Thomas Ashe Timeline

1885-1917

  • 12th January 1885 – Born in Kerry
  • 11th October 1889 – Attends Ardamore National School
  • August 1900 – Appointed monitor in Ardamore National School after completing his national schooling
  • 1904 – Won 1st prize at Dingle feis for his short play in Irish called “An Puncán”
  • 1905 – Enters De La Salle Training College, Waterford
  • 15th July 1907 – Appointed assistant teacher in Minard Castle National School
  • March 1908 – Appointed Principle in Corduff National School, Lusk, Co Dublin
  • 1910 – Founded Black Raven Pipe Band
  • 1913 – Black Raven Pipe Band won the championship of Ireland at the Oireachtas in Galway.
  • February to September 1914 – In America on promotional work for the Gaelic League
  • Early 1916 – Elected to Commandant of the Fifth Battalion
  • 24th April 1916 – Start of Easter Rising
  • 28th April 1916 – Battle of Ashbourne
  • 29th April 1916 – Order from Pearse to surrender
  • 30th April 1916 – Interned in Richmond Barracks and moved to Kilmainham for court-martial.
  • 11th May 1916 – Court-martialed and sentenced to death. Sentence commuted to penal servitude for life.
  • 23rd May 1916 – Sent to Dartmoor Prison in South of England
  • Late 1916 – Transferred to Lewes Prison where he wrote ‘Let me carry your Cross for Ireland Lord’.
  • May 1917 – Transferred to Portland Prison
  • June 1917 – Transferred to Pentonville Prison
  • 28th May 1917 – Hunger strike
  • 18th June 1917 – Released from prison as part of the general amnesty.
  • 19th June 1917 – Arrives back in Ireland
  • 20th June 1917 – Arrives in Tralee, Co Kerry
  • 21st June 1917 – Arrives home to Kinard
  • 23rd June 1917 – Left home to canvass for Eamonn De Valera in the by-election in Clare.
  • July 1917 – Speech in Ballinalee, Co Longford
  • 29th July 1917 – Speech in Donabate, Co Dublin
  • 5th August 1917 – Oration in Ardfert at commemoration in memory of Roger Casement
  • 18th August 1917 – Arrested and charged with sedition after speech in Ballinalee, Co Longford
  • 3rd September 1917 – Court-martialed and sentenced to 2 years hard labour with 1 remitted.
  • 20th September 1917 – Hunger strike
  • 23rd September 1917 – Forcible feeding begins
  • 25th September 1917 – Died at the Mater Hospital after being force fed by prison authorities.

    • 11:15am – Forcibly fed and collapses immediately
    • 5:15pm – Transferred to Mater Hospital
    • 10:30pm – Died due to heart failure and congestion of the lungs
  • 27th September 1917 – Inquiry into death began
  • 30th September 1917 – Buried in Glasnevin Cemetery
  • 1st November 1917 – Verdict of the jury was that Thomas Ashe died of heart failure and congestion of the lungs which was caused by him being left on the cold damp cell floor for fifty hours after his bed, bedding and boots were taken away and then being subjected to forced feeding in his weak condition after a hunger strike of five or six days.