Exciting Tale Of Terror Days

Article from the Irish Independent: July 18th 1923

EXCITING TALE OF "TERROR" DAYS

TOLD BY TRAMORE MAN

SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE:

     Evidence of a sensational character was tendered in an action heard before the Lord Chief Justice and a City special jury, which arose out of events in Waterford during the "Black and Tan" regime. The plaintiff was Patrick Halley, farmer and victualler, and the defendant Laurence Breen, hotel proprietor and publican, both of Tramore, and damages for £2,000 were claimed. 

     In his statement of claim (the plaintiff alleged that (in or about January 6, 1921, the defendant and two members of the R.I.C, one named "Bryant, conspired to murder him, and entered a house in Tramore whore he was (all three being dressed in the uniform of the R.I.C. and armed with revolvers), and brought him out of the house, assaulted, beat, and kicked him, and stated that they would shoot him. Plaintiff further stated that he escaped from them, and they fired several revolver shots at him with intent to shoot him, that he sustained serious personal injuries and suffered great pain and mental anguish, and was forced to leave his home and remain in hiding for several months, sustaining great loss and damage. The defendant traversed the plaintiff's cause of action. 

EXCEPTIONAL FACTS:

     Mr. P. Lynch, K.C., for the plaintiff said the facts were somewhat exceptional. In the early part of 1921 plaintiff, who lived a little outside Tramore, was prominently identified with operations going on in and about the district. On the night of January 6 he was staying in the house of John Walsh, in Tramore, when, about 11 o'clock, three men came and knocked at the door. Having found that Halley was inside, they placed sentries at the back and front, and ultimately succeeded in getting him. Two of the three men wore well-known, in a certain force which was stationed in Tramore at the time. The three men were disguised to some extent, two of them having handkerchiefs across their faces, and the third wearing goggles. The third man was Breen, the defendant. They brought Halley with them towards the Metal Man. They struck him with revolvers on the head, and told him he was going to be shot and to say his prayers. Halley was placed on his knees in anticipation of the shooting, and after he had been beaten he escaped in the darkness. When he was escaping he was fired on at least nine or ten times. In consequence of what had happened the plaintiff thought that it would be better for him" to leave the Tramore district, and he went away "on the run," and remained " on the run" until the following August. One reason why he brought the action was because during his absence from Tramore it was said he went away to avoid being shot by his comrades. On his return the plaintiff opened his victualling business in Tramore in a stall which Breen volunteered to let to him. Subsequently plaintiff became suspicious of Breen, and ceased to be friendly with him. The defendant had conceived an antipathy towards Halley, one cause being that Halley in the course of his sitting as a Sinn Fein magistrate imposed a fine of 40s. on Mr. Breen for throwing a small boy off his motor car. 

A SOLDIER'S SONG:

     On the night of December 28, 1920, Halley and two others were in the bar of defendant's hotel. One of the Black-and-Tans came into the bar and Halley spoke quite friendly.to him. The man drew a revolver and fired it at the ground. About five minutes later the house was surrounded, and the plaintiff and the two others were searched by the Black-and-Tans. Fortunately they had no arms. In consequence of what he heard, Halley went to Breen and accused him of having told the police to search him to see whether he had a gun, and Breen admitted it. Irish Independent: July 18th 1923 Patrick Halley, the plaintiff, gave evidence in support of counsel's statement, and said he was now 1st Lieutenant in the National Army. He had been in the Sinn Fein movement from 1917. Breen was not connected with it. On December 28, 1920, witness was in the Hibernian Hotel, Tramore, and someone was singing " A Soldier's Song." Breen said that he would not allow that song in the house. A Black-and-Tan named Bryant came into the hotel and got nervous and fired a shot through the floor. Afterwards the place was searched by the Black-and-Tans Witness told Breen that if he reported the matter to the I.R.A, he (Breen) would get into serious trouble.

     Describing the incident on the night of January 6th in Mr. John Walsh's house, he said when the three men came in they shouted out: "Produce Halley." Witness was in a room off the hall, and they went in, and one of them struck him with a revolver on the jaw. Witness recognised that man as Const. Bryant. He caught witness by the throat, and witness said: "You might as well shoot me as choke me." Eventually the three men took him to the Doneraile Walk and brought him to the edge of the cliffs, which are 150 feet high.

      One of them said: "You won't be shot if you give us information." Breen was one of the men. Witness said that he did not know any information to give, and the three men kept on punching him with revolvers. They took his watch and money, about £14, and a Dail Eireann receipt tor £25. There was whispering then between two of the men, and the witness heard Bryant say, " If you shoot him I will shoot you."

AN AMBUSH:

      The men then said they would shoot witness and fired about a dozen shots, the bullets whizzing around him. Witness then said his prayers, escaped in the darkness and got back to Walsh's house. Cross-examined by Sgt. Hanna, he said on the evening he escaped there was an ambush of Crown forces at the Metal Bridge, near Tramore, and there might have been a good number killed. He was not one of the leading men in Waterford and Tramore fighting against the Free State, but associated himself with the Republicans after his return. He remembered the Pickardstown pilgrimage in I922,""but denied that he made a speech attributed to him in a local paper, that he was "Commandant, 5th Batt., Waterford Brigade." He suggested that Breen was not friendly to Sinn Fein and did not think he frequently gave refuge to members of it who were on the run. The reason Breen was not admitted to the organisation was that he had been in the British Army. Plaintiff denied that he became excited when he had drink taken or that he had a " fair load" on the occasion of the singing of "A Soldier's .Song." He and John Walsh, the young man, took one of Breen's motor cars for safety in February, 1922. He had then accused Breen of being the man who conspired to murder him with the Black and Tans. He did not use the motor car for the I.R.A. until the Free State troops returned, but for delivering meat in the country

CLOSING OF HOTEL:

      Plaintiff was then asked about the closing of Breen's Hotel, in Tramore, and said they got orders to get Breen's hotel closed and put a picket on it. He was not one of the heads of the I.R.A. at the time. The hotel was kept closed for a few race days. Breen had served a writ on him for interfering with his business. Asked if Breen had not to keep away from Tramore until the Free State troops got control, witness said Breen never tried to go home.

      To further questions by Sergt. Hanna he said on June 19, this year, he went into the bar of Breen's Hotel, asked for drinks for himself and William Walsh, and told the barmaid that they would not be paid for. He said that in a casual way; the drinks were paid for. He did not repeat the performance in another bar the same day in the presence of Mrs. Breen. He had a revolver in his pocket, but did not pull it out or threaten to shoot at-the mirrors or break up the place. He denied that he threatened to stand at the corner and to prevent them from carrying on business during the whole season. He afterwards went across the road to Mrs. Green's. He had his revolver in his hand, but with no purpose whatever. He denied that he got into any trouble about insulting a priest in the Grand Hotel, Tramore.

A HUNT INCIDENT:

    Did you organise the opposition to the hunt in consequence of which Mr. Joe Widger left the country? --- He did not leave the country in consequence of that. The opposition to the hunt was organised by the old I.R.A. We got orders. We went by those orders, and stopped Mr. Widger's hounds. That was in order to get the prisoners out.

     Sergt. Hanna — Was Mr. Widger assaulted on that occasion? — They gave as much assault as they got.

      Mr. Thos. E. Power, vintner and hotel keeper, Tramore, stated that he had an interview with Const. Bryant with the object of getting him to withdraw a statement he had made in reference to the defendant. He had said that Bryant said his information was worth giving some money for. Breen asked, how much, and Bryant said £25. Breen said to Bryant "I will give it to you, but I have not got it now." Witness advised him to give no money except in presence of a witness.

      John Walsh corroborated the plaintiff's evidence as to what took place when the masked man and the others came into his house at Bayview, Tramore, after Halley.

      Cross-examined by Sergt. Hanna, he could not remember that Breen a few days previously had told him that the "Tans " knew that Halley was living with him and that he had better be careful or that they would "do him in." He did not remember either whether he was told that he was a man with a large family and that he should be careful. He would not swear, however, that that did not occur. The case was adjourned until to-day. Messrs. P. Lynch, K.C., and J. O'Byrne ("Mr. P. O'Connor) for the plaintiff; Sergt. Hanna and Mr. Connolly (Mr. H. D. Keane) for defendant.