Recalling tragic killing of Borrisoleigh youth

Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution has organised a tour on Saturday to recall the shooting dead of local teenager Martin Burke at Garrengreana, Borrisoleigh.

On March 21st 1921 a 13-year old boy on his way to Garrengreana school stopped to give a helping hand to Martin Burke, who was filling water. The 16-year old Burke, a son of Andrew Burke of Ross Cottage, was drawing water from a surface well near the bridge and filling a barrel that was placed on an cart on the roadside.
As the young boys were working, a Crossley Tender of Auxiliaries, traveling from Toomevara to Borrisoleigh, happened to pass by. As coroner’s inquests had at this stage been dispensed with under the Restoration of Order in Ireland Act, it was left to a Court of Military Inquiry to determine the truth as to what happened.

The man in charge of the Auxiliary section was Lieutenant HJ Splatt from the Marylebone district of London. He testified that from a distance of 350 to 400 yards, he observed the youths leaning on the parapet of the bridge and he called on them to come forward. When they did not do so, he said that he fired two or three revolver shots in the air.

According to Splatt, the boys continued to run. “I then turned the Lewis gun on them and fired. I then went along with the tender and found the dead body of a youth.”
The driver of the tender, Sergeant David Hossack, gave a written deposition to the Court of Inquiry that briefly stated: “I collaborate the above.”
Daniel Ryan, the young schoolboy, then testified before the inquiry.

“On 21-3-21, I was on my way to school when I stopped to help Martin Burke fill his water cart. We were coming away from the well when I heard some shots and Martin Burke fell at my side and I saw that he had been hit in the head.”

Andrew Burke, the boy’s father, and the RIC Sergeant in Borrisoleigh, Thomas G Teape, also testified but the evidence of neither could shed any clarity on what actually occurred at Garrengreana on that day.

The Court returned a verdict of “death due to haemorrhage and shock as a result of bullet wounds received”. A rider was also added, stating that “no blame could be apportioned to Lieutenant HJ Splatt”.

Martin Burke was buried on March 23rd in the family plot in Ileigh churchyard. The court's findings were forwarded to the office of the Under Secretary in Dublin Castle. A reply was issued saying that the “killing was unnecessary”, as an order given from a distance of up to 400 yards was scarcely going to be heard.
But in climate, where the currency of human life had become almost worthless, no sanction was imposed on the man who took a life for little more than self-amusement.

To help fund the placing of a commemorative plaque at the place where this tragic incident occurred, Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution is organising a bus tour to the places of interest associated with the War of Independence in West Tipperary and East Limerick. We will visit many of the sites where some of the most significant actions of that time occurred - Soloheadbeg, Knocklong, Donohill, Aherlow, etc.

The tour will depart from the Square in Borrisoleigh at 9.30am on Saturday July 27th. The fare, excluding food, refreshments, etc, is €25. For details / booking, phone 086 2752634.

Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution is comprised of a group of local historians who, through lectures, guided tours, seminars, pageantry and various publications, present the history of Tipperary’s revolutionary period, in a non-political way.