by Meda Ryan
Both in University College, Cork and in Maynooth College shortly after this occasion he repeated with similar force, this ‘distortion of history’ and wanted history students to be vigilant and only to use these sources with an open mind in their compilation of history. ‘Fire would almost light in his eyes when he’d talk about this, because he knew there were those who told whoppers!’[8]
In 1974, after the publication of the Deasy book when Barry dealt with material that was at variance with written sources, he wrote of meeting with Lieut Col Halpin, recording officer for the bureau who told him of his obligation ‘to record every single word from anyone … who claimed service with the I.R.A. It did not matter whether the deponent was obviously, mentally disturbed, intoxicated or a phoney, his statement had to be recorded.’ Lack of policing the material, plus lack of redress ‘by a maligned person’ annoyed him.
‘My interest now is how much of Deasy’s or Fr Chisholm’s alleged history came from this source, which must have included some very tall tales …
‘God help Irish history!’ was his cryptic remark. ‘I would ask that a bonfire should be made of the lot in the Garden of Remembrance.’ Here was ‘the Barry fire’ to which historian Pádraig Ó Maidín alluded.[9] (As there are missing pages in Barry’s letters to the director of the Bureau of Military History it is unknown what they contained, but judging by the existing parts, it must have been forceful.)
In the Mansion House, Dublin in 1948, Tom addressed a large audience for the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the 1798 Rising. He concentrated on the Wexford Rising. His portrayal of John Kelly, the boy from Killan was ‘electrifying’. Barry ‘captured the audience. He had charisma and the ability of being a descriptive speaker’, Criostóir de Baróid recalled. ‘You could listen to him forever!’ The audience ‘rewarded him with an emotional standing ovation.’[10]
In early 1949, Barry, with members of the West Cork Brigade memorial committee, undertook a project to erect a suitable monument ‘to the memory of the Volunteers of the West Cork Brigade, Irish Republican Army, who died for Ireland from 1916 onwards.’ Barry arranged with Seamus Murphy, sculptor, to carve on granite ‘a suitable facing’. Money collected from veterans and from friends of the brigade in America took some years of dedication and organisation. On 8 August 1953, President Seán T. O’Kelly performed the official unveiling on the outskirts of Bandon.[11]
That evening Tom, trim, fit and full of energy sat with Tom Kelleher, Nudge Callanan, Mick McCarthy and other comrades ‘over a pint’ in the Kilmichael Bar, Bandon. The discussion centred around the Crossbarry ambush. ‘Kelleher turned to Nudge Callanan. “Only for that drop of whiskey you gave me that day after the ambush, I don’t think I’d survive. ’Twas the saving of me!”
‘Barry turned around and banged his fist on the table. “Jasus! Didn’t I tell you ’twas only to be used for medicinal purposes!” Thirty-two years had gone by and Barry was annoyed that his command wasn’t carried to the letter!’[12]
Invitations to speak at commemoration ceremonies were extended to Barry – at unveilings such as the memorial to the memory of Willie McCarthy, Tralee, ‘an ecclesiastical student’ arrested while delivering dispatches, ‘taken to RIC Barracks and later that night two Black and Tans took him to the Green … and murdered him.’ There were places where they only wanted his presence. ‘We will guarantee that we will not ask him to open his lips, come stand on the platform and unveil the monument’.[13]In Thurles IRA veterans who had organised a benevolent fund for a man who had not been well since internment in Wormwood Scrubs in 1920, wanted Tom Barry to come to their Easter Week commemoration. ‘We are anxious to avoid a political speaker and while Barry may have taken sides, he is still regarded as an outstanding man here, and more or less aloof from politics’.[14]
Having contributed articles to An Cosantóir, Rebel Cork’s Fighting Story and the Irish Press in the 1930s and early 1940s, Barry decided to write a book. Since 1937 he had written extended accounts of the major ambushes of Kilmichael and Crossbarry; now he would write on other ambushes and events of the Third West Cork Brigade in the War of Independence. Ted O’Sullivan, TD, believed ‘it was a great idea to write up the history of the war, while there are so many alive to give first hand information.’ O’Sullivan felt sure that brigade committees could ‘verify detailed lists of all activities’.[15]
In questionnaires for his comrades, he allowed spaces for their responses, and went to tremendous trouble to check facts. Key people such as Jack Young and Florrie O’Donoghue collected statements from brigade members. Jack Young organised statements from authoritative sources, including his brother Ned and Paddy O’Brien (both Kilmichael ambush participants) and Liam Deasy. Barry acquired two large 1947 Browne and Nolan diaries, and wrote in alternative pages – using one side, and allowing the opposite for corrections and alterations.[16]
Tom presented Leslie, who had learned to type, with a typewriter one evening as she had agreed to type the book. ‘He was extremely particular,’ she said. ‘At first I might change a word which I would think would be more suitable; he’d recognise it and insist that I type the whole page again. And if I made a mistake I’d have to type the page again; it just had to be correct. He wrote it, and it had to appear exactly as he wrote it. But that was the kind of person Tom was – extremely thorough.’[17]
Having worked on the manuscript throughout 1947, he had it ready for publication by March 1948. William Sweetnam, editor of the Irish Press contacted Tom and suggested that the paper would serialise the work. Initially Tom was reluctant to allow it be published in this manner, but decided that if there were any errors or dissenting voices the material could be corrected prior to book publication.][18]
‘Truth to tell, the financial aspect of it is not to me the greatest’, he told his friend, Connie Neenan, in June 1948. ‘I wrote it primarily because of my pride in the men of my race and because I hope when I am dead that it will be the medium of some stabs at those British whom an Irishman should not forgive – even when he is in the grave.’[19]Con responded, ‘It is obvious that you are not interested in the financial angle of things but rather in the historic and national values. There is little financial compensation in writing – at least from the author’s viewpoint.’[20]
Barry had already selected the title Guerilla Days in Ireland for the book. The Irish Press wrote an introduction on 1 May 1948 of ‘the saga’ of ‘the West Cork Brigade Flying Column, the most aggressive striking force of the whole Republican army, written by the man who led it’ in ‘Ireland’s fight for freedom’. The first instalment began in the Irish Press on 10 May, and the series ended on 3 July 1948.
Before this, correspondence flowed between Barry and the editor of the Irish Press regarding the alteration or omission of certain material. He acknowledged ‘the right of the Irish Press to decide what should be omitted to avoid liability, for libel actions the words it considers likely to give offence to living people … I will in a further letter make some suggestions on this, which will meet the views of the Irish Press.’ He noted that the least he could expect was a statement accompanying each instalment that alterations had been made by agreement with the author.[21]Furthermore, he wanted it clarified that it was a book that was being serialised and not a series of articles, and that the Irish Press had obtained ‘first serial rights of a book’.[22]After the first two instalments, Tom had problems and wrote to the editor, William Sweetnam, who responded: ‘I accept, of course, your point that we should acknowledge that we have made deletions and propose to do so in all instalments which are not printed in full … You will understand that an extract from a book in a daily paper can appear in a very different light to the publication of the same passage in the book itself.[23]
Shortly after, some further deletions and editorial ‘interference’ disturbed Barry again. He informed the editor that such ‘interference’ would ‘have to be’ accompanied by an ‘acknowledgement’. However, without his approval, he did n
ot want any alterations involving ‘omitting important facts’ such as had been done with his article on Kilmichael (1932). He wanted reassurance of their promise ‘to publish without the alteration of a single word.’[24]
A few weeks later Barry again expressed his anxiety. ‘Adverse comment mounts,’ he wrote on 4 June, ‘that the instalments are being cut too drastically. Those people will not understand the pressure of space and all the other valid reasons.’[25]He told his friend Connie Neenan, ‘The Irish Press is no friend of mine but I could not refuse to give it to them’ because, he said, he wished to ‘counter’ the ‘subtle British propaganda’ in the Independent. His reference was to Winston Churchill’s memoirs being highlighted in the Irish Independent at the time.[26]
He disagreed with Liam Mac Gowan, Irish Press, that his reference to Bishop Coholan’s excommunication decree should be toned down. ‘I consider it a very mild exposition of a treacherous act aimed to destroy the armed Independence movement by a man who should have been dealt with in a stronger manner … do not touch it at all’, he wrote, and he wanted inserted ‘in italics, in brackets’ a line of the ‘strong language’ used by the author which has been omitted.[27]He wrote the paragraph that he wanted inserted. Finally with the help of M. J. Costello he succeeded in getting the paper to publish the toned-down paragraph.[28]
On 25 June, Mr Sweetnam again responded to another letter from him.
‘I would like to assure you at once that we have no intention of altering your Mss, or allowing any member of the staff to alter the Mss, except for those necessary deletions of the kind I have already notified you.
‘I have looked into your complaint and find that certain mistakes were made at the “stone” where some matter in the galleys was transposed … I have taken steps to see that they are prevented in future as far as possible.
‘You will understand, however, that in the rush to produce a newspaper some mistakes are inevitable.’[29]It is obvious from the foregoing that Barry was a stickler for accuracy.
After a photo of Barry appeared with the second instalment he asked the editor, ‘Where, oh where did the Irish Press get today’s photograph of me? I suspect it must have been when, at some meeting, I was attacking the Fianna Fáil Govt!’
The editor responded, ‘It was taken at a meeting when you were attacking, not the Fianna Fáil Government, but the Irish Press. That is what you get for not sending us an authorised photograph.’[30]Later when his book was being published the Irish Press were again seeking a photo. But Barry had ‘a feeling against it’, and rarely ‘had a photograph taken deliberately’. He did not want to feel ‘a presumptuous ass.’ However, he finally consented.[31]
There were only a few dissenting voices during serialisation. Some were from those who claimed to be at venues or held titles, which clearly were untrue and one such was the claim by an alleged brigade OC in a certain area. (This correspondence is marked, ‘not for publication’.) Barry had checked the details with Florence O’Donoghue, who in the ‘course of his investigations for the Military Bureau’ when he was assigned to it, claimed that the same man ‘is not quite sound on top without being actually a mental case’.[32]
Meanwhile, Tom told Liam Mac Gowan, Irish Press, that he was taking a day off for the Phoenix Park races ‘provided I am not dam (sic) well broke before it, backing donkeys. Joe McGrath wrote me ten days ago that Solar Slipper is very well fancied to win the Derby tomorrow. Let’s hope so, because if he does not, I will have to doff my hat and genuflect every time I pass my bank for the next few months.’[33]
Notes
[1]Mr McDumphy, bureau director, to Tom Barry, 16 July 1948, TB private papers.
[2]Tom Barry to Mr McDumphy, n.d. as it is part of carbon copy of letter – earlier part missing, TB private papers.
[3]Tom Barry to Mr McDumphy, 4/7/1948, TB private papers.
[4]Tom Barry to Mr McDumphey, bureau director – second page of carbon copy of letter, first part with date missing, TB private papers.
[5]Tom Barry to Mr McDumphy, bureau director, 4/7/1948, TB private papers.
[6]Tom Barry to Dr T. O’Higgins, 5/7/1948, TB private papers.
[7]Tom Barry to history students, 1969, University College, Galway, recording courtesy of John Browne.
[8]Liam O’Donoghue, teacher and historian, author interview 24/2/1980.
[9]Barry, The Reality, p. 9. He wrote. ‘Locked unopened for fifty years they would remain until ‘a group of historians who would from that material, write a military history of the period’; Pádraig Ó Maidín, Cork Examiner, 22/11/ 1975. Tom Barry author interview – Barry couldn’t abide facts being distorted. History should be written in as honest a manner as was humanly possible. I experienced his annoyance and his firmness on this point.
[10]Criostóir de Baróid, author interview 11/1/1980; Den Carey, author interview 11/1/1981; Part of copy of lecture, TB private papers.
[11]Seamus Murphy to Tom Barry, 7/4/1947; Seán T. O’Kelly, President of Ireland to Tom 24/5/ 1947; Other correspondence related to the monument, n.d. TB private papers. Committee members: Tom Barry, Liam Deasy, Tom Hales, Maurice Donegan, Dan Holland and John Buckley – other friends including many former Cumann na mBan members also helped in the organisation.
[12]Mick McCarthy, author interview 13/10/1980.
[13]P. C. O’Mahony, Sec. to Tom Barry, 8/4/1949 & 23/4/1949, TB private papers.
[14]Con Spain to Jack, 28 March 1949. The ‘jack’ appears to have passed on the original letter to Tom, TB private papers.
[15]Ted O’Sullivan, TD, Dáil Éireann, Third West Cork Brigade to Tom Barry 24/2/ 1947; Mick Costello to Tom Barry with words of encouragement, 21/4/1948, TB Papers.
[16]Jack Young collected statements from Joe Keane, Jimmy Crowley, Denis MacCarthy, Seán Murphy, ‘absolutely correct statement’ – Jack Young. There are acknowledgments to Pete Kearney, Flor Begley, Tom Kelleher and many, many more. Because of the condition of the collection, pages of the manuscript are severed from the original binding and are scattered – out of sequence. Most of the statements were returned; however he kept some questionnaires and responses. Jack Young to Tom 8/7/47; others n.d. TB private papers.
[17]Leslie Price de Barra, author interview, 22/4/1973.
[18]Tom Barry to Miah Galvin, 26/5/1948, TB private papers.
[19] Tom Barry to Con [Connie Neenan] 13 June 1948, TB private papers. (Connie Neenan had emigrated to America after the Civil War.)
[20]Con to Tom, 20/6/1948, TB private papers.
[21]Tom Barry to editor Irish Press, 7 April 1948, TB private papers.
[22]Tom to Liam Mac Gowan, Irish Press, 1/5/1948; Tom Barry to William Sweetnam, Irish Press editor, 1/5/1948.
[23]W. Sweetnam to Tom Barry, 12/5/1948, TB private papers.
[24]Ack. W. Sweetnam, editor Irish Press, to Tom Barry, 12 May 1948; Tom Barry to Mr Nolan, The Kerryman, 20 April 1948, TB private papers.
[25]Tom to Liam, Irish Press 4/6/1948, TB private papers.
[26]Tom to Connie Neenan, 13 June 1948, TB private papers.
[27]Tom Barry to Liam Mac Gowan, 1 May 1948, TB private papers.
[28]Tom Barry to Mick Costello, 2 May, 1948, Mick Costello to Tom Barry, 21 April, 1948, TB private papers.
[29]W. Sweetnam, Irish Press to Tom Barry 25/6/1948, TB private papers. The carbon copy of Barry’s letter of complaint is missing from the collection – either lost or destroyed.
[30]Tom Barry to W. Sweetnam, editor, Irish Press 11 May 1948 and W. Sweetnam to Tom Barry, 12 May 1948. TB private papers.
[31]J. C. Dempsey to Tom Barry, 13 April 1949 & Tom Barry to J. C. Dempsey, manager Irish Press, 21 April 1949, TB Personal Papers.
[32]Tom Barry to W. Sweetnam, Irish Press, 30 June 1948, TB private papers.
[33]Tom Barry to Liam Mac Gowan, 4 June 1948, TB private papers. Joe McGrath, friend and colleague of Michael Collins, went pro-Treaty, later became a great friend of Tom Barry.
22 – The Republic of Ireland Bill
The serialisation of Barry’s manuscript in the Irish Press brought him hundreds of letters from readers countrywide including Third West Cork Brigade comrades, and veterans countrywide and abroad who had participated in both the War of Independence and in the Civil War.
Pat O’Mahony wrote, ‘From the day I first met you, to this moment, I am convinced that without you it would be easy to write the history of our brigade.’ Pat, later a policeman in Dungarvan, found that ‘no other area could produce such a combination as yourself, Charlie Hurley, Liam Deasy, Jim Hurley, etc. … But without you??? … You are far too modest where your own part is concerned.’[1]Pat Callaghan believed that there would be ‘no 26 County Republic only for Tom Barry.’ Another correspondent Canon O’Connell, who heard the men’s confession before the Kilmichael ambush (afterwards took the pro-Treaty side), described Barry as ‘a second Napoleon’.[2]
People sent the Irish Press daily to friends in America, New Zealand, Australia and ‘to good Irishmen everywhere’. Words of praise from young and old came in floods of letters. So many believed that ‘you cannot read your tombstone when you’re dead!’ One letter finishes with, ‘Thank you for “Guerilla Days” and your service to Ireland.’[3]Another wrote, ‘You wield a pen as well as you wielded a gun in West Cork.’[4]Several of his former comrades wrote complimentary letters, including Pete Kearney, who was ‘very pleased’ and glad of the special mention of ‘the medical group’ from UCC. Tom’s great friend, Seán Moylan, complimented him on ‘the very great labour entailed in the digging up and co-relating of the facts.’[5]A few weeks later Pete Kearney wrote again to Tom of ‘an eighty year old man in Clare who never read a paper had to have the Press delivered specially from Corofin every morning. Another old man from North Cork, on a visit to Co. Meath, made a great nuisance of himself to his rancher friend by producing copies of the paper.’ Dan Breen looked forward to the book, because he wanted ‘a full mouthfull at one go’, and Jim Hurley of UCC forwarded a letter he had received from the chairman of the General Council of County Councils to Tom: ‘Id like you to tell him [Tom] how proud I was to read of his epic courage and quality and of his epic telling of his services and those of his fellow soldiers. His is a proud chapter in our story and for us who have no story – there is the pride of a common blood to fill us full … it makes me very proud of Cork blood and Irish blood. Thank him from one half Cork man and one whole Irishman.’[6]A man without Cork connections wrote how glad he was that Tom was reminding ‘the present breed of young Irish men of what those who went before them suffered for Ireland.’[7]