A Hallowe'en killing on the streets of Tullamore during the War of Independence has been described in detail by the victim's son, in a letter which has been seen by The Irish Times.
The official version, which was starkly recorded in Richard Abbott's recent publication, Police Casualties in Ireland, 1919-1922, tells little of the terror surrounding the event.
It records: "31st October, 1920, Tullamore, King's Couny. Henry Cronin, Sgt. 56371. The sergeant was shot and wounded three times near his home in Henry Street, Tullamore, as he was leaving to go to the RIC Barracks. He died on 1st November, 1920, at 7.45 a.m. in the county infirmary.
"After the shooting, the sergeant's wife ran out into the street and met her husband who fell into her arms saying: `I'm shot.' It was later found that he had been shot at very close range as his clothing showed signs of having been singed."
When the editor of The Irish Times, Conor Brady, who grew up in Tullamore, reviewed the book in this newspaper on September 2nd last, he recalled as a child welcoming Archbishop Patrick Cronin, Sgt Cronin's son, back to the town.
He was one of the hundreds of people who lined the streets for the visit of Archbishop Cronin, of the Columban Fathers, who was ministering in the Philippines. No one had told the young Brady what had happened to the archbishop's father in 1920 on the same street through which his son moved almost 40 years later.
The publication of that review sparked a controversy which was fanned by further examination by Irish Times colleague Kevin Myers of the legitimacy of this and other similar killings of RIC men. Letters came from a grandson of the victim and a son of one of the IRA men who had been involved in carrying out the killing on the direct orders of Michael Collins.
However, within the last week, The Irish Times has seen a further letter, this time from Archbishop Cronin, who died in 1992, written to friends of the Cronin family. Dated October 31st, 1989, it was penned on the 69th anniversary of the shooting from the archbishop's house in the Philippines. The text ran:
"Dear XXXX,
"Many thanks for your recent letter. I am happy to know that both XXXX and you are well. I have been thinking and praying about my late father who was (shot/died) [both words have been scored out] on this day in 1920, and died the following day.
"The events of the night on which he was shot are vivid in my mind, as if it only happened yesterday. We had been playing games with my father as it was Hallowe'en evening. At about 9 p.m. he left us to return to the barracks, where he should have been before sunset.
"But he was over-confident. He knew and was friendly with everyone on the way.
"Almost as soon as he left our house there was a volley of gunfire and my mother said in alarm: `Do you hear that?' and `My man has just gone out.'
"She left in haste only to find my father almost at our doorstep lying in his blood. He was dying. There were nine bullets in him, all in his stomach. He was brought to the Old Infirmary which still stands, almost a ruin. There he died about 2 a.m.
"I have forgiven those who shot him, even though they were our neighbours - but I can never forget. Today, I pray that the shooting and killing will come to an end in Northern Ireland. But the men who order these killings do not listen to me, or anyone like me.
"They are self-anointed, as our leaders and the lives of many of our friends are in their hands.
"Before I close let me thank you for your great kindness to me,
"Yours sincerely,
"Patrick Cronin."
Archbishop Cronin and the friend of the Cronin family to whom the letter was sent, perhaps delivered the best postscript of all.
"The forgiveness of the archbishop may not be widely known and it will help to bring a Christian closure to a tragic story, which may also bring some consolation to those other families whose lives have been touched by this tragedy."