1916 courts martial and executions: Joseph Plunkett

Joseph Plunkett told his court martial that the Proclamation was signed by people “not connected” with the Irish Volunteers, records kept in the British National Archives show.

Dublin-born Plunkett, was 28 when he was executed. He was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a director of military operations during the Easter Rising and a signatory to the Proclamation.

His court martial was held on May 3rd and he was charged, as the others were, with taking part in an armed rebellion with the intention and for the purpose of assisting the enemy.

His judges were Brig Gen Ernest Maconchy, Lieut Col Arthur Bent, and Maj Francis Willoughby Woodward.

Handwritten notes from the trial show three witnesses gave evidence against Plunkett.

The first, Maj Philip Holmes, 5th Battalion, identified him as one of the leaders of “a large company of Sinn Feiners” who surrendered on the evening of April 29th, at the northern end of Sackville Street.

This was an area “to which the Sinn Feiners who had been in the Post Office for several days had retired when the Post Office was burnt”, he said.

“The Sinn Feiners in the Post Office had been firing on the troops for several days & had killed & wounded a number of soldiers.”

When he surrendered, he said Plunkett was dressed in the green uniform he was still wearing, with captain’s badges of rank on his sleeves.

A second witness, Sgt John Bruton of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, was one of the few giving evidence at the court martials who was not a British soldier.

He said he knew Plunkett and had seen him entering and leaving the headquarters of the Irish Volunteers at no 2 Dawson Street, dressed in the uniform of the Irish Volunteers on at least one occasion.

“His name appears on the Proclamation issued by the Irish Volunteers & I believe him to be a member of the Executive Council of that body,” he said.

Plunkett asked him how he knew the Proclamation was issued by the volunteers.

“I know that the names of the men which appear at the foot of the Proclamation are connected with the Irish Volunteers,” the policeman said, and listed PH Pearse, Edward Kent, Thomas MacDonagh and John MacDermott as members of the council.

The third witness, Lieut Col HS Hodgkin, of the 6th Sherwood Foresters, had brief evidence to offer.

“I saw the prisoner when he surrendered on the 29 April. He was wearing a sword & pistol,” he said.

Plunkett told his accusers he had nothing to say in his defence, but he wanted to clarify the matter of the Proclamation.

“The Proclamation referred to in Sgt Bruton’s evidence is signed by persons who are not connected with the Irish Volunteers and the Proclamation was not issued by the Irish Volunteers,” he said.

There was nothing in Plunkett’s file referring to his marriage to Grace Gifford on the evening of his court martial.

He was executed, with Willie Pearse and Michael O’Hanrahan on May 4th. –