‘Little boy shot dead in Roscommon’ — the story of my grand-uncle who was shot by the Black and Tans’ when working in a field

Shock: The Evening Herald’s report on the shooting of Joe Molloy

Ciaran Moran Twitter Email

April 06 2021 02:00 AM

On Holy Saturday 1921, rifle shots rang out across the north Roscommon townland of Aughnafinnegan.

When the shooting subsided, my grand-uncle, Joe Molloy, just a 14-year-old boy, lay dead.

His death came at a time when the War of Independence had descended into a conflict of brutal reprisals and counter-reprisals.

Joe was a victim of cruel circumstances. Neither he nor any of his family were politically active and were not involved with Ireland’s struggle for independence.

However, the events that led up to his shooting did have a local dimension.

The execution of Paddy Moran, from nearby Crossna, in Mountjoy jail on March 14, was the catalyst to this tragedy.

Joe Molloy's family pictured in the 1930s: (Back l-r) Annie-Jane Molloy; Mary Molloy; George Molloy; (seated l-r) Mary-Kate Molloy; Adam Molloy and Charlie Molloy

To avenge his death, the local IRA ambushed an RIC patrol near Keadue, resulting in two officers’ death.

The ambush and deaths enraged the Crown forces, who instigated intense patrols over a wide area locally.

On March 26, Joe Molloy, his father George and three brothers, John James (18), Paddy (16) and George (10), were spreading farmyard manure in a field behind their home.

After their father had returned to the farmyard for another load of manure, the boys saw the soldiers approaching.

The Molloy family home, Aughnafinigan

Confusion and debate surround what happened next.

Patricia Molloy, Joe’s niece, gives the following account: “When the Molloy boys saw the soldiers lifting their guns as if to fire, they hit the ground.

“Afterwards, when the youngest son, George, was asked what he did when he heard the shooting, he replied that he said an Act of Contrition.

“John James saw a soldier taking aim to shoot at Joe. Paddy heard Joe calling out that he was hit. The firing continued for some time — estimates of seven to 18 minutes were given.

King House, Boyle Co Roscommon, when it was still a military barracks.

“George, the boys’ father, heard the shooting from the farmyard and went into the house for safety. He heard bullets strike the house. Shortly afterwards, two soldiers burst into the house, searched it and found nothing incriminating.

“Other soldiers came to the house and told George to bring a stretcher to the field as a boy was shot.

“George did so and found his son, Joe, wounded and ‘almost dead’ — he was unable to speak.”

The Roscommon Herald reported that when the boys’ parents came to the scene, “their distracted cries of grief were pitiable”.

Joe was taken by the military truck to Boyle Military Barracks, where the military doctor pronounced “life was extinct” and reported that he had been hit by three bullets, including a bullet lodged in his back.

According to reports, the Molloy family were “allowed unrestricted admission to the remains in the barracks” until the funeral left from there on Easter Monday at 6.30pm for the burial in the family plot at Killelan cemetery.

To this day, family members wonder why Joe’s remains were not brought home for a normal wake and funeral. They also question why the removal took place under the cloak of darkness.

Patricia Molloy says the answer may lie in the fact Ireland was a military state at the time and the military would have controlled the funeral arrangements.

“It can be concluded that the military wanted to minimise the chance for any retaliation and having the funeral late in the evening without a Mass would reduce the chances of large gatherings,” he said.

“The Crown forces were obviously aware that the local population were not at all happy with the shooting of an innocent boy.”

The investigation into the shooting was also carried out very much under the control of the Crown forces.

Instead of an inquest, a Military Court of Inquiry was held in Boyle Military Barracks (King House) on March 28-29.

In her research into the investigation, Patricia Molloy says the evidence given by Joe’s father George and brother Paddy was not entirely in their own words as it contains both English and military terminology they would not have used.

She also highlights that there is no record of a statement from John James, the eldest of the brothers who was present.

Disagreed

“He said later that he disagreed with most of the written records of Joe’s shooting,” she says.

“We do not know whether he was asked to make a statement or whether he refused to sign one. But he emigrated to New Zealand shortly afterwards and never returned.”

Seven soldiers also gave evidence on what happened that fateful day at the inquiry, Patricia said.

“Some of them said they saw a number of men who ran away and hid behind some bushes. These same soldiers confirmed these ‘unknown persons’ were not the Molloy boys.

“A sergeant said he told the unknown persons to halt, but they didn’t, so he ordered his troops to fire.

“Family and locals believe there were no ‘unknown persons’ there. It is believed that Joe Molloy was an innocent victim of the enraged Black and Tans,” she says.