Justice for deceased Jesuit’s father
The book launch of Vindication and Justice for Michael Mallin by author William T McCartney was a lively occasion with many relatives of Commandant Mallin (father of deceased Jesuit Joe Mallin SJ) in attendance. Former members of the Irish Army and Gardaí were also present. The book has also been translated into Irish by Dr Jake MacSiacais. Paula Nolan, formerly of Messenger Publications, designed the book.
Commandant Michael Mallin was executed for his part in the Easter Rising in Dublin. His son, Joseph Mallin SJ, died in 2018, aged 104. He was two and a half years old when his father was executed on 5 May 1916. Fifteen other leaders were also executed and all became ‘heroes’ of the Rising. Ninety years later, that designated status for Commandant Mallin was unjustly called into question.
In 2007 the British government released court papers from their archives. The court report of Commandant Mallin’s court marshall, written by a British soldier, claimed that the Commandant tried to minimise his role in the fighting at Stephen’s Green and instead tried to lay the blame at the feet of Countess Markievicz, as the real leader.
This account was against all evidence to the contrary but most historians took the British report and ran with it. To this day it has become the new and unchallenged narrative around Commandant Mallin. However, it is clear from the documentation and accounts in William McCartney’s book that Michael Mallin was a truly honourable Commandant of the Irish Citizens Army who had been used as a scapegoat to target Countess Markievicz through an utterly fabricated court report.
Opening the book launch the Jesuit socius, Terry Howard SJ, offered a warm welcome to all. He shared a story recounted to him by a fellow Jesuit in Galway some years ago. The Jesuit’s father was a vet who had borrowed a car to take an animal to Dublin in 1916. When he got to St Stephen’s Green the Rising had started and members of the Irish Citizens Army wanted to hijack his car. He refused and demanded to speak to the person in charge. This duly happened and the Commandant of the ICA ordered that the car be given back so the vet could return home. Fr Terry said it was only recently, on learning of William’s book, that he realised this must have been Commandant Mallin, another fellow Jesuit’s father.
Pat Coyle then interviewed William, Jake, and Paula about their work for the book. Click here to listen to an interview with William ». As well as designing the book, Paul (a former journalist) contributed a chapter concerning the censorship of the Irish media during Easter Week and the impact of the British media as the official chroniclers of what was unfolding.
Una O’Callanain, (see photo, front row right) a niece of Michael Mallin, then spoke movingly about the impact the false British court report has had on the extended Mallin family. She shared an extract from Michael Mallin’s last letter to his wife, and concluded by reading the statement of defence that Joe Mallin SJ had written shortly before his death in Hong Kong, in the hope of vindicating his father. “He died without seeing that happen,” says Pat Coyle, “But I know he would have been heartened by the support of all those gathered for the launch of this campaign to ensure that one day it will.”
To find out more about the campaign or to get a copy of the book in English or as gaelige email: [email protected]
