Galway In Days Gone By

1922

Officers shot

Two sergeants of the R.I.C., who were detained as patients at St. Bride’s Home, Galway, neither of whom was expected to live very long, were shot dead by masked men at about 9.30 p.m. on Wednesday, whilst a constable who was also a patient in the Home was seriously wounded, and a civilian from County Mayo, who was in the workhouse hospital suffering from wounds sustained in an attack upon him at his home a month ago, was shot dead about ten o’clock by three men who entered the ward.

The names of the dead are: – Sergeant Gibbons, R.I.C., The Fair Green, Westport, unmarried; Sergeant Gilmartin, R.I.C., Camp-street, Oughterard, leaves wife and two children; Patrick Cassidy, farmer and C.D.B. official, Crossard, Ballyhaunis, married.

The name of the wounded constable is: – Constable McGloin, R.I.C., Coonaghbawn, Cashergrove, County Sligo.

Sergt. Gilmartin, who was under fifty, was suffering from congestion of the lungs, and was not expected to recover. He occupied room 21 on the side of the home next to the Jesuit Church, his fellow patient being Mr. Madden, Taylor’s Hill, a market gardener.

About half-past nine four masked men came along the passage, leaving two to guard the hospital door. They were heard to remark, “This is room 21,” and they thereupon, entered the apartment, and called, “Hands up”. They asked the sergeant if he was Gilmartin and he replied that he was. They then searched his bag and told him to say an Act of Contrition, holding Mr. Madden up meanwhile.

A number of shots were thereupon fired into the sergeant, whose death must have been instantaneous. Nurses and hospital staff were at supper. Hearing the noise as of crashing glass, they rushed to the room, where Mr. Madden was moaning, and fell into a faint.

A nurse rushed to the room from No. 17, where Sergt. Gibbons and Constable McGloin were, and shouted, “My God, they are after killing the two in No. 17”. Miss Coffey, the matron, rushed into the passage, and immediately four men dashed along from No. 17, carrying revolvers in their hands. Upon entering No. 17, Miss Coffey found that Sergt. Gibbons was lying dead, with blood all around the room, and Constable McGloin was dangerously wounded, having received bullets in the arm and wrist, one in the thigh and one in the eye. The men dashed past quickly and disappeared into the night.

The matter was immediately reported to the I.R.A. police headquarters at Eglinton-street, and Capt. Kilkelly promptly went to the hospital with a party of eight men. A search failed to reveal the direction in which the masked men had gone. The I.R.A. at Renmore was also called out, and strong patrols were placed on the streets throughout the night.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.