Joe McKelvey
Encyclopedia
Joe McKelvey was an Irish Republican Army
officer who was executed during the Irish Civil War
. He participated in the anti-Treaty IRA's repudiation of the authority of the Dáil (civil government of the Irish Republic
declared in 1919) in March 1922 and was elected to the IRA Army Executive. In April 1922 he helped command the occupation of the Four Courts
in defiance of the new Irish Free State
. This action helped to spark the Irish Civil War
, between pro- and anti-Treaty factions. McKelvey was among the most hardline of the anti-Treaty republicans and briefly, in June 1922, became IRA Chief of Staff.
family in Stewartstown
, County Tyrone
. He had a keen interest in the Gaelic Athletic Association
and the Irish language
. He studied as an accountant
and gained some of the qualifications necessary for this profession, but never fully qualified. He worked for a time at the Income Tax
Office on Queen's Square in Belfast
and later found work at Belfast's shipyards with Mackies on the Springfield road. He joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood
and the Irish Volunteers
, which after 1919, became the Irish Republican Army
(IRA).
1919-1921 against the British, in which he commanded the IRA's Belfast Brigade
. In April 1920, he and other Volunteers burned the Income Tax office in Belfast where he had previously worked. In July 1920, during a wave of violence in the wake of the IRA assassination of a northern Police inspector (Gerard Smyth) in Cork
, McKelvey was expelled from his job by loyalist
intimidation. Roughly 7,000 other Catholics and left wing Protestant political activists also lost their jobs in this manner at the time. Many of the unemployed and vengeful Catholics were later recruited into the IRA, McKelvey later wrote to the IRA leadership that 75% of his volunteers were unemployed . On 22 August 1920, Joe McKelvey helped to organise the killing of RIC Detective Oswald Swanzy in Lisburn
. The killing itself was carried out by IRA men from Cork, but McKelvey arranged a taxi to carry the assassins to and from the scene and disposed of their weapons. In reprisal for this shooting, 300 Catholic homes in Lisburn were burned out . McKelvey was forced to lie low in Dublin for some time after these events.
In March 1921, the IRA was re-organised by its leadership in Dublin into Divisions
and McKelvey was appointed commander of the Third Northern Division, responsible for Belfast and the surrounding area. He was criticised by some of the younger, more radical Volunteers in the IRA Belfast Brigade, led by Roger McCorley
for being reluctant to sanction the killing of Police and British Army personnel in Belfast. McKelvey feared (and was proved correct) that such actions would provoke retaliatory attacks on the Catholic and Irish nationalist community by loyalists. Nevertheless, he was unable to control some of his younger volunteers, who formed an "active service unit" on their own initiative and killed Police and soldiers on a regular basis. When such attacks occurred, loyalists, generally supported by the Ulster Special Constabulary
, attacked Catholic areas in reprisal. The IRA was then forced to try to defend Catholic areas and McKelvey feared that the organisation was being drawn into sectarian conflict as opposed to what he saw as the "real" struggle for Irish independence. In May 1921, McKelvey's command suffered a severe setback, when fifty of his best men were sent to County Cavan
to train and link up with the IRA units there, only to be surrounded and captured by the British Army on Lapinduff mountain on 9 May.
In most of Ireland, hostilities were ended with a truce declared on 11 July 1921. However, in the north and particularly in Belfast, violence intensified over the following year. McKelvey wrote to IRA GHQ at this time that his command was very short of both arms and money. In March 1922, many of his papers, detailing the names and units of the roughly 1000 IRA members in Belfast were captured by the B-Specials Police in a raid on St Mary's Hall in Belfast.
. Most of his comrades supported Michael Collins'
assurances that, although the Treaty accepted the partition of Northern Ireland
from the rest of the country, this was only a temporary concession which would be dealt with later. McKelvey did not accept this. As a result he left his command as head of the IRA Third Northern Division and joined the Anti-Treaty IRA in Dublin.
McKelvey participated in the Anti-Treaty IRA's repudiation of the authority of the Dáil (civil government of the Irish Republic
declared in 1919) in March 1922 and was elected to the IRA Army Executive. In April 1922 he helped command the occupation of the Four Courts
in defiance of the new Irish Free State
. This action helped to spark the Irish Civil War
, between pro and anti Treaty factions. McKelvey was among the most hardline of the anti-Treaty republicans and briefly, in June 1922, became IRA Chief of Staff, replacing Liam Lynch
.
On 28 June 1922, the new Irish Free State
government shelled the Four Courts in order to assert its authority over the militants defending it. The Republicans in the Four Courts surrendered after two days of fighting
and McKelvey was captured. He was held for the following five months in Mountjoy Prison
in Dublin.
, Liam Mellows
and Richard Barrett
. The executions had been ordered in reprisal for the Anti-Treaty IRA's murder of member of Sean Hales
, a member of the Third Dáil
.
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...
officer who was executed during the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
. He participated in the anti-Treaty IRA's repudiation of the authority of the Dáil (civil government of the Irish Republic
Irish Republic
The Irish Republic was a revolutionary state that declared its independence from Great Britain in January 1919. It established a legislature , a government , a court system and a police force...
declared in 1919) in March 1922 and was elected to the IRA Army Executive. In April 1922 he helped command the occupation of the Four Courts
Four Courts
The Four Courts in Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's main courts building. The Four Courts are the location of the Supreme Court, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit Court. The building until 2010 also formerly was the location for the Central Criminal Court.-Gandon's Building:Work based on...
in defiance of the new Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
. This action helped to spark the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
, between pro- and anti-Treaty factions. McKelvey was among the most hardline of the anti-Treaty republicans and briefly, in June 1922, became IRA Chief of Staff.
Background
McKelvey was born into a nationalistIrish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
family in Stewartstown
Stewartstown
Stewartstown can refer to:*Stewartstown, New Hampshire*Stewartstown, Pennsylvania*Stewartstown, County Tyrone, a village in Northern Ireland...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
. He had a keen interest in the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
and the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
. He studied as an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
and gained some of the qualifications necessary for this profession, but never fully qualified. He worked for a time at the Income Tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
Office on Queen's Square in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and later found work at Belfast's shipyards with Mackies on the Springfield road. He joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
and the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
, which after 1919, became 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...
(IRA).
War of Independence
McKelvey participated in the Irish War of IndependenceIrish 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...
1919-1921 against the British, in which he commanded the IRA's Belfast Brigade
Belfast Brigade, Irish Republican Army
The Belfast Brigade of the Irish Republican Army was formed in March 1921 during the Irish War of Independence, when the IRA was re-organised by its leadership in Dublin into Divisions and Joe McKelvey was appointed commander of the Third Northern Division, responsible for Belfast and the...
. In April 1920, he and other Volunteers burned the Income Tax office in Belfast where he had previously worked. In July 1920, during a wave of violence in the wake of the IRA assassination of a northern Police inspector (Gerard Smyth) in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, McKelvey was expelled from his job by loyalist
Loyalist
In general, a loyalist is someone who maintains loyalty to an established government, political party, or sovereign, especially during war or revolutionary change. In modern English usage, the most common application is to loyalty to the British Crown....
intimidation. Roughly 7,000 other Catholics and left wing Protestant political activists also lost their jobs in this manner at the time. Many of the unemployed and vengeful Catholics were later recruited into the IRA, McKelvey later wrote to the IRA leadership that 75% of his volunteers were unemployed . On 22 August 1920, Joe McKelvey helped to organise the killing of RIC Detective Oswald Swanzy in Lisburn
Lisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
. The killing itself was carried out by IRA men from Cork, but McKelvey arranged a taxi to carry the assassins to and from the scene and disposed of their weapons. In reprisal for this shooting, 300 Catholic homes in Lisburn were burned out . McKelvey was forced to lie low in Dublin for some time after these events.
In March 1921, the IRA was re-organised by its leadership in Dublin into Divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
and McKelvey was appointed commander of the Third Northern Division, responsible for Belfast and the surrounding area. He was criticised by some of the younger, more radical Volunteers in the IRA Belfast Brigade, led by Roger McCorley
Roger McCorley
Roger McCorley was an Irish republican activist.McCorley was born in Belfast. His family had a very strong republican tradition and he was the great-grandson of United Irishmen leader Roddy McCorley, who was executed for his part in the 1798 rebellion....
for being reluctant to sanction the killing of Police and British Army personnel in Belfast. McKelvey feared (and was proved correct) that such actions would provoke retaliatory attacks on the Catholic and Irish nationalist community by loyalists. Nevertheless, he was unable to control some of his younger volunteers, who formed an "active service unit" on their own initiative and killed Police and soldiers on a regular basis. When such attacks occurred, loyalists, generally supported by the Ulster Special Constabulary
Ulster Special Constabulary
The Ulster Special Constabulary was a reserve police force in Northern Ireland. It was set up in October 1920, shortly before the founding of Northern Ireland. It was an armed corps, organised partially on military lines and called out in times of emergency, such as war or insurgency...
, attacked Catholic areas in reprisal. The IRA was then forced to try to defend Catholic areas and McKelvey feared that the organisation was being drawn into sectarian conflict as opposed to what he saw as the "real" struggle for Irish independence. In May 1921, McKelvey's command suffered a severe setback, when fifty of his best men were sent to County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
to train and link up with the IRA units there, only to be surrounded and captured by the British Army on Lapinduff mountain on 9 May.
In most of Ireland, hostilities were ended with a truce declared on 11 July 1921. However, in the north and particularly in Belfast, violence intensified over the following year. McKelvey wrote to IRA GHQ at this time that his command was very short of both arms and money. In March 1922, many of his papers, detailing the names and units of the roughly 1000 IRA members in Belfast were captured by the B-Specials Police in a raid on St Mary's Hall in Belfast.
Civil War
McKelvey was alone among the leadership of the Belfast IRA in going against the acceptance of the Anglo-Irish TreatyAnglo-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...
. Most of his comrades supported Michael Collins'
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
assurances that, although the Treaty accepted the partition of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
from the rest of the country, this was only a temporary concession which would be dealt with later. McKelvey did not accept this. As a result he left his command as head of the IRA Third Northern Division and joined the Anti-Treaty IRA in Dublin.
McKelvey participated in the Anti-Treaty IRA's repudiation of the authority of the Dáil (civil government of the Irish Republic
Irish Republic
The Irish Republic was a revolutionary state that declared its independence from Great Britain in January 1919. It established a legislature , a government , a court system and a police force...
declared in 1919) in March 1922 and was elected to the IRA Army Executive. In April 1922 he helped command the occupation of the Four Courts
Four Courts
The Four Courts in Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's main courts building. The Four Courts are the location of the Supreme Court, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit Court. The building until 2010 also formerly was the location for the Central Criminal Court.-Gandon's Building:Work based on...
in defiance of the new Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
. This action helped to spark the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
, between pro and anti Treaty factions. McKelvey was among the most hardline of the anti-Treaty republicans and briefly, in June 1922, became IRA Chief of Staff, replacing Liam Lynch
Liam Lynch (general)
Liam Lynch was an officer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the commanding general of the anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army during the Irish Civil War.-Early life:...
.
On 28 June 1922, the new Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
government shelled the Four Courts in order to assert its authority over the militants defending it. The Republicans in the Four Courts surrendered after two days of fighting
Battle of Dublin
The Battle of Dublin, a week of street fighting in Dublin from 28 June to 5 July 1922, marked the beginning of the Irish Civil War. The fighting began with an assault by the Provisional Government of the proposed Irish Free State on the Four Courts building which had been occupied by a hard-line...
and McKelvey was captured. He was held for the following five months in Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr...
in Dublin.
Execution
On 8 December 1922, Joe McKelvey was executed by firing squad along with three other Anti-Treaty militants, Rory O'ConnorRory O'Connor (Irish republican)
Rory O'Connor was an Irish republican activist. He is best remembered for his role in the Irish Civil War 1922-1923, which led to his execution.-Background:...
, Liam Mellows
Liam Mellows
Liam Mellows was an Irish Republican and Sinn Féin politician. Born in England, Mellows grew up in County Wexford in Ireland. He was active with the Irish Republican Brotherhood and Irish Volunteers, and participated in the Easter Rising in County Galway, and the War of Independence...
and Richard Barrett
Richard Barrett (Irish Republican)
Richard Barrett was a prominent Irish Republican Army volunteer who was executed during the Irish Civil War in 1922.-War of Independence:...
. The executions had been ordered in reprisal for the Anti-Treaty IRA's murder of member of Sean Hales
Sean Hales
Sean Hales was an Irish political activist in the early 20th century. Hales was born in Ballinadee, County Cork, where he and his brothers Tom, Donal and Robert were involved in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence.At the 1921 elections Hales was elected to the Second...
, a member of the Third Dáil
Third Dáil
The Third Dáil, also known as the Provisional Parliament or the Constituent Assembly, was:*the "provisional parliament" or "constituent assembly" of Southern Ireland from 9 August 1922 until 6 December 1922; and...
.
External links
- Irish IndependentIrish IndependentThe Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
, 17 February 2002, The truth behind the murder of Sean Hales.