7‭ March 1921: News of ‘The Curfew Murders’ became public on this day. George [Seoirse] Clancy the Mayor of Limerick, and his immediate predecessor, Michael O'Callaghan were shot dead in their homes the previous night. They were known as ‘the Curfew Murders’, as their houses were raided during the hours of curfew. Their deaths shocked the whole City and Country and became International News. Mrs Clancy was wounded in a vain attempt to shield her husband from assassination and Mrs O'Callaghan also witnessed the murder of her spouse. Both victims were distinguished members of the Community and had been involved in the struggle for Independence.

Clancy was an ex University Professor and a friend of James Joyce.‭ He is believed to have provided the background for a character in Joyce’s Classic ‘Portrait of an artist as a young man.’ ‬O'Callaghan’s grandfather, Eugene O' Callaghan, was Mayor of Limerick in 1843. A third leading Citizen, Joseph O’Donoghue, was taken from his house that night and found shot dead in a field some hours later.

Their‭ ‬assailants were in Mufti, wore goggles and with their coat collars turned up but it quickly became obvious that the gang in question were serving members of the Crown Forces. Mrs O’Callaghan gathered what evidence she could collect and demanded an Inquest but no inquiry other than a military one was ever carried out. Even the ex British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith stated that members of the RIC (Auxiliaries) were the culprits. However the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George in the House of Commons stated that while the deaths were Murder he was of the opinion that they were so killed because they were seen as too ‘moderate’ by the own side -  a claim vehemently rejected by their widows. 

However the particular individuals who carried these attacks were never formally identified with the crimes. Many years later in the 1950s a deceased British Officer was named as one of the murderers but no conclusive proof was ever established as to his involvement.

http://www.limerickcity.ie/Library/LocalStudies/LocalStudiesFiles/C/CurfewMurders/