--- Page 1 ---
R. I. C. Bailyneigue, Tralee, Co. Kerry.
The Editor/
Constabulary Gazette
21 4 1917
Sir/
To-day is the anniversary of the Casement landing the 21st., and even after twelve months I feel deeply the scandalous way I was treated by my authorities for the part I took in the case. As Editor of the Constabulary Gazette I think it is only right that you should know about it. I would have acquainted you previously but that it is only a short time since the last of the awards was made-that is the calling up of Sergt. Hearn of Ardfort for examination for promotion to rank of Head-Constable, and his notification of having passed the examination.
I will be short as possible, still the account most of necessity be long, but I will omit a good deal.
On Thursday the 20th of April 1916 I was on patrol duty (five miles away) and noticed at about 2p.m. a vessel far out to sea, a steamer, I watched her for some time, became suspicious, and on my return to Barracks I sent a Constabulary Gazette to Kerry Head to watch her and report her to the Coast-Guard here if she was suspicious. He did so. The Coast-Guard told me later the same evening that she was all right, that she had been examined by a patrol boat. Next morning at 6.30 I saw the same steamer at anchor (where she anchored the previous end off the Manarees, there was a patrol boat alongside of her. A few minutes before 10 a.m. I heard that a boat had landed at Currahane Strand with arms. I rang up the Coast-Guard here and directed him to ring up the Divisional Office at Dingle in order to get the wireless working. He did so with the result that a patrol boat came along at once to this steamer and immediately afterwards a second patrol boat came up and evidently took charge of the steamer for the three steamed away together and the last seen of them as they rounded B-randsed-Branded Head was the three together, a patrol boat each side of the stranded steamer.
To be short the strange steamer was the Aude, she was laden with guns and ammunition for the Sinn Feiners here and was to have been met by them at Fenit (Tralee).
Having sent the telephone messages I returned to Barracks got my men out at once-charged into plain clothes, and cycled to Currahane Strand where the arms MEMO were landed. Within about 300 yards of that spot and at the end of the road at the strand I intercepted a motor car got the names and addresses of the occupants. It was Good-Friday, nothing unusual in motors going there, still I was suspicious. The car could go no further so passed on with one of my own men who came up with the car nearly similar to me with me.
When out of view of the car we dismounted and I wrote a telegram in the car -the occupants gave it to the Constable and sent him to Ardfort to the telegram off to all the surrounding stations. He did so (cycling).
The car returned to the Strandand passed on forward Bailyneigue. Between the place where the place where the car passed me and Bailyneigue there are three roads by which it could return to Currahane Strand to the place where the boat landed and was up to me to keep in touch with the car. I had a three speed gear machine, and well Mr Editor I stuck to that car. At Lawler, a cross, about three miles from where the chase began, the car pulled up and one of the occupants got out and went into Lawler, s. He spoke for a minute to young Lawler on the road, I searched the car for arms and also searched two of the occupants but got nothing. The car then continued its journey to Bailyneigue and I again gave chase. It stopped in Bailyneigue. Passing the Barracks I dismounted ran in for a drink of water and on wiping mouth with my handkerchief when I came out I found I was bleeding freely. I cycled to the Post-Office and telephoned to District-Inspector at Tralee, gave him the particulars re the car and he wired Limerick etc.
The occupants of the car were Austin Stack, Tralee, the head of the Sinn-Fein crowd there, Cornelius Collins, of the G.P.O. Dublin. Bailey who came with Casement in the sub-marine. He gave me the name of David Jul--cahy of Dublin, and the driver of the car Maurice Moriarty of Tralee.
When the car left in the direction of the Causeway I telephoned the Police there and directed them to stop and search the car and its occupants. They did so and on Collins and Stack (the two I searched ) they found two revolvers (one on each) and ammunition.
In my respect to my authorities I pointed out that it was this station was first to sight and report the Aude. That it was my meeting with intercepting of the motor car chasing it and wiring about it that resulted in the arrest of Sir Roger Casement and of Bailey Stack and Collins and of connecting Stack and Collins with Sir Roger Casement and the attempt to land the arms at Fenit.
Had I not the motor car what would have been the result? It came to take away Sir Roger Casement, (they had a suit of clothes in the car for him) and would have him and begone in about ten minutes but for me. Then where were we?
Not one of them could be connected with the case if they had succeeded in getting away with Casement and Bailey. I met the car at 11.25 a.m. and Casement was not arrested until 1.30p. m. I pointed all this out to my authorities in my report and secondly when called upon for another report. And for this for being the practically the only man in the greatest and most serious case in the history of the Constabulary I was awarded a third class record and £2. I appealed against this decision and was awarded a First class record and £1 making my award a First Class and £3.
In all I came up with the motor car four times and risked my life each time. In chasing the car and that chase saved the whole situation I almost ran myself to death. The car tried to shake me off--it was at least a five miles race-so you can judge for yourself the state I was after it.
It is very hard to put up with such treatment and to see men who did nothing but wrong in the case reap the reward of my hard work. Constable George Carter of Causeway was also very badly treated. It was he that stopped the car in Causeway. Constable Loftus after the stopping of the car and searching of the occupants told me on the telephone (where I waited to hear the result) of the stopping of the car of the searching of and the arrest of the occupants and asked me for instructions. I told and impressed him to hold the prisoners and wire the District-Inspector for instructions, but for some unaccountable reason the prisoners were let go and the car returned to Tralee minus one of the prisoners and that one was Bailey. We were not informed of his escape by Tralee.
Next day it was reported to the Police at Causeway that a stranger was seen on the road between Causeway and Abbeydorney. Constable Carter went off at once cycling. He searched in three different Police Sub-Districts besides their own but got no trace of his man. K nowing there was a train due at Abbeydorney at a certain time he went there but the suspicious person did not appear. Carter then went to the Barrickat Abbeydorney and took a young Constable with him and returned to the search and was finally rewarded by finding his man whom he arrested and conveyed to Abbeydorney R.I.C. Barricks. This man turned out to be Bailey. He escaped from the motor car about two miles from Causeway on the previous evening. It was he told the whole story of the voyage in the sub-marine, the landing of the three men in the small boat from the sub-marine, and of the Rebellion with the time and place where it was to begin.
Carter is a splendid young fellow, energetic and determined and there are very few men in the Force who would persist as he did in the chase. His uniform was torn and he was pretty well done up when he captured Bailey.
I think, Sir, that Bailey was as importa