumstances. Some time later, a compensation award of £12,000 was made by the authorities for the benefit of Potter's dependants. Lilias died at Broadstairs
Broadstairs
Broadstairs is a coastal town on the Isle of Thanet in the Thanet district of east Kent, England, about south-east of London. It is part of the civil parish of Broadstairs and St Peter's, which includes St. Peter's and had a population in 2001 of about 24,000. Situated between Margate and...
in 1926, and within a short period two of the children also died. The two surviving children, Hilda and Charles, lived for some time with their uncle in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and with various other relations during holidays from school.
Gilbert Charles joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. He survived when his ship was torpedoed during the Second World War and lived to see a daughter of his married. While serving in the Navy, he met an Irish sailor named Traynor, whose father, according to his service record, had been executed by the British during the Irish War of Independence. Charles believed him to be a son of the man in retaliation for whom his father had been shot.(see Notes)
In the mid-1960s, he returned to Cahir. During this, his first visit back to Ireland he met with Dan Breen
Dan Breen
Daniel "Dan" Breen was a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. In later years, he was a Fianna Fáil politician.-Background:...
in a Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
Nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
. Breen was one of the I.R.A officers closely involved in his father's detention and the abortive prisoner exchange. They spent a strained period of time discussing contemporary affairs as well as the events of forty-five years previous. Charles was glad if surprised to learn from locals he met that many people in the Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
area across the political spectrum had held his father in the highest regard as a kindly and honourable man, notwithstanding his participation on the 'wrong side' of the war.
Final Letters
During Potter's period of captivity, he was permitted to write a number of letters to his family. They did reach their intended recipients, but through whom they were sent and when precisely they arrived remains unclear.
WILL------------ 27th April 1921
I leave to my darling and devoted wife Lily everything I possess.---------------Lilias Potter
I wish her to give my wrist watch to our sweet little son Charles---He has worn it often---My wedding ring also to my dearest wife who gave it to me---I have little to leave, Lily, we had everything in common. My bureau that you gave me—to Hilda our dear angel first born. The little travelling clock to Georgie. My polo cup to your dear [ illeg. ] of a small success I had in life before meeting you. ( I had nothing to bring you, you gave all) You did what no one ever did for me before, you gave me a pure and devoted love --- a home and our children--- You tried in every way to help me and save me but we know there is only One who can do that perfectly. He will let us meet agan ----
My walking sticks are for you --- one for Charles, Give Freddy something --- Will you write again to [ Illeg ] Boyle for thecupssilver forks and spoons Golf clubs, balls tennis racket to you Lily ---
I cannot find out when I am to be released. I am informed the decision rests with the Dal Eirann. I don’t know if you can approach any person connected with it ---
I was told a question of exchange might be raised, I wonder does the Government care enough about one who has been their servant for over 20 years to make an effort in my direction?
Dal Eirann should be able to find out that I never injured an Irishman and lived always on good terms with the Irish, being born & having lived all my life In Ireland.
[ Illeg ] claim to have the right to -My love to all our friends in Cahir --- and to the Bishop and May and their family in [ Illeg ] My love to Corre? & John and Aunt Sophie? To Percy & Lilias – To Lyndon Mabel and their boys, To Wilkie --- God bless them all --- Remember me to [ Illeg ] old Bob
Live on at Apsley House dear if you can, if it is God’s will --- ask him ---
Remember me to Mr. Ford & his family --- to [ Ileg ] --- the Dennys --- To my Hd. Constable & men--- our rector ---
4th5th5th Day of Captivity ---
With I.R.A.. 26th April 192#
Dear Bishop, I hope you can do something to help Lily in this time of distress for her. I have written her a letter and she may have received it as the IRA officer told me it was posted ---Pals in Ireland have regard for my wife who is Irish more so than I am, as regards her family having held land in the country ---I cannot now write my personal feelings to you --- [ Illeg. ] --- The I.R.A treat me well and are kind hearted --- comfort my dear Lily. How awful that I should have brought her this trouble ---If you see Lily soon tell her that her goodness to me and devoted love are felt by me and are a treasure in my affliction ---I pray for her and the prayers are heard. Yours affect’ly, Gilbert.
27 April 1921.
Dearest Wife I hope you had news of me through my letter ---The IRA say you can send me a parcel if you take steps that the method of sending it is not known & kept secret ---Perhaps you could give a parcel to Mrs, Cleary which she could keep at Spelmans[?] until it is called for. I want ---
(1) Clean long drawers
(2) Clean long cotton vest
(3) Clean cotton shirt
(4) pair socks
(5) big boots [Illeg ] inside with insoles --- the K would suit best
(6) Waterproof coat
(7) Safety razor with two dozen new blades
(8) Shaving brush, soap, a small sponge
(9) Tooth brush
If you put the lot in cloth haversack like the RIC have I could carry it ---
If impossible to send don’t be troubled as the people I meet are really kind and could supply everything except a safety razor ---
Now darling wife God will help us.
My love to you Hilda, Georgie, Charles and Freddie --- Could you send me a pound? Your husband, Gilbert
27 April 1921
I request those in authority with IRA to send to my wife my note book which contains messages for her and my will. There are, I am sure, humane leaders who will pity a wife who is Irish, as I am also.
G.N. Potter
Enclosed in box for my wife
Wrist watch
Gold ring
Cigarette holder
Silver match box
Set of keys
Cigarette case
Letter for her and the Bishop of Waterford
On-line Sources
Dáil Éireann - Volume 3–22 December 1921 http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/plweb-cgi/fastweb?state_id=1213180658&view=oho-view&numhitsfound=1&query=potters&query_rule=%28%28$query1%29%3C%3DDATE%3C%3D%28$query2%29%29%20AND%20%28%28$query4%29%29%3ASPEAKER%20AND%20%28%28$query5%29%29%3Aheading%20AND%20%28%28$query6%29%29%3ACATEGORY%20AND%20%28%28$query3%29%29%3Ahouse%20AND%20%28%28$query7%29%29%3Avolume%20AND%20%28%28$query8%29%29%3Acolnumber%20AND%20%28%28$query%29%29&query1=19210101&query2=19230101&docid=25004&docdb=Debates&dbname=Debates&sorting=none&operator=and&TemplateName=predoc.tmpl&setCookie=1 DEBATE ON TREATY]New York Times contemporary report of Potter's disappearance.
Additional notes
- D.I. Potter's headstone at Kilcommon is located towards the end of the path on the right hand side.
Gilbert Norman Potter, D.I. R.I.C., Dearly Loved, Killed In Ireland, April 27, 1921, Aged 42, Faithful Unto Death
Below which his son is also acknowledged:
Gilbert Charles Potter, R.N. D.S.C, 1916-1975.
- In his letter to Breen of 30 September 1966, Tom O'Connor , in 1921 the Captain of E Company, 6th? Battalion, 3rd Tipp. Brigade IRA states :
We were all sorry for Potter who seemed to be a very 'good' man. He did his best to get the TansBlack and TansThe Black and Tans was one of two newly recruited bodies, composed largely of British World War I veterans, employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary as Temporary Constables from 1920 to 1921 to suppress revolution in Ireland...
out of Cahir, he got a certificate from the Medical Officer in Cahir to state the barracks was not suitable. This man is there yet to prove it, Doctor Michael (illeg.), The Mall, Cahir.
- Transcript of the letter received by Lilias Potter on 9 May. It was typed and enclosed in an unstamped envelope.
D.I. Potter, having been legally tried and convicted, was sentenced to death, which sentence was duly carried out on Wed. 27th April." (Signed O.C.)
- The apparent meeting of Charles Potter and Thomas Traynor's son was related by Dan Breen to Carlton Younger for his book. (see bibliography) . Younger dismissed it: "a nice storey, but an old man's fancy, it appears." (p 146). However the event is recalled in the correspondence between Charles Potter and J.R. Goulden in the 1960s, and was almost certainly told to Breen during his discussion with Charles at the Kilcroney nursing home in 1966 prior to his interview with Younger.