Patrick McGrath (Irish republican)

Patrick MacGrath (1894 – 6 September 1940)[1] was born into an old Dublin republican family and took part in the 1916 Rising (fighting on Church Street), as did two of his brothers (Peter-Paul and Gabriel).

[3] MacGrath's wounds were so extensive (a bullet was lodged in his shoulder which was never removed) that it was found impossible to bring him to trial and after a long detention in hospital he was released.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Kathleen Clarke, the widow of Tom Clarke (the main planner of the Easter Rebellion and first signer of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic) and sister of Edward Daly (under whom MacGrath had fought in 1916) appealed (unsuccessfully) to the Minister of Justice, Gerald Boland – himself a former IRA member for a reprieve of MacGrath's death sentence.

Upon MacGrath's execution, Clarke ordered the national flag at half mast at Dublin City Hall, and closed the blinds of the Mansion House.

[9] MacGrath worked on planning the "English Campaign" or "S-Plan" which targeted the civil, economic, and military infrastructure of the United Kingdom (specifically England).

[12] This bombing campaign took place from January 1939 to March 1940 involved approximately 300 explosions resulting in 10 deaths, 96 wounded and substantial damage to English infrastructure.

On 17 August 1940 MacGrath was again arrested at a house 98A Rathgar Road, Dublin by Special Branch detectives[18] during another raid on the IRA's General Headquarters (GHQ).

[20] Another IRA man (Tom Hunt) escaped but was subsequently arrested and also charged with the murders but had his death sentence commuted on the morning of execution and was interned in the Curragh prison camp.

[22] In his written confession Hayes admits to providing the address of the meeting to government officials which resulted in the capture Harte, McGrath and Hunt.

In 1948 his remains were released to his family, he is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery next to the graves of Seán MacBride and the Irish republican revolutionary Maud Gonne.