WEBVTT 00:00:07.055 --> 00:00:09.036 [Cormac Leonard] Hello! 00:00:09.036 --> 00:00:19.096 In this presentation I will tell you the story of a Deaf man from Wexford, called Patrick Byrne. 00:00:19.096 --> 00:00:22.013 His story is an extraordinary one. 00:00:22.015 --> 00:00:28.000 He was sent to jail many times, to several different jails, and was often transferred from one to another, and then back again! 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:29.007 He had a remarkable life! 00:00:29.007 --> 00:00:35.084 Patrick was born around 1840 in New Ross, Wexford. 00:00:44.029 --> 00:00:48.098 Like most Deaf people he grew up in a hearing family. 00:00:48.098 --> 00:00:53.007 He didn’t go to Dublin to school, and so never attended school for the deaf, where he would have been taught sign language. 00:00:53.007 --> 00:00:57.014 We know he was deaf, but it is not known if he was a sign language user. 00:00:57.014 --> 00:01:06.016 That said, at that time in Wexford (from the 1850s to the 1870s) there were many Deaf people living in the area. 00:01:06.016 --> 00:01:13.022 We know this from the prison register, which lists the names of several Deaf people. 00:01:13.022 --> 00:01:16.029 I’m certain that Patrick would have known some of these Deaf people, 00:01:16.029 --> 00:01:20.047 and that they would have been able to communicate with each other through gesture and sign. 00:01:20.047 --> 00:01:23.011 It is likely that before the Deaf schools in Cabra were established, people would have been using an early “version” of ISL. 00:01:27.099 --> 00:01:35.080 Patrick grew up to become extremely strong and broad; he was very well built. 00:01:35.080 --> 00:01:46.042 Prison records list his height at 5 feet 10 inches, which was exceptionally tall for the middle of the 19th century. 00:01:46.042 --> 00:01:49.020 The records also mention his weight; he was very heavy. 00:01:49.020 --> 00:02:00.011 Later prison reports describe him as being “a very powerful man”, and that he was quick to lose his temper and hit out at others. 00:02:04.072 --> 00:02:11.096 Around the age of 18 years old Patrick started getting involved in fights. 00:02:11.096 --> 00:02:15.028 Sometimes he drank heavily also. 00:02:15.028 --> 00:02:17.021 But mostly he got in trouble for fighting. 00:02:17.025 --> 00:02:19.091 Often he attacked policemen. 00:02:19.091 --> 00:02:26.023 It is not known why he attacked policemen in particular. It is possible that he had had a bad experience with the police, but there is no way of knowing. 00:02:26.023 --> 00:02:28.009 However, as a result, Patrick often ended up in court. 00:02:28.009 --> 00:02:34.016 Frequently he was sentenced to serve time in the local jail in Wexford. 00:02:34.016 --> 00:02:37.078 (Former Wexford County Jail) 00:02:37.078 --> 00:02:46.047 Usually these stays were short, maybe a week or two, or maybe a month, but they were a regular occurrence 00:02:51.002 --> 00:03:00.003 until 1870 when he committed a very serious assault. 00:03:00.003 --> 00:03:06.027 It was then that Wexford court realised that Patrick needed a long and severe prison sentence. 00:03:06.027 --> 00:03:14.026 He was given 5 years “penal servitude”. 00:03:14.026 --> 00:03:21.072 Consequently, he was sent to Mountjoy Gaol in Dublin, where he served the first part of his sentence. 00:03:33.095 --> 00:03:39.016 He spent 9 months in Mountjoy Gaol. 00:03:39.016 --> 00:03:42.045 During his time there Patrick did not mix or communicate with other prisoners. 00:03:42.045 --> 00:03:43.077 He had his own cell. 00:03:43.077 --> 00:03:47.064 (Cell in Mountjoy Prison) 00:03:47.064 --> 00:03:58.018 He was confined to this cell all day, except for one hour per day when prisoners were allowed out to the yard. 00:03:58.018 --> 00:04:00.021 To reach the yard, prisoners walked in a long line. 00:04:00.021 --> 00:04:03.012 Once there, they walked around the yard. This was their exercise. 00:04:03.012 --> 00:04:04.023 However, it was impossible for prisoners to talk or even whisper to each other. 00:04:04.023 --> 00:04:07.001 Communication between prisoners was strictly forbidden. 00:04:10.086 --> 00:04:15.047 At the end of the hour, prisoners had to return to their cell. 00:04:15.047 --> 00:04:17.015 Prison life was very tough! 00:04:17.015 --> 00:04:22.015 There was no work; prisoners were not given any tasks and there was very little to do. 00:04:22.017 --> 00:04:26.013 Prisoners were expected to serve their time with nothing to occupy them, 00:04:26.013 --> 00:04:30.085 except to reflect on the past and find remorse for the crimes they had committed. 00:04:34.082 --> 00:04:40.010 Imagine what it must have been like for deaf man as he entered the prison, as the door closed behind him... 00:04:40.010 --> 00:04:43.026 with no-one to talk to and not allowed to talk to anyone! 00:04:43.026 --> 00:04:47.000 At times Patrick’s behaviour was bad. 00:04:47.002 --> 00:04:50.010 On these occasions he was thrown into a special cell… 00:04:50.010 --> 00:04:58.021 where he was in darkness, surrounded by high stone walls; 00:04:58.021 --> 00:04:59.016 no matter how much he tried, the steel door wouldn’t budge; 00:04:59.016 --> 00:05:01.014 there were no windows. 00:05:01.014 --> 00:05:02.064 It must have been a terrifying experience for a deaf man. 00:05:02.066 --> 00:05:06.058 (Special cell) 00:05:14.093 --> 00:05:28.006 Nine months later Patrick was transferred to Spike Island prison, in Cork, where he stayed for about 3 years. 00:05:28.006 --> 00:05:33.005 On Spike Island cells were not locked, and prisoners were able to walk around, chat with each other and work. 00:05:37.010 --> 00:05:42.099 After some time there, Patrick’s behaviour was considered good enough for him to be sent to Lusk prison, in Dublin. 00:05:42.099 --> 00:05:45.017 Patrick had been sentenced to 5 years. However, in Lusk this was reduced to 4.5 years for good behaviour. 00:05:45.017 --> 00:05:51.081 At that time it was possible for sentences to be reduced and prisoners to be released early under licence. 00:05:51.081 --> 00:05:53.036 A licence permitted prisoners to be released early. 00:06:05.037 --> 00:06:14.033 Patrick was given a licence and so left Dublin and returned to Wexford, where his family lived. 00:06:14.033 --> 00:06:19.009 Time passed, but it wasn’t too long before he broke the law again. 00:06:19.009 --> 00:06:26.018 There was no other choice but to send him straight back to Dublin to finish out the remainder of his sentence. 00:06:26.018 --> 00:06:31.094 Once he had served a total of 5 years he was free to return to Wexford. 00:06:31.094 --> 00:06:33.010 But in no time at all Patrick was in trouble again. 00:06:33.012 --> 00:06:40.006 At the beginning it was just small incidents, such as drunkenness and other minor offences. 00:06:40.009 --> 00:06:44.009 Until, once again, in 1877 he committed another serious assault. 00:06:44.009 --> 00:06:49.099 The judge had no option but to hand down another 5 years of penal servitude. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:52.015 Patrick was sent back to Mountjoy Gaol, and the process started again. 00:06:56.048 --> 00:07:00.018 An interesting incident took place during this time. 00:07:00.018 --> 00:07:01.032 As we know, Patrick was very strong and 00:07:01.032 --> 00:07:05.087 on one of the numerous occasions that he spent in the local prison in Wexford, 00:07:05.087 --> 00:07:12.002 –this time for only for a short period, approximately one or two months– 00:07:12.004 --> 00:07:13.095 he became very agitated and was desperate to get out. 00:07:13.095 --> 00:07:18.018 In fact he was in a small cell next to the police station, which was used as a holding cell for short periods of time, 00:07:18.020 --> 00:07:22.012 such as the days before prisoners were transferred to prison. 00:07:22.012 --> 00:07:24.049 Patrick was desperate to get out. 00:07:24.049 --> 00:07:33.017 So, despite the very high walls, he started to climb, in an attempt to scale the wall and escape over the other side. 00:07:33.020 --> 00:07:37.082 Another prisoner saw what he was doing and alerted the guards, 00:07:37.084 --> 00:07:41.066 who rushed to the wall and pulled him down. 00:07:49.056 --> 00:07:52.018 That was in 1877. 00:07:52.018 --> 00:07:56.068 Five years later Patrick returned home to Wexford. 00:07:56.068 --> 00:08:06.018 But by this time a serious problem had arisen: any time Patrick saw a policeman he attacked him. 00:08:06.018 --> 00:08:12.032 Prison staff and other people related to the case started to pay attention, suspecting that he had mental health problems. 00:08:12.032 --> 00:08:19.027 You start to see these suspicions being mentioned in the prison records from the time. 00:08:19.027 --> 00:08:24.096 During that period a special “lunatic asylum” was in operation in Dublin. 00:08:24.096 --> 00:08:30.096 This was a closed facility where people with mental health problems were sent and kept. 00:08:30.096 --> 00:08:36.077 In Dundrum there was a lunatic asylum specifically for criminals. 00:08:36.077 --> 00:08:41.007 Patrick was sent to this asylum, initially to be examined, to find out if he did indeed have a mental health problem. 00:08:41.007 --> 00:08:46.020 On this first trip to Dundrum it was concluded that he was not insane, 00:08:46.020 --> 00:08:48.078 and so he was sent back to “normal” prison. 00:08:48.078 --> 00:08:58.052 However, some time later, in 1898, Patrick committed another very serious assault, and he was summoned back to Wexford court. 00:08:58.052 --> 00:09:08.084 The judge heard the evidence from both sides but, on questioning Patrick, he decided that Patrick was not able to plead, 00:09:08.084 --> 00:09:16.015 that is, when the judge asked Patrick if he was guilty or not, Patrick could not give an answer. 00:09:16.015 --> 00:09:22.096 Consequently, the judge had to send Patrick back to the lunatic asylum in Dundrum. 00:09:22.096 --> 00:09:30.025 So, in 1898 Patrick was committed to this asylum, where he remained. 00:09:30.025 --> 00:09:34.021 In the 1901 census Patrick is listed in the asylum, 00:09:42.014 --> 00:09:45.085 he is also in the 1911 census. 00:09:45.085 --> 00:09:50.040 This means that he spent 13 years or more in this mental hospital. 00:10:02.068 --> 00:10:12.006 In the many prison records I have examined, Patrick’s name is associated with breaking the law and beating people up. 00:10:12.006 --> 00:10:19.080 Prior to his first 5 year sentence, he had broken the law 33 times. 00:10:19.080 --> 00:10:25.072 He had committed a series of 33 assaults and other offences! Wow! 00:10:25.072 --> 00:10:31.004 So from this presentation you may have an image of Patrick Byrne as some kind of monster or savage; 00:10:31.004 --> 00:10:33.024 you may think that consequently, and because he had no education, and couldn’t read or write, 00:10:33.024 --> 00:10:36.077 that he should have been locked up in some kind of institution. 00:10:36.077 --> 00:10:41.060 But there was another side to Patrick. 00:10:41.060 --> 00:10:50.088 As mentioned already, every time Patrick was released from prison in Wexford he returned home to his family. 00:10:50.088 --> 00:10:54.020 It appears that his family looked after him and cared for him. 00:10:54.020 --> 00:10:57.070 They were always willing to take him back. 00:10:57.070 --> 00:11:02.053 The attitude, at that time, was that Deaf people could simply be dumped in an institution and left there, 00:11:02.053 --> 00:11:04.031 and families could wash their hands of the situation. 00:11:04.031 --> 00:11:05.065 But Patrick’s family didn’t do that. 00:11:05.065 --> 00:11:08.018 They took him back every time, which is really astonishing. 00:11:08.018 --> 00:11:16.034 During Patrick’s time in Mountjoy Gaol his family in Wexford wrote letters to him. 00:11:20.015 --> 00:11:25.074 And he replied. They exchanged letters more than once. 00:11:25.074 --> 00:11:27.024 Remember, this is a man who could not read or write. 00:11:27.024 --> 00:11:29.018 So how was he able to correspond with his family? 00:11:29.018 --> 00:11:39.018 Maybe someone in the prison, for example a guard, was able to transcribe and translate these letters using basic gestures. 00:11:39.018 --> 00:11:41.024 I don’t know how they did it, but they sent letters to each other regularly. 00:11:45.023 --> 00:11:52.004 There are also accounts from prison inspectors, who, on making enquiries about this Deaf prisoner, 00:11:52.004 --> 00:11:55.063 were told by staff that Patrick was a decent man, but quick-tempered, 00:11:55.063 --> 00:11:59.031 but nonetheless that he was a hard and willing worker, 00:11:59.031 --> 00:12:03.088 completing quickly and with a high level of concentration any work that was given to him. 00:12:03.088 --> 00:12:08.040 It is also reported that he was pleasant, patient and very quiet once he had enough to do. 00:12:08.040 --> 00:12:12.036 So Patrick definitely had two sides to him. 00:12:12.036 --> 00:12:16.062 (What happened after he was sent to Dundrum?) 00:12:16.062 --> 00:12:20.031 What happened to him after that? 00:12:20.031 --> 00:12:27.021 We don’t know. But new information is due to be made available shortly from the National Archives. 00:12:27.021 --> 00:12:30.035 It may be possible to go through other files (there may even be photographs!) 00:12:30.035 --> 00:12:33.041 and find more information. 00:12:33.041 --> 00:12:34.068 I am looking forward to it! 00:12:34.068 --> 00:12:36.015 So, overall a sad story.