Irish History Kevin Barry (1902-1920) —by Míchealín Daugherty Kevin Barry was born in Dublin on 20 January 1902. Kevin was first introduced to the Republican movement at a Manchester Martyr Commemoration concert, after which he joined Fianna hÉireann. After hungerstriker Thomas Ashe died from being force-fed at Mountjoy prison, Kevin joined the First Battalion of the Dublin Brigade of the Irish Volunteers. During the War of Independence, he became an active member.  On 1 June 1920, Kevin took part in a raid for arms at the King's Inn. In July he was dispatched to the third battalion of the Carlow Brigade. He was involved in the burning of Hackettstown Barracks — one of the first concerted IRA efforts to drive out the RIC.  On 20 September, Kevin, and 11 comrades, were involved in an ambush at the junction of Church Street and North King Street in Dublin. The target for that ambush was a military escort guarding bread collected from Monk's Bakery to distribute to the military camp at Collinstown (now Dublin Airport). A shoot-out ensued, two soldiers of the crown were killed, and Kevin was wounded and captured. His comrades managed to escape.  On 20 October, Kevin was escorted from Mountjoy Prison to his court martial at Marlborough Barracks. He was charged with "feloniously wounding and killing Private Matthew Whitehead." As a soldier of Ireland, Kevin Barry refused to recognise the court and did not put forward a defence.  On 1 November 1920, Kevin Barry was hanged in Mountjoy's hanghouse. He was buried on the prison grounds, and no family members or 'outsiders' were permitted to attend.  The prison chaplain, Canon Waters, later described to Mrs Barry the funeral of her son: The grave appeared to me to be about 3 ½ feet. There we laid all that was mortal of poor Kevin in blessed clay and with all Catholic prayer and rites.  The warders covered in the grave and we said the De Profundis. Some half-dozen soldiers who came to the door of the barracks close by, and some matrons who were looking on from a neighbouring window, were the only spectators.  It was a sad funeral indeed but I hope to live to see him removed from this and to receive from his countrymen the honours due his heroic virtues.   Sources: "Fierce Array in Dublin" Freeman's Journal, 21 September 1920. Irish Times, 22 January 1920. Carey T. Hanged for Ireland: The Forgotten Ten. Blackwater Press, Dublin. 2001. 7 October 2001  Executed Irish Men to be Reburied —from Ananova Ten men executed by the British authorities during Ireland's war of independence nearly 80 years ago are to be re-buried in a controversial Dublin government-directed move next week. The 10 include Kevin Barry, one of the most famous names to emerge from the fight for independence from British rule. An 18-year-old medical student, he was one of the youngest men — and the first — to be hanged for taking part in the rebellion and is remembered in a still-popular song named after him The re-interment has generated a political row in Dublin because the new burials will go ahead next Sunday, coinciding with the end of the ard fheis (annual conference) of the main Irish government party Fianna Fail led by Prime Minister Bertie Ahern. Because of the timing of the event, Mr Ahern and his party have been accused of "political opportunism" by Irish Labour opposition party leader Ruairi Quinn. He said: "It is entirely unacceptable for any one political party to try to appropriate for political means those who died during the War of Independence. "Yet this is clearly going to happen as the funeral is to be held on the same weekend and in the same city as the Fianna Fail ard fheis. "It is hardly a coincidence — especially within months of a general election." Mr Quinn made it clear that he backed the wish of the families involved to have the bodies removed from the grounds of Dublin's Mountjoy jail and reburied in consecrated ground, and he said it was appropriate the state should mark the occasion in a suitable and dignified way. But he added: "These men died during the war of independence, prior to the truce and civil war, and nobody can speculate as to what political position they might subsequently have taken."   See also: Kevin Barry (song) Page last updated 28 Dec 2008 Ireland's OWN Logo by Eamann Website Design and 1916 Easter Rising Background  by Michealín Daugherty Copyright © 2008 Ireland's OWN All Rights Reserved.