William Phillip Allen, Michael Larkin and Captain Michael O’Brien were three members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) executed on 23 November 1867 for their alleged role on the attack of a police van carrying Fenian prisoners by the names of Kelly and Deasy, the attack resulting in the death of a police officer, Charles Brett. The prisoners escaped and were never recaptured, however Allen, Larkin and O’Brien were arrested, tried and executed. All three men gave their final speeches from the dock before their execution. They would become known in republican folklore as the Manchester Martyrs and their watchword “God Save Ireland!” would become iconic.
Writings
William Allen’s Speech From The Dock (1867)
Michael Larkin’s Speech From The Dock (1867)