Peter Barnes (Irish republican)

Peter Barnes (6 May 1907 – 7 February 1940) was born in Banagher, King's County (Offaly). As a young man Barnes joined Fianna Éireann (an Irish nationalist youth organisation) and in 1924 became a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).[1]

Sabotage campaign in England - the S-Plan[edit]

Barnes, along with James McCormick (also known as James Richards), were convicted of participating in the 1939 Coventry bombing, which was part of the IRA's sabotage campaign in England (the S-Plan). The Coventry bombing killed five people on 25 August 1939. Barnes was arrested on that date in London.[2] Although he and McCormick admitted constructing the bomb, which was intended to be used to destroy a power station, they claimed not to be involved in planting the bomb.[3] Another IRA man (Joseph "Joby" O'Sullivan) claimed that he planted the bomb and that Barnes and McCormick were innocent.[4]

Trial and execution[edit]

From the moment of his arrest until the moment of his hanging Peter Barnes protested his innocence. On the night before his execution, he wrote a letter to his sister stating: "I am an innocent man and as I have said before, it will be known yet that I am. The only thing that worries me now is the thought of my poor father and mother, but I know God will comfort them."[5] Seán MacBride, a former Chief-of-Staff for the IRA and Irish barrister, attempted to secure their release claiming they were being illegally held without a writ of habeas corpus.[6] Also charged with murder along with James McCormick were Brigid O'Hara, Joseph and Mary Hewitt, all five pleaded not guilty before the court at Birmingham Assizes.[7] Brigid O'Hara issued statements between 28 August and 4 September to Scotland Yard and Birmingham police denying any knowledge of the bombings,[8] and later provided evidence for the prosecution.[9]

On 15 December 1939 the jury deliberated for 31 minutes before finding both Barnes and McCormick guilty of murder.[10] They were sentenced to death by Mr Justice Singleton. On 7 February 1940 Barnes and McCormick were hanged simultaneously at Winson Green Prison in Birmingham.[11]

Reaction in Ireland and reburial[edit]

Their trial and execution resulted in a public outcry in Ireland against Neville Chamberlain and the British Government as Peadar O'Donnell and other prominent Irish writers signed a petition campaigning for leniency towards the condemned men.[12] The executions provoked a wave of protests and marches throughout Ireland, Irish flags were flown at half-mast and, through the intervention of a sympathizer, at the World's Fair in New York.[13] The bodies of Barnes and McCormick were buried in the prison yard and in 1969, their remains were released to relatives and were flown to Dublin.[14] Their re-interment on 6 July 1969 in Ballyglass Cemetery, Mullingar was attended by an estimated 15,000 people.[15]

Further reading[edit]

  • Fairfield, Letitia. Trial of Peter Barnes and others: the I.R.A. Coventry explosion of 1939. William Hodge & Co., Ltd. 1953. ISBN 1-56169-184-4.
  • "Ireland's Latest Martyrs, Peter Barnes and James McCormack 'Richards'". Irish World. 2 March 1940.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kirby, Dick (2021). IRA Terror on Britain's Streets. South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Publishers. p. 172. ISBN 978 1 52678 642 5.
  2. ^ Dolan, Anne (n.d.). "Barnes, Peter". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  3. ^ Anderson, Brendan (2002). Joe Cahill: A Life in the IRA. O'Brien Press. p. 29. ISBN 0-86278-836-6.
  4. ^ MacEoin, Uinseann (1997), The IRA in the twilight years 1923-1948, Argenta Publications, Dublin, pg 643, ISBN 0951117246
  5. ^ O'Meara, Jonathan (10 February 2005). "Remembering Barnes and McCormick - IRA Volunteers unjustly executed 65 years ago". An Phoblacht. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  6. ^ Coogan, Tim Pat. On the Blanket: The Inside Story of the IRA Prisoners' "Dirty" Protest. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. ISBN 0-312-29513-8 (p. 38).
  7. ^ "Five Charged with Murder by Bomb". Irish Press. 12 December 1939.
  8. ^ "Bomb Murder Charge. Belfast Woman's Statement Read". Irish Press. 13 December 1939.
  9. ^ "Accused Man's Story in Bomb Murder Trial". Irish Press. 13 December 1939.
  10. ^ Kirby, pg 168.
  11. ^ Tarpey, Marie Veronica. The Role of Joseph McGarrity in the Struggle for Irish Independence. New York: St. John's University, 1969. (p. 331).
  12. ^ Ó Drisceoil, Donal. "Peadar O'Donnell". Cork: Cork University Press, 2001. ISBN 1-85918-310-7 (p. 107).
  13. ^ "Barnes, Peter Joseph". DICTIONARY OF IRISH BIOGRAPHY. DIB. 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Remembering the Past: Re-interment of Barnes and McCormack". An Phoblacht. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  15. ^ McIntyre (15 March 2016). "Westmeath Society Commemorate Barnes And McCormick In Mullingar". The Pensive Quill (15 March 2016). Retrieved 19 April 2022.

External links[edit]

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