Civilian Michael Cusack

Civilian Michael Cusack (aged about 51) of 187 Old Youghal Road, Cork (Washington Street, Cork city)

Date of incident: 6 Feb. 1923

Sources: Death Certificate (Cork Urban District No. 6, Union of Cork), 7 Feb. 1923; CE, 7, 8, 9, 13 Feb. 1923; II, 7, 8, 13 Feb. 1923; FJ, 7, 13 Feb. 1923; Belfast Newsletter, 8 Feb. 1923; Keane (2017), 349, 421.

Note: Michael Cusack was badly wounded when a bomb was thrown at the Free State guards at the County Courthouse in Washington Street on the night of 6 February 1923; National Army soldiers were currently occupying the courthouse. The explosion of the bomb made a tremendous noise that could be heard all over the city centre. The explosion was succeeded by an outburst of firing lasting about five minutes. The guards probably fired back at their attackers. Cusack was shot in the abdomen—by which side was not immediately clear. On the same night two bombs were thrown at a Free State military car at Dillon’s Cross; both exploded but without causing casualties. See CE, 7 Feb. 1923.

A shopkeeper and general dealer, Cusack died of his injuries at the Mercy Hospital at 2 a.m. on the following morning. See CE, 8 Feb. 1923. At the coroner’s inquest the medical evidence showed that a revolver bullet had perforated Cusack’s intestines and caused abdominal haemorrhage. The jury found that the fatal shot had not been fired by a National Army soldier. The jury disagreed as to whether the death constituted murder. Condemning the use of the civilian population as shields for violence directed at National troops by Irregulars, the National Army officer representing the military at this inquest declared that ‘it may be of interest to recall that no less than 20 peaceful civilians have been killed during the last few months in Cork owing to these attacks [on the National forces], while the military casualties have been nil’. See CE, 13 Feb. 1923.

Michael Cusack was in 1911 the father of one child (a daughter aged 3). He and his wife Julia had been married for four years and then resided at 1 Cattle Market Avenue in Cork city. Aged 39 in that year, he was a shopkeeper and maintained four male boarders in his household—two butchers, a harness maker/tradesman, and a general labourer.