Killing of Mary Lindsay and
James Clarke
Introduction from Chronology
Mary Lindsay and James Clarke,
who had been held a hostage for about five weeks, are killed by the IRA. Different dates are given for the date
of their execution.
More Detail
The killings were carried out by six members of the 6th Battalion, Cork No. 1 Brigade IRA under Battalion V/C Frank Busteed at Flagmount near Rylane. Some sources say that they were killed on the night March 11th while other sources say March 15th to 16th.
Lindsay had been abducted for
giving information to the BA about the ambush been laid by the IRA at Dripsey.
The counter attack by the BA leads to the capture of ten IRA men –
see Jan-28-21/4. Eight of these men
are court martialled – five are sentenced to death with their executions
to be carried out on February 28th - see Feb-04-21/4 and
Feb-08-21/1.
On February 17th, the IRA abduct Lindsay and Clarke – see Feb-17-21/1. On February 26th, a letter is sent to General Strickland (O/C of the BA’s 6th Division in Ireland) by the IRA saying that Lindsay and Clarke will be executed if the executions of the men due to be executed by the BA on February 28th go ahead – this letter is accompanied by a letter from Mary Lindsay – see Feb-26-21/2. Nevertheless, the five men are executed by the BA on February 28th – see Feb-28-21/5.
IRA GHQ in Dublin had told Sean O'Hegarty O/C Cork No. 1 Brigade that they were not in
favour of killing the female prisoners.
In fact, they had issued a General Order against the killing of female
informers – see Nov-09-20/6. This order also stated that “In
‘dangerous and insistent’ cases, commanders were ordered to seek
instructions from GHQ” (Hughes (2016), pg 136).
However, O'Hegarty
had told a brigade council meeting on March 19th near Blarney that
he would support whatever action 6th Battalion choose to take.
When GHQ subsequently requested information from O'Hegarty,
he gave evasive replies up until the Treaty when he told GHQ that “this
lady has been executed long ago”. O’Hegarty
had therefore acted in a direct contravention of an IRA General Order and was not
acting as an officer should have in a disciplined military force. It should also be noted that there was
no evidence of informing against Clarke but, nevertheless, he was executed.