(by Anthony Neeson, Irelandclick.com)

The last letter of a legendary Falls Road IRA man, written just hours before he was executed, has been unearthed – 80 years after his death.

And a terminally ill Ardoyne ex-pat, now living in England, wants to present the rare piece of republican history back to his native city before he dies.

Sixty-eight-year-old John Murphy has had the final letters of executed IRA men Joe McKelvey, Liam Mellows, Richard Barrett and Rory O’Connor – known in Republican folklore as the Four Martyrs – in his possession for the past 45 years. Now he says that before he dies he would like to give the letters to local republicans to take care of.

The four IRA men were executed on December 8, 1922 by the Free State government as a reprisal for the murder of government minister Seán Hales.

All four men were from the four provinces. Joe McKelvey was a leading member of the Belfast IRA during the Tan War and after the split joined the anti-Treaty forces. Their executions were seen as particularly vindictive as they took place on the feast day of the Immaculate Conception and deepened the chasm between former comrades who had taken up different sides during the bitter schism of the Civil War.

But now John is hoping to stir the interest of local republicans in his quest to find a new home for his rare and valuable collection.

“We were in Dublin in 1957 when my wife’s aunt Biddy showed me the letters,” revealed John. “She would have known some of the lads as she was from a very strong republican family herself. When she saw how taken I was with the letters she offered me them and I jumped at the chance.

“The four letters are placed on a plaque and when you read them they would bring tears to your eyes. They are the last letters of the four executed volunteers, minutes after being informed that they were to be shot that morning. They’ve basically been in my family for 80 years, but at the minute I’m suffering very badly with my lungs and heart and to be honest I’m not sure how long I have left. But I want these letters to go to a good home, or to a museum.

“They are an important part of Irish history and should belong to people who aspire to the Republic that these men died for 80 years ago.

“I would hate to think that when I die these letters would be lost forever.”

Part of the moving letter written by Falls man Joe McKelvey reads: “My dearest, dearest mother, How can I tell you the news, I have to let you know. I don’t care for my own sake but I grieve for the pain it will give you, my darling mother.

“A document has just been read out to me that in reprisal for the shooting of... I will be shot at 8am this morning.”

The former Rossa GAA man goes on to write that he found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that he would be shot by fellow Irishmen who “are waging a war against the Republic which they would have died to uphold.”

He finishes: “Goodbye, dearest heart, give my love to all my friends.”

Speaking to the Andersonstown News last night an excited Liam Shannon, chair of the National Graves Association, said the items would be of particular interest to Belfast republicans.

“These are treasures, pure and simple,” said Liam. “The National Graves Association would be very interested in looking after these letters and putting them on show.

“These executions were particularly significant and I can’t emphasise enough how important it is that their final letters to their families have been unearthed 80 years after they were killed.”

The Andersonstown News has put Liam in touch with John.

This article appeared first on the Irelandclick.com web site on August 15, 2002.

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