In a move that underscores escalating tensions, Sinn Féin organiser Mr Ernest Blythe was apprehended in County Limerick by District Inspector Dudgeon and a contingent of Constabulary. The arrest, made on Friday evening, was executed under the provisions of the Defence of the Realm Act. Mr Blythe was promptly transported to Limerick the following morning before being further conveyed to Dublin under armed guard.

This latest development follows previous legal entanglements for Mr Blythe, who had been previously instructed to depart from Ireland last summer. His non-compliance led to a three-month imprisonment sentence in Belfast. The recent apprehension underscores the government’s continued vigilance against perceived threats to national security.

In a parallel development, Mr Liam Mellowes, organiser of the Irish Volunteers, met a similar fate on Friday night in Athenry, County Galway, indicating a concerted effort to curtail perceived subversive activities.

The utilisation of the Defence of the Realm Act, a measure adopted during wartime to safeguard against internal threats, underscores the seriousness with which authorities view the activities of Sinn Féin organisers and affiliated groups.

The events in County Limerick and County Galway mark another chapter in the ongoing struggle between the government and nationalist factions, against a backdrop of broader political upheaval in Ireland.

Evening Irish Times – Monday 27 March 1916