The publication of research initiated from 1986 into the loss of the Steam Trawler Leukos   SS Ardmore and the disclosure of the Irish Government's failure during the period 1939-46 to Register the Deaths of  Seamen lost on Irish vessels has generated many enquiries from families and survivors. Consequently the Irish  Seamen’s Relatives Association (1939-46) has been specifically formed to provide as much information as possible for the benefit of relatives of seafarers who were killed as a direct result of belligerent action while serving on neutral Irish Registered Vessels during World War Two. Membership of our Association is by invitation and strictly limited to next of kin. We will from time to time highlight issues relevant to families of Irish born service personnel irrespective of country. Lance Cpl Ian Malone Irish Guards and Piper Christopher Muzvuru Irish Guards killed in action, Basra, 6th of April 2003 and members of the Irish Naval Service  Irish Air Corps  Irish Army who lost their lives in service at home or on service with the United Nations are all remembered.

Between the 3rd of September 1939 to the 31st of March 1946 approximately 4000 seafarers would have served on neutral Irish merchant ships and fishing trawlers. They came from the UK, USA, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Argentina, Norway, Sweden, Estonia and Russia. Of the 149 seamen who were lost on Irish vessels sunk as a result of belligerent action, 18 were British [Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales], 1 Norwegian, 1 Latvian and 1 Argentinean, the rest were Irish Nationals. Many had also served during the first world war in the Royal Navy, Royal Flying Corps, Merchant Navy and in units of the British Army.  Organised by the Irish Government, the Annual National Day of Commemoration Ceremony in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin, was initiated to honour Irishmen and Irishwomen who died in past wars or on service with the United Nations.  This exclusive and politically correct epitaph does not recognise the vital contribution made by foreign nationals to Ireland's survival during the emergency period 1939-46.  In consequence and inter alia,  we will also remember those seafarers who lost their lives on allied ships which had been contracted by the Irish Government to bring supplies to Ireland during that time; Lest we forget those of whom Irish history does not commemorate ?

Shot at Dawn Campaign Irl

Inaugurated on the 27th June 2002 The Shot at Dawn Campaign Irl co-ordinated by the Irish Seamen's Relatives Association (1939-46) sought to persuade the British Government to grant pardons to 26 Irish born British soldiers in particular and 275 other ranks in the British Army who were executed (to encourage others; pour encourager les autres) during world war one for various alleged military offences which ceased in 1929 to be punishable by death.  Subsequently the Irish Government was persuaded to support our efforts. A statement on the 14th of November 2003 by the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Brian Cowen TD pledging the Irish Government's support for the Irish Shot at Dawn Campaign indicates a commitment to respect and vindicate the diversity of all our traditions and will be seen as a positive contribution to the momentum toward reconciliation on this island. On the 10th of December 2003 members of the Irish Parliament debated and showed their support for the Shot at Dawn Campaign Irl. On Thursday 28th October 2004 the newly appointed Irish Minister for Foreign affairs announced the submission of a Report to the British Government on the twenty-six Irish soldiers ‘Shot at Dawn’ during World War l. On Thursday the 4th of November 2004 in the company of a news team from Channel 4, the Irish Seamen's Relatives Association (1939) presented into the care of the Irish War Memorial at Islandbridge, Dublin, a list of all Irish Born British soldiers executed during world war one including copies of their courtsmartial files. On Thursday 11th of November 2004 Armistice Day the Shot at Dawn Campaign Irl petition was formally shut down from our website at 11.02hrs directly after the two minutes silence. The Petition was then made available for a final signing from 12pm to 3pm outside the GPO in Dublin. (In an act of reconciliation the Irish Seamen’s Relatives Association (1939-46) supported the endeavour of the Royal British Legion Republic of Ireland Branch in their annual poppy appeal by also having poppies available outside the GPO for the first time in many years). On Tuesday 28th March 2006 Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern T.D laid before the Oireachtas a Report prepared in 2004 by his Department into the courts-martial and executions of 26 Irish-Born Soldiers by the British Army during the First World War. The Minister called for pardons for these Irish Soldiers executed during First World War (‘Shot at Dawn’). He stated:

1. Our unwavering objective is to engage in finding an agreed resolution on this issue that would bring comfort to the families of those executed.

2. The Minister recalled that this year marked the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. He stressed that it was in the spirit of recognising the experience and sacrifice of all our countrymen who fell during the First World War, that the Government had lent its support to the campaign to secure pardons for those Irish men who were 'shot at dawn'.

3. It is our objective to recover their memory from the dishonour that was done to them some 90 years ago.

4. A Debate was subsequently held in the Seanad on the Irish Shot at Dawn. see Irish Seanad Debates-Shot at Dawn Campaign: Statements.

On the pretext that such a measure would be persuasive in encouraging a British Government to look more sympathetically at the pardons issue it was suggested particularly by some individuals in the UK associated with the British Shot at Dawn Pardons Campaign, that the Irish Government should independently proceed and pardon all our Irish born executed British soldiers irrespective of any British determination on the matter, effectively calling for an Irish panacea to a British dilemma. Those that support such a course of action should note the following: Regardless of any British response to Irish representations, constitutional obstacles and political sensitivities would dictate that any pardon an Irish Government might consider would only affect those Irish born in the Republic of Ireland, would exclude those who were born in Northern Ireland, would not affect the soldiers courtsmartial file, it being held by the Ministry of Defence outside Irish jurisdiction and would ultimately taking into account historical concerns be divisive. Such a pardon is not worth a penny candle. Through the successful efforts of the Shot at Dawn Campaign Irl the Irish people have now spoken at length, through debates in the Irish parliament, in the Irish senate, through individual politicians and local councils from north and south, the churches, trade unions and through ordinary citizens from Belfast to Cork, to indicate their support for pardons. This in itself is a cogent statement in principal by all the Irish people and is the much sought after moral high ground alluded to by others. We do not support the introduction of any moot or so called ad hoc Irish legislative instrument to resolve what is a British problem. Evidence has also surfaced to indicate that there is probably more Irish born executed than at first thought thereby casting doubt as to the exact figure. The Irish Government Report initiated primarily to support the efforts of the Shot at Dawn Campaign Irl corroborates the long held belief of enough reasonable doubt existing to say that those who were executed during world war one for various alleged military offences which ceased in 1929 to be punishable by death should all be pardoned. It would be manifestly unjust and a dishonour to their memory to do otherwise.

The Conclusion of the Shot at Dawn Campaign Irl Effort

The passing into British law of  the PARDONS FOR SERVICEMEN EXECUTED FOR DISCIPLINARY OFFENCES: RECOGNITION AS VICTIMS OF FIRST WORLD WAR on Wednesday 8th November 2006 meets the objective of the Shot at Dawn Campaign Irl, in that, the amendment is a political mechanism which allows for restrospective pardons in world war one execution cases with an extra safeguard (the amendment will not affect the Royal Prerogative of Mercy) giving families the right to petition for the Royal Prerogative of Mercy, if they so wish. It should be noted that the NEW ZEALAND PARDON FOR SOLDIERS OF THE GREAT WAR ACT 2000 and Mr Justice Burnton’s opinion ¹ in the Farr case (May 2005), set both the political and legal parameters for future British action on the pardons issue. While this amendment is flawed, we believe, that  it goes some way towards meeting the NZ pardons Act, which was primarily introduced to remove in so far as practible the stigma of dishonour attached to the executions of New Zealand soldiers and which also did not quash the conviction or sentence of their executed.

Despite the fact that this British pardon will not overturn the original verdicts or sentence we are satisfied taking into account DES BROWN'S STATEMENT OF CLARIFICATION ON THE 18TH SEPTEMBER 2006 together with the Minister’s concluding remarks during the COMMONS DEBATE - 7TH NOVEMBER 2006, that the intention of the pardon is to remove the dishonour of the execution and that it stands as a recognition that execution was not a fate that the servicemen deserved. This will conclude the Irish campaign effort. The SHOT AT DAWN CAMPAIGN IRL, would like to take this opportunity to commend the moral courage of DEFENCE SECRETARY, THE RT HON DES BROWN MP for his positive action on the WW1 pardons issue. We would also like to express our gratitude to the MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS MR DERMOT AHERN TD and his staff in Iveagh House for their enduring support for our efforts. There have been many organisations, politicians of different hues, councils, trades unions, THE MEDIA and particularly the ordinary man and woman in the street throughout Ireland and further afield who supported the Irish Shot at Dawn Campaign over the years and who are now entitled to share in the collective credit. On behalf of our families we thank you all.

1 In an application in May of 2005, Mr Justice Stanley Burnton found that there was 'room for argument' that he (Private Harry Farr) had been wrongly refused a conditional pardon. However Mr Justice Burnton also declared inter alia that the family of Private Farr lacked the legal grounds for a free pardon......thereby ruling out the *free pardon/full pardon option in a leading case which many observers believe to be one of the most deserving of a free pardon/full pardon.  Significantly, Mr Justice Burnton's opinion effectively raised the legal bar by setting a precedent insofar as future applications for pardons in world war one execution cases would only be dealth with on the basis of the 'room for argument' principle via the conditional pardon route...legally capping future British political outcomes to the pardons issue.  Consequently, the legal limitations of the 'room for argument' principle via the conditional pardon  route first enunciated by Mr Justice Burnton in the Farr case in May 2005, are now reflected in the 2006 British Pardons Amendment. *A free pardon/full pardon is understood to mean a pardon not encumbered by any expressly stated constraint or weighted legal, parliamentary or royal impediment narrowing its scope or effect.

Re an Irish Pardon for Irish born British soldiers Shot at Dawn: On the pretext that such a measure would be persuasive in encouraging a British Government to look more sympathetically at the pardons issue it was suggested during the campaign particularly by Andrew MacKinlay MP and some individuals in the UK associated with the British Shot at Dawn Pardons Campaign, that the Irish Government should independently proceed and pardon all our Irish born executed British soldiers irrespective of any British determination on the matter, effectively calling for an Irish panacea to a British dilemma prior to any final adjudication in the Farr case and significantly without consulting with the Irish campaign effort ignoring our concerns. Those that mooted such a course of action should note the following. Constitutional obstacles and political sensitivities would have dictated that any pardon an Irish Government might have considered would only have effected those Irish born in the Republic of Ireland, would have excluded those who were born in Northern Ireland, would not have effected the soldiers courts martial file it being held by the Ministry of Defence outside Irish jurisdiction, and taking into account historical concerns would ultimately have been divisive. Such an Irish pardon is, and was, never worth a penny candle, and if introduced would have needlessly jeopardised the interests of our Irish families during a very sensitive time in the Irish Shot at Dawn Campaign. It is to their inestimable credit that the Irish Government took the advice of the Shot at Dawn Campaign Irl resisted that pressure and disregarded those UK representations on behalf of the British Shot at Dawn Pardons Campaign, a decision later vindicated by the introduction of the 2006 British Pardons Amendment.

Peter Mulvany is chairperson of the Irish Seamen's Relatives Association (1939-46) and co-ordinator for the Shot at Dawn Campaign Irl. He is an honours law graduate and post graduate of University College Dublin; is an arts administrator by profession and is currently employed with Dublin Bus; he is as a member of the Alumni Association University College Dublin (An Oifig Forbartha d'Alumni); member of  Na Píobairí Uilleann (The Society of Uilleann Pipers); and the next of kin of Patricio McCarthy lost on the Steam Trawler Leukos 9th March 1940 (who is the only Argentinean national to have lost his life on an Irish registered vessel during World War Two). On the 24th February 2002 the Irish Mercantile Marine (Valour) Medal posthumously awarded by the Irish Government to Patricio McCarthy after the WW2,  was presented to his next of kin Peter Mulvany by Mr Hugh Byrne TD Minister of  State for Marine and Natural Resources in Dublin Castle. Patricio's citation was presented by his excellency Mr Victor E Beauge Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to Ireland. This posthumous award is the Highest Decoration issued by the Irish Government for service on Irish registered vessels from 1939-46 and is only granted in the exceptional case of bravery, death or disablement of a seaman through belligerent action. On Sunday the 31st of August 2003 members of the Argentine Navy attended a memorial mass  in Foxford, County Mayo; birth place of Grand-Admiral William Brown founder of the Argentine Navy. With permission of the Irish Government; courtesy of the Irish Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources, Patricio McCarthy's Valour Medal was presented to Lieutenant Santiago Michaelis Roldan Argentine Navy, for eventual display in the dedicated Irish section of the Armada Argentina Museo Naval De La Nacion (Argentinean Naval Museum of the Nation) located in Tigre, Buenos Aires. Patricio's name is recorded with his shipmates on the roll of honour of the Irish Merchant Seamens Memorial located on City Quay in Dublin. The names of the crews lost on the Steam Trawler Leukos and SS Ardmore are also remembered on the seamens memorial in Kilmore Quay County Wexford. On the 24th of September 2001, sponsored by the Irish Seamen's Relatives Association (1939-46) the Irish Merchant Navy Memorial Plaque and Plinth uniquely embossed with the Irish flag commemorating those crews lost on Irish registered vessels during World War Two was erected in the British Merchant Navy Section of the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, England, which is managed by the Royal British Legion. On Saturday 1st September 2007 Shipmate Harry Callan unveiled the Newly Refurbished Irish Merchant Navy Plaque dedicated to all who lost their lives on Irish Merchant Ships and Fishing Fleet during world war two. Shipmate Callan also unveiled a memorial plaque recording the names of the 5 Irish Born Merchant  Seamen who lost their lives as a result of Gestapo ill-treatment in the Arbeitsertziehungslager Located in Bremen-Farge 1943-45. For contact: email mulvanypeterie@yahoo.co.uk

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