'The Tinahely Die Hards' of Wicklow Gaol
by John Goodman
Over the centuries, many of those that passed through the ‘Gates of Hell’ into Wicklow Gaol left their mark, drawn onto walls or carved into beds, to show that they had been there. While looking for something else I came across this photograph from a collection taken in the 1980’s prior to the renovation of the Gaol. It is from the interior of an unidentified cell and contains an extensive amount of graffiti which appears to all relate to two men; Mick Canavan and M. Noctor, the self- styled ‘Tinahely Die Hards IRA’.
Wicklow Gaol Cell Interior Graffiti. Photo courtesy of The Irish Architectural Archive.
The main panel of writing contains the following text:
“Remembrance of M. Canavan C. Coy. IV Batt. N.W.B Irregulars Army
M. Noctor C. Coy. IV Batt N.W.B. Iregulars (sic) Tinahely Co. Wicklow”
Armed with this information, I contacted the Irish Military archives to research these seemingly proud Tinahely patriots and discover more about how they came to be in Wicklow Gaol.
The graffiti says that they were both in ‘C’ company of the fourth battalion of the North Wexford Brigade (NWB). This makes sense as south west County Wicklow, Tinahely, Carnew, Shillelagh and other areas fell under the command of the NWB, with the remainder of the county under the Dublin Brigade. However, the archives hold no record of them participating in either The War of Independence or The Civil War. Given that the Gaol had been used in both conflicts to house ‘political’ prisoners, and they were very public about there being IRA men, it seemed strange that there would be no mention of them in the official records. So, who were these ‘Tinahely Diehards’ and why were they in Wicklow Gaol?
It turns out that the men had been convicted in Carlow for the robbery of great coats, shirts, boots, whiskey and cigarettes in a crime spree across numerous houses in Hackettstown – armed with a revolver and a bomb – on December 23rd of the previous year. Michael Noctor was the older of the two at 24-years-old, while Michael Canavan was 19 when they were sent to Mountjoy Prison.
Possession of arms, ammunition or explosives without permission under the martial law of the time could lead to indefinite penal servitude, or even death. Indeed, another of Wicklow Gaol’s inmates, Erskine Childers was arrested and executed by the Free State for possessing a pistol that had been given to him as a present by Michael Collins. When the Tinahely men completed their time in The Joy in June 1923, they were handed over to the Military Officer commanding Carlow, before being transferred to Wicklow Gaol which was being used to hold ‘political’ prisoners. These were the anti-treaty IRA men that had been fighting the Free State forces since June of 1922 in The Civil War over the partition of Ireland.
By the time Noctor and Canavan arrived in Wicklow, the number of prisoners was being reduced as the truce was in place resulting in gradual release of inmates. Their numbers were also reduced by successful escape attempts. In late July there were only five political prisoners left in the Gaol, who escaped together with the help of a sentry named Connors from Wexford who managed to obtain a single key that opened both the cell and exterior doors.
In the early hours of Monday July 18th, they made their way to into the yard. Some months previously another escape attempt had managed to breach the wall, but had been discovered before they could exit. The wall had only been roughly repaired and the five prisoners and their guard managed to reopen the hole and depart through it. The sentry took his rifle and ammunition with him and it triggered a man hunt across the area leading to a shootout in Barndarrig.
The five prisoners, one of whom was local, did not associate with Noctor and Canavan – but that did not stop the two men from declaring their IRA membership on the wall of their cell. They used this separation to good effect on Monday August 6th. While the guard was occupied by the political prisoners, the Tinahely men reopened the freshly repaired wall, again, and are said to have disappeared into the country. No trace of them was found by military patrols or in several nearby houses that were raided. Of course, this was the August Bank Holiday weekend and The Wicklow Regatta was underway, drawing thousands of visitors to the town with large crowds making their escape that much easier.
Noctor was eventually recaptured, but that wasn’t his final brush with the law. The following December he found himself before the Tinahely district court on the charge of assaulting a civic guard. Guard Nolan claimed to have come across Noctor on the street and appeared to be under the influence of drink. When he passed him, Noctor asked the Guard was he one of the men that had brought him to Wicklow in August. Noctor claimed to have been put in prison for six months for doing nothing at all, and followed the Guard into Maguires shop before making a rush at him, striking him several times in the face. The Guard managed to make his way out of the shop through the storeroom door, but was followed by Noctor who knocked him down again and gave him a couple of kicks. Noctor was led away by some bystanders.
He apologised to the Court and Guard for his behaviour saying that he had just gotten out of prison and after having a few drinks his head had gone “astray’”. Although it was a serious offence the Judge accepted his apology and let him off with a fine of 10s and court costs.
Much of the graffiti in the Gaol was lost during the renovation but at least the story of Noctor and Canavan survived thanks to the photo.
With thanks to the Irish Architectural Archive and Lisa Dolan of the the Irish Military Archives.