Former Fianna Fáil TD 'chuckled' recalling IRA executions during War of Independence

Martin Corry served in the Dáil for 40 years

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For 'Ready for Tark' Fianna Fail's Martin Corry pictured on the day of his election as Chairman of Cork County Council 12/7/1967

Photo by EXAMINER / ECHO FILE PIC

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Chilling new audio tapes of a Fianna Fáil TD laughing about murdering suspected spies during the War of Independence are set to be aired for the first time.

The tapes, to be broadcast on TV3 as part of a new two-part documentary, include interviews with Martin Corry, a founding member of Fianna Fail who served in the Dáil (Irish parliament) for 40 years.

In the audio he talks about his role as Chief IRA executioner in a medieval torture vault named Sing Sing outside the village of Knockraha in Cork. The previously unheard recordings were obtained by investigating historian Eunan O’Halpin.

During the historical documentary 'In the name of the Republic' the politician recalls capturing, killing and burying several bodies in a bog. He can be heard chuckling as he speaks about the shootings and burials of victims of the War of Independence.

The documentary describes Corry as the chief executioner for the Cork IRA brigade from 1920 to 1922.

He spoke about bringing alleged spies to the damp graveyard vault where they were imprisoned before they were killed, he described it as “one of the most powerful jails in the 26 counties.”

Referring to another IRA gunman, Daithí Ó Sé, he recalled how local men who had been used as grave diggers protested over the volume of bodies been buried.

“Daithí [Ó Sé] delivered the two prisoners into Sing Sing himself and brought me up that night to shoot them,” Corry said.

“All the reaks were outside and they were laying down the law to us. [They were saying] there will be ghosts found around this place now. There’ll be no more men shot here. ‘Will I make bacon of them?’ says Daithí.

“And all of a sudden the skit [gun] came out of the pocket and bang bang. He shot two of them. Just like that. ‘C’mon we’re home, Corry’.”

Prof Professor Eunan O'Halpin of Trinity College discovers that there could be up to 90 people buried in the Rea bog. He is calling for justice for the list of 56 known disappeared victims of the War of Independence.

“The list includes only people we know with certainty were disappeared by the IRA and were never found,” he said. “The true figure is significantly higher.

“With war comes an inevitable loss of life, but the sad fact here is that many civilians were wrongly killed.

“It is now time to seek truth and justice for the disappeared. Where is their memorial?

“These victims have been forgotten for far too long.”

*In The Name Of The Republic — Episode 2 airs Monday March 25 at 9pm on TV3.

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