The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-06-15
J0NN CONWAY TELLS OF HxPER-
I1McN OF FOUR YEARS WHILE
1GE1GBER or THE SINN FEM
Tcwn Of 1ihush. His Home, Under Mar
s1aI Law and Cltizons Underwent
Many Narrowing Hardships.

home here.
Conway Is member Of the Sim FeiH
the Irish organization which has So
strenuously fought the English troops
and ConstRhulary and his tale abounds
with Incidents which happened after the
historic Easter sunday morning. April
sth. 1916, when the Dublin rebellion
started q battle the, lasted sly days.
The proper pronunciation OF the name
of the organization. is 'Shlnn Fame. he
says.
Conway states tina, many buildings
were destroyed in Dublin during this
hight members on both sides los, their
lives and the CRY Hall. a historic build
Ing was wrecked. The Irishmen were
unorganized at the time but FASTENED to
Dublin by the thousands 10 take part ~
the fracas, he says.
In At The Outset
Young Conway was present in Dublin
during these memorable days and then
Fastening home became member OF
The kilruSh Volunteers made up OF men
Of his town. in the County OF Clare.
Their marching song. commemorative
OF tho Dublin battle was as follows: as
quoted BY Conway:
They fought six days At ten 20 one.
auGht through our lines could pass.
The English mon used Maxim guns.
And poisonous. deadly gas.
They spared no LIE property,
In crushing down Sim Fen,
And they shelled our Irish capitol
AS tho Ciern.IuS Shelled Loavain"
peculiar SORT Of grim hUm"r WAS
exhibited by Conway when ne said Il
brought valse full of poetry over
with me. Al TriShmaH IS natural born
poet and when time hIues heavy on his
hands he naturally turns 70 rhymes.
You see. We were hidden GU, in the Dogs
and bitches a great deal Of the time.
Just M-de Poetry
II a man lighted a match 10 set fire
10 cigarette a sho, would follow. We
couldn't start u Are. 50 We jus; laid
low and composed poetry.
After the h!g battle ~ Dublin. Eng
lish and Scotch troops came on To HI
rush. my hons. and We wcr" 5000 under
strict martial jdw. Then the curtew
went into effect.
"Ai citizens wer" ordered 70 stay in
their homes after seven o'clock in the
evening and not to leave them until
nine o'clock in the morning. az course
the men stole out and the cracking OF
rifles could De heard in the night.
we were NOT allowed u conCreCate
CT any place and on this acroun, could
not attend church on sundays. Il two
ur three men gathered together on a
corner in Kilrush a shot was sent in
their direction 20 warn them and - they
lid not dISpcrse a volley would be fired
at them.
Lots Of Casualties
Many citizens were wounded and
some were killed for d,sobeying the
martial Law.
"Ot course there were many reprisals.
If an Irish sirl was seen to even speak
20 n soldier or 4 member Of the con-
Ssahulary she was Stunned by all the
-neighbors and In some eases these girls
we're seized and their hair shorn OF
short to the scalp The English press
elaborated on these cases as terrible
outragss.
The entire trouble" said Mr.. Con-
way. started when the English tried to
force 'he irishrcn TO Join the army
durin: the world war by CONSUMPTION.
The Irish have always proven the back
bone ~ the United Kingdoms lighting
force and ireland was doing more than
her share IN the war. so the conscrip-
ton was not looked upon kindly. From
Easter sunday. 1915. until left ireland
q little over a year ago lived tn the
midst Of turmoil and fighting.
Sunday Encounter
We organized and drilled with
sticks One morning call came for
drill and we all attended in spite or
tho tact that the gathering was pro-
hbited. We were out 10 the number OF
ssS II was Sunday morning.
News was sent 10 the military bar
racks and the Fife and Forfnr reg!-
ment. Scottish. was sent against US.
They came at us with charged bayonets.
Of course. we lert-wIth our sticks,
Over hedges and bitches they
chased us and through plowed fields.
but we finally gave them the slip.
For months they were after our
leader. Captain Murty Tuoridy OF the
Kilrush volunteers He owned a small
farm and slipped out one day TO cut
hay. policeman In the town sent his
daughter out one day 70 buy some sour
milk 10 make biscuits and 10 see II
shc could locate Tubridy.
relltals Mole
She did not know him. but was tote
he had q mole on his forehead. Seeing
a pretty girl at the fence. our leader
went over and finding she wanted milk
went TO the house and procured Il. re-
fusinR 20 charge her for It. She saw
the mole and less than an hour later the
held was surrounded and Tubridy was
taken 70 the Kllrush jail.
That same night volunteers assault
ed the guard at the Jail. burned the
place and liberated Tubr!dy. who left
those parts for awhile. During the war
number OF American soldiers visited
kilrush and were royalty received by
members 81 the Sim Fein. One OF
them Charley Cusack an Australian. who
had Joined the American forces. after
the United States took a hand In the
war. marched In front OF our Slim Fcia
parade, was put In the Kilrush Jail and
was lIberate with Tubridy.
Martial law stopped all sorts ~
games. football. hurting bicycle racing
and horse racing. IN fact. no crowds Of
men could gather together under any
pretext. We were not allowed by law.
to leave our houses until noon on Sun
day.
When left ireland I encountered
opposition from my own organization
the Slim Fein who objected strongly to
IriShmen leaving the country and thus
reducing their ranks. However l had
made up by mind and went To Queens
town where I boarded the Baltic OF
the Allan Line and sailed for New York.
Just before I trtt my home town I
went to an America Away party. II is
ihc custom over there to give 4 dance
10 persons who are leaving for America
Ct course. the dance was given In de /
nance TO martial law. had hardly ar
ri in I