In the weeks following the executions, a pamphlet was circulated claiming to be Thomas MacDonagh’s last address to his court martial. In it, he gave a stirring defence of his actions, rejoicing in being “one of those predestined to die in this generation for the cause of Irish freedom”.
His address concludes: “Take me away, and let my blood bedew the sacred soil of Ireland. I die in the certainty that once more the seed will fructify.”
The authorities denounced the pamphlet as a fake and two printers who printed it were arrested and fined as a result. The British would appear to have been telling the truth because there is no evidence in his court martial file that he gave such an address.
MacDonagh's court martial took place on May 2nd, 1916. The president of the court martial was Brig Gen Charles Blackader assisted by Lieut Col George German and Col William John Kent of the Royal Field Artillery.
MacDonagh did address them, but only briefly, according to his file. He asserted: “I did everything I could to assist the officers in the matters of the surrender, telling them where the arms and ammunition were after the surrender was decided upon.”
It appears to have been in response to evidence given by Maj JA Armstrong of the 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who said he had witnessed British troops being fired on from Jacob’s Factory where MacDonagh acted as commandant. The action took place on April 30th, a day after Pearse had surrendered in the GPO. MacDonagh’s garrison was one of the last to surrender.
Armstrong continued: “At a later hour I saw the accused coming from Jacob’s factory under a white flag. He made several journeys through our lines. About 5 pm he surrendered with over 100 others to General Carleton.
“He was acting as an officer when he surrendered. I made a list of the unarmed men and the accused was not on that list. He made a statement to me that he was a commandant. He was subsequently sent under escort to Richmond Barracks.”
MacDonagh called no witnesses in his defence and no other witnesses were called for the prosecution. The court martial, which was one of the first, was conducted with the greatest haste.
MacDonagh worried later that the evidence he gave would suggest that he had made an appeal to the court martial.
In his last letter written at midnight on May 2nd 1916, he rebuffed such a suggestion.
“I made no appeal, no recantation, no apology for my acts. In what I said I merely claimed that I had acted honourably and thoroughly in all that I had set myself to do. My enemies have, in return, treated me in an unworthy manner. But that can pass.”
MacDonagh was executed on May 3rd, 1916.
