In a notable development emanating from Thurles, the Holy Cross prisoners secured their release from Limerick Gaol, setting the stage for a determined continuation of their struggle. The release unfolded today, drawing a significant crowd to Thurles Hallway Station, complete with several accompanying bands. The event witnessed the presence of approximately police personnel commanded by County Inspector Galway Foley and various district inspectors.
Addressing the released prisoners, Messrs. Michael Bryan, D.C., Edward and Pat Butler, and James Dwyer delivered speeches, expressing an unwavering commitment to persist in their fight. They asserted their determination to endure imprisonment once again, underscoring their resolve until the last vestiges of landlordism were eradicated. Mr John Hackett, MP.., shed light on the trial proceedings in Dublin, asserting that certain statements were contrary to facts, aimed at poisoning the minds of the jury. He emphasized that the root cause of the trouble was Mr Clarke’s refusal to heed the call of the Holycross U.I.L. to break the land from which people were evicted in the fifties.
Mr John MP.. added that the incarceration of the brave men of Holycross, far from easing the situation, could potentially exacerbate matters for Mr Clarke. He expressed a wish for Mr Clarke to have a lucid interval, envisioning a day when he might comprehend the spirit of the men of Tipperary and their determination to carry on the struggle successfully. However, if such an understanding did not materialize, he warned that the men of Tipperary would persist in the fight along the lines laid down by Parnell and Davitt, free from illegality, crime, or outrage.
The core of their request, as articulated by Mr John MP.., was a just one – to allocate some small portion of grasslands to meet the needs of the congested district. Amidst these developments, Mr Bolton, U.D.C., interjected, raising the question of William O’Brien, to which Mr Muldoon responded by advising people to avoid controversial questions and factional dissension, urging them to go home quietly.
Approximately 100 police, commanded by D.I. Ball, were dispatched to Holycross to prevent any potential disturbances arising from the situation.
Dublin Daily Express – Thursday 18 August 1910
