The Galway Advertiser article about this stunt doesn't indicate whether the GAAW is aware of the story of Mellows's time in America or not, but I'm sure they are.
After playing a leading role in the Rising Mellows escaped to America, where (the story goes) he was "imprisoned without trial in The Tombs in New York on a charge of partaking in an Irish-German plot to sabotage the allied forces during World War I". See how that works? Mellows was imprisoned without trial on some vague war-related charges just like the poor slobs in Guantanamo.
I've come across that story about Mellows many times in various books and now on the web. I figured it was true until I stumbled on to the Carmelites' 2006 newsletter. Inside that edition of Vox Eliae (I love that name) is an article by Carmelite Alfred Isacsson, who actually researched the court records of the time to get the truth.
Mellows was not "imprisoned without trial" at all, but was arrested with Patrick McCartan and
indicted on December 3, 1917 for perjury and for conspiracy to defraud the United States. Both charges resulted from the falsity of their applications for seamen certificates.Mellows and his companion had obtained false documents in order to return to Ireland in 1917. Mellows was bailed 10 days later. Eventually, the perjury charge was withdrawn and Mellows pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and was fined. {You can read the article here, but it's a mess. You have to hunt for pages 14 & 15 - they weren't scanned in order.}
I'm not sure where the tale of Mellows's imprisonment without trial came from, but it's generally accepted as fact now. I wonder how many of the Guantanamo stories will turn out to be more fairy tale than truth in the fullness of time.
