by Michael
McMonagle
Irish
Republicans gathered in London on Sunday 2nd June to mark the 151st
anniversary of the death of Fenian Michael Barrett, who was the last person to
be publicly hanged in England.
The commemoration was held in the City of
London Cemetery, the final resting place of Michael Barrett, on Sunday
afternoon.
Michael Barret was born in Ederney,
Fermanagh and became involved with the Irish Republican Brotherhood aged 27. He
was arrested following the Clerkenwell explosion in London in 1867.
Despite witnesses testifying that he had
been in Scotland at the time of the explosion, Barrett was convicted by false
testimony and sentenced to death.
Following his conviction, Barrett made a
speech from the dock that has gone down in republican history alongside those
by Wolfe Tone and Robert Emmet.
In his speech, Barrett said: "If my
life were ten times dearer than it is and if I could by any means, redress the
wrongs of that persecuted land by the sacrifice of my life, I would willingly
and gladly do so."
Despite pleas for clemency, Barrett was
hanged on 26th May 1868 outside the walls of Newgate Prison before a
crowd of thousands. He became the last person to be publicly hanged in England.
An Phoblacht
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