The February
Kidnappings
Introduction from Chronology
The IRA kidnap a number of prominent loyalists and ‘B’ Specials in
Fermanagh and Tyrone and take them across the border. (Hopkinson says 42;
Phoenix says 70; McDermott says some 40 persons, Parkinson says 42, Fanning
says 43 and Dooley says 60)
They are to be held as hostages for the ‘Monaghan footballers’
arrested on January 14th (see Jan-14-22/2) and the three men due to hung
in Derry on February 9th (see Jan-12-22/6).
More Detail
The three men due to be hung in
Derry Jail – Pat Leonard, Thomas O’Shea and Patrick Johnstone – had their
sentences commuted to 15 penal years servitude through the intervention of the
Lord Lieutenant but this news had come too late to stop the kidnappings. (Grant
says the reprieve came from representations made by Collins to Churchill and
Austen Chamberlain who then put pressure on Craig.)
According to Dooley, the
unionists were kidnapped from a number of villages inside the Six Counties
including Augnacloy, Clogher, Roslea,
Newtownbutler, Belleek and Lisnaskea. Among those kidnapped were Capt Coote, son of William Coote, MP. Also,
Anketell Moutray, county grand master of the Orange
Order in Tyrone. Also, John Baird and
Albert Yorke from Clady in Co. Tyrone. The kidnappings were the work of the
IRA’s ‘Ulster Council’ recently set up under Frank Aiken (and Sean MacEoin). On this
Council both pro-and anti-Treaty forces along with neutral forces are
represented – see Jan-1922/2.
There is a furious unionist
reaction to the kidnappings. According to Austen Chamberlain, Craig
threatened that if the kidnapped unionists were not released then he, in turn,
would kidnap “a similar number of known poisonous Sinn Féiners
resident in the North” and use them to negotiate the release of the kidnapped
unionists. Craig complains to London and
Churchill complains to Collins who says that he had made every effort to
prevent such acts and that he would make every effort to get the kidnapped
released. However, according to a memo later written by Ernst Blythe, the
plans for the kidnappings had been submitted and approved by O’Duffy, Mulcahy and Collins. (According to Dooley, three members of the
USC were killed during the kidnapping raids but Abbott does not mention these
killings. Perhaps Dooley is referring to
the four USC men killed in Clones on February 11th.)
A large number of IRA men engaged
in the kidnapping raids were arrested by Crown Forces. These would seem to be
the men involved in the attempted kidnappings in Fermanagh. According to McGarty,
14 IRA men were arrested (5 from Leitrim) and they were sentenced to 10 years
imprisonment.
The three men whose sentences
were commuted were released in August 1925.