The Shooting of Michael O’Dempsey, March 1921 Here is how the incident was reported in The Irish Times SOLICITOR AND CLIENT MURDERED IN COUNTY CARLOW
The above headline appeared on page 5 of The Irish Times, on Friday, March 18th, 1921. Underneath, the opening paragraph reads as follows: An official report states that at nine o’clock on the night of the 15th inst., William Kennedy, merchant, of Borris, County Carlow, was shot dead outside his house. His solicitor, Michael John O’Dempsey, was struck by a bullet and dangerously wounded. Both Kennedy and O’Dempsey had attended that day the High Court proceedings at Carlow Assizes.
Michael John O’Dempsey
A more detailed account of the shooting follows, as reported by the Enniscorthy Correspondent of The Irish Times, who communicated by telegraph. A facsimile of the story, as it appeared at the time, is given on the next two pages, from the archive of The Irish Times. In 1921, the civil war between the Irish Volunteers and the British Crown Forces was raging and shootings would be common. However this was different, as the targets were two ordinary civilians, going about their normal business, which involved a civil court case. This was taken by Kennedy, as the report goes on to say, “following unpleasantness, which, it is said, resulted from his refusal to close his business establishment on the day of the late Lord Mayor MacSwiney’s funeral.”
The Irish Times Friday, March 18, 1921 Page 5 This page shows the article as it originally appeared in the newspaper. The article itself can be read on the following page.
This is the article's web address for reference. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1921/03 18/Pg005.html#Ar00509
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Report in The Irish Times Friday, March 18th, 1921
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspape r/archive/1921/0318/Pg005.html#Ar 00509 3