Usk Jail death 1918
By Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Continued from last week
Like many of the other released prisoners in June 1917, Volunteer
Richard Coleman of Swords travelled to Clare to help Sinn Féin and the
Irish Volunteers in their efforts to get Eamonn de Valera elected in
the by-election (see AP/RN 12 & 19 August).
While there he addressed the first uniformed parade of Irish
Volunteers to be held since 1916. For this, he was arrested and jailed
for six months. While in Mountjoy Jail, he and the other prisoners
went on hunger-strike, led by Thomas Ashe. Ashe's death led to such a
public outcry that the remaining prisoners were first moved to Cork
Jail and then Dundalk Jail before being finally released.
Richard was not to remain `at large' for long and he was again
arrested, along with many of the other republican leaders who'd been
active in rebuilding the Movement, as part of the British authorities'
`German Plot' conspiracy.
The prisoners were assembled first in Dublin Castle on 17 May 1918 and
were then divided up and sent to Usk and Gloucester Jails in Britain.
Conditions were harsh in the jail and attempts were made to
criminalise them with the order to wear prison uniforms. They resisted
and at the direction of the Home Office the prison governor, Mr Young,
capitulated. On their first night in Usk, the internees won the right
to free association, the right to receive and send letters, to smoke
and to wear their own clothes.
Despite their victory, the prison regime and their confinement
weakened the men and with the onset of a severe winter, many succumbed
to the influenza virus which had reached epidemic proportions, killing
hundreds outside the prison walls. Richard was among a group of POWs
struck down by the virus - they were left in their damp and cold cells
for three days after the flu struck them down. On 1 December, a new
prison doctor, Dr. Morton took up his new duties in the prison and
immediately he diagnosed that Richard had now suffering from pneumonia
and he had him transferred to hospital. He died a few days later on 9
December 1918.
Remembering the result of Thomas Ashe's inquest - that the prison
authorities were culpable - no formal inquest was allowed and when
Richard's brother arrived he was prevented from getting an adjournment
of the local inquest so as to instruct a solicitor. The local inquest
heard Richard's brother state that Richard was a strong healthy man at
the time of his arrest, while three fellow POWs attested to the
insanitary conditions in the jail and that improper nursing
contributed to his death. These statements got good publicity in the
Irish press and added to the campaign to get the POWs released.
Richard Coleman's remains were released to his brother and were taken
to Dublin where they lay in state for a week in St Andrew's Church,
Westland Row. Over 100,000 people filed past the coffin to pay their
last respects. Volunteers in uniform formed a guard of honour during
that time. A public funeral procession in driving rain from Westland
Row to Glasnevin was followed by over 15,000 people. Three volleys
were fired over the grave in Glasnevin Cemetery by six Volunteers
despite a huge police presence. The size of the crowd prevented the
police from moving against the Volunteers.
Volunteer Richard Coleman's death in an English jail, aided Sinn Féin
campaign against Britain's occupation and their general election
campaign which was in full swing at this stage, and two weeks later
Sinn Féin won a landslide victory of parliamentary seats. A month
later in January 1919 Sinn Féin MPs met as Dáil Éireann for the first
time. The escape from Usk Jail (see AP/RN January 28 1999) by four of
Richard's comrades on the same day saw that republican POWs were
unbroken and unbowed by their comrade's death.
Volunteer Richard Coleman died of pneumonia in Usk Jail on 9 December
1918, 81 years ago this week.
(additional research by Nigel Heffernan)
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