ROINN COSANTA. BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY, 1913-21 ...

33.figures, in the beds to be us and, having got. his countcorrect, there was no more about it that night. The nightday was Sunday, and it was a wet day. The prisoner couldnot get out and they were counted again in the huts, thenthe first hut was counted, seven fellows slipped from thefirst hut to the last hut, and so they got the correct countagain. They did not find out until Monday morning, whenthe lads were counted as they were going out the gate, thatseven were missing. We had got out on Saturday and ourescape was. not discovered, therefore, until Monday morning.There was a fair in Castletownbere on Monday. They rushedout for the fair and beat up everyone around, but they didnot get us. We were a long way away then. We were at home.Concerning my connect ion with theI.R.B.,itwasLiam Forde enrolled me into the I.R.B just before theshooting of Jim Dalton of the 1st Battalion. Liam Forde,who also belonged to the 1st Battalion was at thattimeoneof the heads of the I.R.B. When Dalton was shot, the I.R.B.were doing their best to trace the person or persons who haddone the shooting. certain members of the 2nd Battalion,the Q.M., Martin Barry, in particular, was suspected of theshooting, as far as I know. Barry was a very hard man toget at the time and they decided that I was the only onethat would get him. I went into Limerick city and contactedMartin Barry after Forde telling me what to do. I tookhim out to Castleconnell and he was put under arrest theeby the I.R.B. It was the I.R.B. that arrested Martin Barryfor the shooting of Dalton. he was kept at Castleconnellat Anthony Mackey's, out in the eelweir for about a week andthen he was released. The whole thing fizzled out, however,as no clear evidence could be brought to sustain the chargeagainstBarry.So far as I know, the I.R.B. had very littleinfluence