Page 1 - Kilkenny Jail 22 November 1921

Kilkenny jail artists Kilkenny jail escapees

Kilkenny Jail

The artwork around the border of the souvenir given to Rev. Holland was not the only piece of artwork that Seán Quilter The following is a list of the escapees from Kilkenny jail on
and Peter Quinlan managed to do while they were prisoners. They were frequent contributors to the autograph books the night of 22 November 1921. It is compiled from a variety
that somehow managed to circulate within the jail at the time. Their sketches vary from humorous, to caricatures of of sources. The spelling of surnames, and the county of
guards, an unflattering image of a visiting justice or sketches of other prisoners. Those presented here are just a small origin varies amongst the sources, any errors or omissions
sample and show a jovial side to the artists nature and to prison life while lampooning the jailors and other dignitaries. are unintentional. The most complete list is in the surviving 22 November 1921
jail registers where the annotation ‘escaped from jail’ is
noted. This is the list used below.
Edward Balfe, Enniscorthy.
Extract from Autograph book Q034, property of Kilkenny Thomas Barry, Co. Wexford.
Archaeological Society, used with kind permission of the society. Thomas Brennan, Kilkenny.
Michael Burke, Co. Tipperary.
Frank Byrne, Ballyporeen.
This is one of the entries by Fr Delahunty. The quote
Thomas Carrick, Co. Sligo.
reads ‘Knowledge and organisation will set Ireland free
Laurence Condon, Fermoy.
and make her prosperous’. It is dated 5 November 1921.
David Connolly, Clonee.
Cornelius Conroy, Cork city.
P.H. Delahunty, Mooncoin.
William Donoghue, Co. Carlow.
Lawrence Fraher, Dungarvan.
Daniel Gibbons, Armagh. N
John Grehan, Naas.
James Hanrahan, Co. Kilkenny.
Thomas Hyland, Portarlington.
Martin Kealy, Gowran.
Thomas, Kearns, Co. Limerick.
James Kelly, Geashill.
Joseph Kelly, Lusk.
Extract from Autograph book Q034, property of Kilkenny Gerald Kenneally, Youghal.
Archaeological Society, used with kind permission of the society. John Keogh, Kells Co. Meath.
Michael Kirwan, Enniscorthy.
Extract from Autograph book Q037, property of Extract from Autograph book Q037, property of Thomas Brennan’s entry contains a short poem. ‘Oh Thomas Leonard, Athlone.
Kilkenny Archaeological Society, used with Kilkenny Archaeological Society, used with Ireland, Oh Ireland, So long in the shade, Thy star will William McNamara, Ennis.
kind permission of the society. kind permission of the society.
shine out, When the brightest shall fade!’. His entry is Michael Murney, Co. Down.
dated November 1921. Henry Meaney, Limerick city.
Timothy Murphy, Co. Limerick.
Timothy Murphy, Co. Cork.
Joseph O’Connor, Co. Wicklow.
Edward O’Dwyer, Limerick city.
Patrick O’Halloran, Co. Tipperary.
William O’Leary, Clonee.
Patrick O’Neill, Chapelizod. Pit
James Pollock, Cork city.
Patrick Power, Co. Waterford.
John Power, Waterford city.
James Power, Kilmacthomas.
Edward Punch, Limerick city.
Séan Quilter, Ardfert.
Jeremiah Ryan, Thurles.
James Thompson, Cork city.
John Tobin, Carrigtouhill. R.

Extract from Autograph book Q037, property of Kilkenny
Archaeological Society, used with kind permission of the society. Modern Printers 056 7721739 P.

Another entry describes in brief the layout of the wings of
Extract from Autograph book Q037, property of Extract from Autograph book Q037, property of the jail. It shows that both A and B wing had four floors 0m 50m
Kilkenny Archaeological Society, used with Kilkenny Archaeological Society, used with and that the basement floor was shut off by barbed wire.
kind permission of the society. kind permission of the society.
This ties in with the oral evidence from the bureau of
military history which states that access to this floor was
completely cut off. It also states that ‘All prisoners in A
Kilkenny jail autograph books wing are now in A3’. They also had access to the cell
directly over the basement area from which they would
make their escape. This entry is dated 21 October 1921,
just one month before the escape and it is simply initialled The ‘souvenir’ poster presented to Rev. P. Holland, item Q070,
Three autograph books survive in the archives of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society in Rothe House, while at least one
P.H.D., this was Fr Delahunty. property of Kilkenny Archaeological Society,
more is known to survive in a private collection. These are the Donoghue Doyle, Shelley and O’Liahain autograph books used with kind permission of the society.
or albums. The Donoghue Doyle volume is the one with the clearest selection of dates with many of the entries dating to
Perhaps this was a message to someone on the outside,
November 1921. The Shelley book is dated on the cover to 12 October 1921 with some of the individual entries undated Supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht,
perhaps it was just a coincidence, either way the fact Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative.
with others dated between September and October. Finally, the O’Liahain book postdates the War of Independence with On the night of 22 November 1921,
that prisoners were recording this information and it was
many of the entries dated to November or December 1922. These autograph books seem to have been handed around
making its way outside the walls of the prison is another
the jail and the prisoners wrote short notes, poems, limericks, brief comments or included sketches. Among those who forty-three prisoners escaped from Kilkenny jail.
indicator that security was lax in the months before the
wrote in the books were Fr Delahunty and Thomas Brennan.
escape. Credits: Author and Research, Fergal Donoghue.
This project forms part of Kilkenny County Council Library’s Service’s,
Decade of Centenaries Programme.