Father of Minister Kevin O’Higgins killed in raid on Laois family home

Dublin, 14 February 1923 - The father of the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr. Kevin O’Higgins, has been killed during a republican raid on his home in Stradbally, Co. Laois.

A well-known local figure, Dr. Thomas F. O’Higgins served as a medical officer in the Clonaslee Dispensary District in the early 1880s later moving to fulfill a similar role in Stradbally, a position he held for a long time alongside that of Coroner for Leix County. 

Dr. Higgins, 64, died in front of his wife and daughter after his home was visited by a group of armed men on Sunday night. It is understood that Dr. Higgins succeeded in disarming the leader of the small raiding party only for the disarmed man to give the order to his companions to open fire. Which they did, firing bullets through the door and windows of the house.

During the inquest into the killing, the 17 year-old daughter of Dr. O’Higgins, Miss Patricia O’Higgins provided an account of what had transpired at her family home. She recalled that she found her father on his knees, bending down after he had been shot. On calling to him, she got no reply so she laid her father on his back on the floor and asked to be allowed to go to fetch a priest. As she was being led out of the house by the raiders she saw four more men - there were three in the house - setting fire to hay.

A map of the county with Stradbally situated to the east, taken from Atlas and cnyclopedia of Ireland, 1900 (Image: Library Ireland)

This was not the first occasion the O’Higgins home has been targeted for attack. Before the raiders attempted to gain entry to his home, it is reported that Dr. O’Higgins told them that he had a document from their own headquarters stating that the fathers of Dáil members were not responsible for the actions of their children and their homes were not to be burned. Dr. O’Higgins had been involved with Sinn Féin since 1916 and was interned at the Curragh for many months.

His best known son, Kevin, also experienced jail-time during the anglo-irish conflict, as did another son, Surgeon Captain Thomas F. O’Higgins who is currently serving with the National army. Dr. O’Higgins lost another son, Lt. Michael O’Higgins, in World War 1.

Messages of sympathy from across Ireland and from abroad have been directed to the Minister of Home Affairs since the incident in Stradbally. Typical of the messages received include that from the Mayor and citizens of Kilkenny deploring an ‘appalling tragedy which has deprived Ireland of one of her most devoted citizens, your gallant and illustrious father.’

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]