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Revision as of 23:11, 25 December 2006 by 81.156.153.180 (talk) (typo)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other people named Kevin Barry, see Kevin Barry (disambiguation).Kevin Barry (20 January, 1902 - 1 November, 1920) was an Irish medical student who fought in the Irish War of Independence, becoming one of its earliest and most remembered martyrs. Barry was born in Dublin, and grew up both there and in rural County Carlow. He entered the exclusive Belvedere College in 1916. During his second year there he joined the Irish Volunteers, and initially was charged with delivering motivation orders. In 1919, he enrolled at University College Dublin to study medicine.
During the war against the British, Barry was promoted to Section Commander, and took part in various raids for arms throughout the city. On 20 September, 1920, he took part in an ambush of a lorry of British soldiers. In the ensuing gunfight, six of them were killed, making them the first military deaths the British had suffered in Ireland since the Easter Rising.
Barry was captured hiding under a truck after his comrades fled the scene. The British reportedly tortured him in an attempt to find out the names of other men involved in the raid. Barry refused to tell, and was hanged in Mountjoy Prison on 1 November, despite a reported request to be shot as a soldier. He was 18 years old. The execution was used by Sinn Féin to help foster anti-British sentiment throughout the country. Many students his age joined the Irish Republican Army following his execution.
Kevin Barry is remembered in a well-known song about his imprisonment and execution, written shortly after his death and still sung today. The tune to "Kevin Barry" was taken from "Rolling Home to Dear Old Ireland". There is also a song called "Shall my soul pass trough Old Ireland" written for Kevin Barry.
The words of Kevin Barry:-
- In Mountjoy jail one Monday morning
- High upon the gallows tree
- Kevin Barry gave his young life
- For the cause of liberty
- Just a lad of eighteen summers
- Yet there's no one can deny
- As he walked to death that morning
- He proudly held his head on high
- CHORUS: Shoot me like an Irish soldier,
- Do not hang me like a dog;
- For I fought for Ireland's freedom
- On that dark September morn,
- All around that little bakery,
- Where we fought them hand to hand.
- Shoot me like an Irish soldier
- For I fought to free Ireland.
- Just before he faced the hangman
- In his dreary prison cell
- British soldiers tortured Barry
- Just because he would not tell
- The names of his brave comrades
- Certain things they wished to know
- "Turn informer or we'll kill you"
- Kevin Barry answered "No"
- Calmly standing to attention
- While he bade his last farewell
- To his broken hearted mother
- Whose sad grief no one can tell
- For the cause he proudly cherished
- This sad parting had to be
- Then to death he walked on smiling
- That old Ireland might be free
- Another martyr for old Ireland
- Another murder for the crown
- Whose brutal laws may kill the Irish
- But can't keep their spirits down
- Lads like Barry are no cowards
- From the foe they will not fly
- Lads like Barry will free Ireland
- For her sake they'll live and die
On October 14 2001 the remains of Barry and 9 other volunteers from the War of Independence were given a state funeral and moved from Mountjoy Prison to be re-interred at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin.