1. Charlie Kerins was a physical force Irish Republican, and Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army.
20 Facts About Charlie Kerins
1. 2.
Charlie Kerins was born in Caherina, Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland and attended Balloonagh Mercy Convent School and then the Christian Brothers School, Edward Street.
3.
In 1930, Charlie Kerins passed the Intermediate Certificate with honours and the matriculation examination to the National University of Ireland.
4.
Charlie Kerins later did a commercial course and took up employment in a radio business in Tralee.
5.
Charlie Kerins was active in the Gaelic Athletic Association and in 1939 won a county medal in football with his local team, O'Rahilly's, now renamed Charlie Kerins O'Rahilly's in his honour.
6.
In May 1942 Charlie Kerins was assigned to the IRAs General Headquarters staff.
7.
Charlie Kerins was between his front gate and his car when he was cut down with Thompson submachine guns.
8.
Charlie Kerins was one of the most effective Detectives of the Special Branch Division, which had its headquarters at Dublin Castle.
9.
Travel author Dervla Murphy recounts in her book on Northern Ireland, A Place Apart that Charlie Kerins stayed at her family's County Waterford home for two weeks while he was on the run, having given his name as Pat Carney.
10.
Charlie Kerins had been sent to the Murphy's by Dervla's aunt, Dr Kathleen Farrell, who was a staunch IRA supporter, and Dervla and Kerins struck up a friendship.
11.
Several months after Charlie Kerins left the Murphy's, he was captured.
12.
Charlie Kerins had previously left papers and guns hidden at Kathleen Farrell's house in the Dublin suburb of Rathmines.
13.
Charlie Kerins telephoned the house, as he intended to retrieve them.
14.
On 15 June 1944, Charlie Kerins was arrested in an early morning raid.
15.
Charlie Kerins was sleeping when the Gardai entered his bedroom and did not have an opportunity to reach the Thompson submachine gun which was hidden under his bed.
16.
At a trial before the Special Criminal Court in Collins Barracks, Dublin, Charlie Kerins was formally charged on 2 October 1944 for the "shooting at Rathfarnham of Detective Dinny O'Brien".
17.
Charlie Kerins refused to recognize the authority of the court and in doing so lost the right to challenge evidence and to present any defense.
18.
On 1 December 1944 in Mountjoy Prison, Charlie Kerins was hanged by British chief executioner Albert Pierrepoint, who was employed by the Irish Government for such occasions.
19.
Charlie Kerins was the last IRA member to be executed in Eire.
20.
Charlie Kerins is buried in the Republican Plot at Rath Cemetery, Tralee, County Kerry.