Councillor sent to jail caused 'a good deal of sensation'

Councillor sent to jail

‘A good deal of sensation was caused at Castleisland,’ reported the Kerry Sentinel on 16 June 1907, ‘when a District Councillor named John Reidy of Castleisland was arrested and conveyed to Tralee jail.’ The offence? Cllr Reidy’s refusal to pay a fine imposed on him at the Castleisland Petty Sessions some time previously for failing to register his dog. Reidy was described as a member of Tralee Rural District Council and a prominent member of the Castleisland Sinn Féin Society. He had been summoned before the local magistrate for failing to hold a dog licence and had refused to pay the fine of 2s 6d. 

Cllr Reidy was arrested as a result and locked up in Tralee Jail for a week. Clearly a popular local representative, as he was escorted to the train station in Castleisland to be conveyed to jail, ‘a crowd gathered at the railway and the fife and drum band played the accused to the station discoursing National airs.’

The release of Cllr Reidy a week later prompted similar revelry. On his arrival at Castleisland railway station on the following Tuesday night, ‘a large crowd headed by the local fife and drum band met Mr Reidy and Mr J Fleming who was imprisoned for a like offence at the railway station and paraded the town amidst cheers after which a vigorous speech was delivered by Mr Reidy in Gaelic on the principles and policy of the Sinn Féin movement. Mr Fleming also addressed the meeting in a few words.’

(This and more stories coming soon in 'A Century of Politics in the Kingdom: A County Kerry Compendium' by Owen O'Shea and Gordon Revington and published by Merrion Press)