Joseph Whitty

[1] Decades after his death another Volunteer (Kieran Doherty) also died on 2 August during the 1981 Irish hunger strike.

In late October 1922 Whitty was arrested (he was never charged or convicted of any crime) in a round up of dissidents and was interned by Irish Free State troops initially at Wexford Prison and from there was transferred to the Curragh Camp.

[7] The Irish Government’s news embargo prevented the embarrassment of having to publicly announce the death (by hunger strike) of a 18-year-old internee.

[11] Previously, the Irish Free State government had passed a motion outlawing the release of prisoners on hunger strike.

The annual Joe Whitty Commemoration is held each year on Easter Saturday evening in Ballymore, County Wexford.