JackFinlayStory

The shooting of Jack Finlay of D.E. Williams, Tullamore, in a robbery at Lemanaghan, Ballycumber, County Offaly on 12 February 1923. By Jackie Finlay.
Jack's story starts as a small boy growing up in Dillon Street, Tullamore in the 1940s. I remember seeing a cutting from a newspaper which I presumed was from a Tipperary weekly paper. The article covered a report of a feis and sports held in a field at the Golden Vale Hotel in Dundrum Co. Tipperary. It mentioned about the Misses Crummy from Ballydine taking part in the Irish dancing. A small report on the opposite side of the cutting was headed
Shooting near Birr. Charged at Birr with conspiring in 1923 to kill and killing John Finlay, Tullamore. Chas and Peter Molloy and Michael Coyne were sent for trial.
What is so unusual about this paper cutting from 1923?
My mother, one of the Misses Crummy mentioned in the article, was now working in Tullamore for T. English & Co. She met and married my father Thomas, brother of John Finlay some ten years later.
Drays outside the Williams shop and offices at Barrack/Patrick St., Tullamore about 1904. The motor lorry was more general from 1915. One of the T. English shops was on the corner with William/Columcille Street.
What a coincidence?
When I was growing up my father never spoke about the civil war, but I knew that his family were staunch Republicans. I knew that my uncle Jack, as he was known, worked for D.E. Williams in Tullamore. His job entailed delivering goods by horse and cart to shops owned by the company throughout the midlands. He had been working for the company for the previous eight years. He left Tullamore about 10.30 on Monday morning February 12th 1923 with a cargo of provisions for the branch houses in Clara, Ballycumber and Ferbane. He reached Ballycumber shortly after 2 o’clock, when, having delivered some goods to the manager of the branch house there and also to Flynn’s public house, he continued his journey to Ferbane. The story goes that when driving along the road nearing Lemanaghan he was accosted by two of three armed men, who halted him and proceeded to raid his load. He had been robbed before and was warned by his employers that the next time this happened he would lose his job, as they were under the opinion that coming from a Republican background he was handing over his load to the I.R.A.
The Williams shop at Ballycumber about 1904.
Jack was described in the newspapers as a man of powerful physique resisted the raiders, one of whom seeing they were not likely to succeed in the enterprise, and that they were likely to get worsted, presented a rifle with which was armed, fired, shooting Jack through the heart. The horse and dray were found on the roadside some distance from the body, nothing having apparently been interfered with. It is thought that when the raiders saw what they had done that they decamped as quickly as they could across the fields not venturing to interfere with the contents of the dray. A Mauser rifle cartridge case was found near the scene of the tragedy
The occurrence was reported to the Civic Guards at Clara, a number of whom proceeded to the scene of the shooting and had the body removed to Ballycumber where an inquest was held by Dr Wm. Meagher, Ferbane. The jury found that the deceased was shot by some person or persons unknown, and tendered sympathy to his family. It was reported deceased was 26 years of age, was a young man of splendid physique and muscle. He was a prominent Gaelic footballer having taken part in many senior Offaly championships matches, and on several occasions had represented his county.
His tragic death will no doubt be regretted by every Gael in Offaly.
The remains were conveyed to Killeenmore , the home of the deceased by motor on Tuesday night. His tragic death has cast a gloom over Killeigh and district where deceased was a favourite with all classes. The funeral of young Finlay took place from Killeigh church on Wednesday afternoon, and was the largest held for possibly a century in that neighbourhood. The cortege comprised hundreds of young men and dozens of horse and motor vehicles. There was a big contingent of ex-I.R.A. men from Tullamore, and Wednesday being half-holiday, a large number of Messrs Williams’s employees attended. Mr M. Whelan T.C. represented the Transport Workers Union; several members of the Tullamore Urban Council, including the vice-chairman, Mr Berrill were present. Wreaths were sent from Tullamore ex-I.R.A. men, and from Offaly No.1 Brigade I.R.A., to which the deceased belonged, and with whom he took a prominent part in the fight against the British in the years 1920-21, being subsequently captured and interned. There was a beautiful wreath from the Tullamore G.A.A. club, which was represented by Messrs Holland, O’Brien, Hogan and Fitzsimons. Several other clubs from throughout the county were also represented including Killeigh and Ballycommon.