Dundalk's Cllr Kelly weighs in on RIC commemoration controversy

Dundalk councillor Sean Kelly has weighed in today on the controversy surrounding the planned State commemoration for the RIC on January 17.

The Fianna Fáil councillor points to the deaths in Dundalk in 1921 of John and Patrick Watters. 

"John and Patrick Watters," said Cllr Kelly to the Democrat, "whose family owned and lived in the Windmill Bar at Seatown Place, were taken from their home at 2am on the 18th of June 1921 by members of the locally based Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and shot dead about 50 yards away.

"Today, the memory stones in Quay Street where they were shot are the only reminder of their tragic deaths.

"John (23) and Patrick (19) paid the ultimate price for the killing of a ' black and tan' by IRA activists at Dowdallshill just three hours before. Temporary Constable William Campbell (21), a native of Dumbarton, Scotland was cycling out the Newry Road when he was shot dead.

"Although John was involved with the IRA, Patrick had not, while their brother Bernard was an active member, by a ruse he managed to escape from the house, even though the Auxiliaries were there."

Cllr Kelly points to local historian Steve O'Donnell's book on the history of the conflict entitled 'The Royal Irish Constabulary and the Black and Tans in County Louth 1919 - 1922' and quotes from it:

"Study of intelligence reports in Military Archives and the witnesses statements to the Crown Forces military inquiry held in the old Louth Hospital, plus reliable local knowledge passed on over the years, did not place any of the Watters brothers in Dowdallshill that night."

Cllr Kelly giving his own opinion on the planned commemoration, said that:

"The Oxford dictionary definition of ‘to commemorate’ is to ‘recall and show respect for’.

"I believe any attempt by our State to show respect to such a barbaric act by Royal Irish Constabulary and the Auxiliaries is ill-timed and ill-judged."