Galway Railway Station Incident and
Aftermath
Introduction from Chronology
RIC driver, Constable Edward Krumm, and IRA volunteer, Sean Mulvoy,
are killed in the Railway Station in Galway City. In the aftermath of these killings, the RIC
engage in reprisals in Galway City including the killing of one man (Seamus
Quirke).
More Detail
A number of IRA men had gone to the station to collect some arms and
explosives arriving on the Dublin train.
However, a melee develops, Krumm pulls his gun and shoots Mulvoy. He himself is subsequently shot with his own
gun. (This is one version of what
happened. Henry gives a number of
alternative versions.)
In the aftermath of the killing of Krumm, the RIC men from Eglington St
barracks go on a rampage through out Galway City. A 23-year
old IRA volunteer, Seamus Quirke (originally from Cork), is dragged from
his bed, brought to the docks where he is shot nine or ten times – he dies
shortly afterwards. Local IRA men, Sean
Broderick and Joe Cummins are also dragged from their beds and shot – both
escape by feigning death. The Broderick family home and another two houses are
set on fire.
The next day the offices of the Galway
Express are ransacked. The terror
continues for the next 15 nights. During this time, the RIC assaulted many
people, looted shops and burnt at least 13 homes and shops. For example, on the night of September 22nd,
Thomas Nolan’s drapery store was wrecked and looted. Before leaving, the RIC laid
out a shroud and left a note on it for Nolan saying “You are a doomed
man”. The RIC again attacked the offices
of the Galway Express and smashed up the
home of the editor.
The British Army, at times, acted as a restraining force on the
RIC.
Major Tudor, who was in Galway at this time, speaks to the men in
Eglington Barracks. According to an RIC
man present (John Caddan), Tudor said “This country
is ruled by gunmen, and they must be put down” and he called on the RIC to put
them down. Lesson notes that no Black and Tans (i.e.
British recruits to the RIC) were involved in these reprisals.
A Military Inquiry of Enquiry is held, instead of a coroner’s inquest,
for the first time under ROIA – for details see Henry. Also, see Sep-18-20/6.
Constable
Krumm was from Middlesex in England with less than a month’s service in the
RIC.