Edmond Foley (Irish republican)

Edmond Foley
Born	1897 Galbally, Co. Limerick
Died	June 7, 1921 at Mountjoy Jail, Dublin
Nationality	Irish
Known for	Executed IRA volunteer : One of The Forgotten Ten

Edmond Foley (1897 - 7 June 1921), sometimes known as Edmund or Edward, was a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) who was hanged in Mountjoy Prison on 7 June 1921. Together with nine other men executed by hanging during the War of Independence, he was one of The Forgotten Ten.

Background

Foley was a native of Galbally, Co. Limerick and was 23 years of age at the time of his execution.

Arrest, trials and execution

He had taken part in the rescue of IRA member Seán Hogan at Knocklong Railway Station on 13 May 1919 along with Sean Treacy, Séamus Robinson and Dan Breen in which two policemen died. Hogan had been captured a day earlier following the Soloheadbeg ambush. The beginning of the Irish War of Independence is generally traced to the events at Soloheadbeg. After going on the run for two weeks Foley was arrested and charged with the murder of the two men killed at Knocklong. Foley and another Volunteer Patrick Maher. were tried three times for these murders with juries failing to reach verdicts on two occasions. Their third trial was by court martial on the 15 March 1921 in Dublin and both were convicted of murder. Among the many who appealed for clemency was the father of one of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) men killed at Knocklong. Nonetheless, both Foley and Maher where hanged on 7 June 1921.

Reinterment

Foley is one of a group of men hanged in Mountjoy Prison in the period 1920-1921 commonly referred to as The Forgotten Ten. In 2001 he and the other nine, including Kevin Barry, were exhumed from their graves in the prison and given a full State Funeral. He is now buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.

Further sources

• The Rescue at Knocklong
• Galbally Memorial Inscription from irishwarmemorials.ie 3-11-2008