by Tom Mahon
185 CS to D [Donal O’Donoghue in prison], 28 January 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/41 (9).
186 CS to D, 28 January 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/41 (9).
187 Andrews, Dublin Made Me, p. 307.
188 Ibid. p. 225.
189 Doorley M. Irish-America Diaspora Nationalism: The Friends of Irish Freedom, 1916– 1935 (Four Courts Press, Dublin, 2005), p. 133.
190 Briscoe R. For the Life of Me (Little Brown and Company, Boston, 1958), p. 224.
191 English, Radicals and the Republic, p. 100; Regan, The Irish-Counter Revolution, p. 148.
192 Ó Drisceoil, Peadar O’Donnell, p. 43; Coogan, The IRA, p. 40.
193 Coogan, The IRA, p. 40.
194 Ibid.
195 Ibid.
196 English, Radicals and the Republic, pp. 12, 96, 98.
197 Ibid, p. 10. Notes for constitution for revolutionary organisation, 17 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (117); notes for constitution proposed for revolutionary organisation by ‘C’, 17 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (315–16).
198 This may be a reference to a prisoner by the name of James Kavanagh; DI to Jack Jones, 21 December 1927, in MTUCDA P69/197 (54).
199 Notes of statement by CS, 9 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (154–5); Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 207, 209.
200 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 113.
201 Patterson, H., The Politics of Illusion: A Political History of the IRA (Serif, London, 1997), p. 37.
202 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 115.
203 Lawlor, Seán MacBride, That Day’s Struggle, p. 124.
204 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 856.
205 Ibid., p. 842.
206 IO Number 2 Area to DI, 6 November 1927, in MTUCDA P69/196 (2).
207 English, Radicals and the Republic, p. 102; MacEoin, Survivors, p. 32.
208 MacEoin, Survivors, p. 568.
209 Chairman of Army Council to An Timthire, 24 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (106–7).
210 Máire Comerford in MacEoin, Survivors, p. 53.
211 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 93.
212 New York Times, 1 May 1926 and 22 June 1926; CS to A. adjt. Cork 1, 3 May 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (87–8); MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 128; it can be deduced that Seán MacSwiney was the assistant adjutant of Cork 1 brigade from the following two documents: S MacS to CS, 23 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (96–100) and CS to OC Cork 1, 28 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (93-94); Irish Times, 27 and 28 April, 1 May and 22 June 1926.
213 Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army, p. 57.
214 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 840.
215 An Phoblacht, 5 November 1926; Irish Times, 3 November 1926.
216 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 840.
217 DI to MP [Mick Price], 17 December 192,6 in MTUCDA P69/193 (55).
218 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 129; Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 79.
219 Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army, p. 58.
220 Unsigned to ‘A Chara Dhil [Dear Friend]’, 25 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/ 47 (52); though unsigned this letter is from Cooney as the author states that he was going to travel to London to meet with the Soviet agent ‘James’, and Cooney was the person who in fact made this trip. The recipient is uncertain, though it may have been Seán Russell.
221 Unsigned to ‘A Chara Dhil [Dear Friend]’, 25 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69 /47 (52).
222 ‘J’ to CS, 18 November 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/41 (251–2).
223 CS to S Officer Offaly brigade, 23 November 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/41 (250).
224 CS to OC Tipp. brigade, 4 December 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/47 (40); this letter may have been written by Cooney standing in for Twomey; alternatively the adjutant general could have also been temporarily appointed chief of staff.
225 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 79. New York Times, 22 November 1926. Irish Times, 18 December 1926.
226 New York Times, 22 November 1926.
227 Unsigned to ‘A Chara Dhil [Dear Friend]’, 25 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69 /47 (52).
228 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 129; New York Times, 22 November 1926.
229 Unsigned to Jones, 7 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/183 (163-164); unsigned to ‘A Chara Dhil [Dear Friend]’, 25 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (52).
230 Unsigned to An Timthire, 25 November 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/183 (171).
231 In MTUCDA P69/196 (41–3).
232 Unsigned to ‘A Chara Dhil [Dear Friend]’, 25 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (52).
233 Cork Examiner, 29 November and 5 December 1926; in MTUCDA P69/196 (41–3).
234 Acting secretary executive to M. Murphy, 8 December [1926], in MTUCDA P69/48 (318).
235 Unsigned to An Timthire, 25 November 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/183 (171).
236 Ibid.
237 Unsigned to Mr Jones, 7 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/183 (163–4).
238 Unsigned to Mr Browne, 26 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/183 (156); date on the document is incorrectly given as 26 November 1926 but this is corrected elsewhere.
239 Unaddressed from An Timthire, 21 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/183 (159–60).
240 Ibid.
241 HS to CS or chairman, 17 November 1926 in MTUCDA P69/41 (27), unsigned to ‘A Chara Dhil [Dear Friend]’, 25 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (52).
242 Unsigned to Jones, 7 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/183 (163–4).
243 CS to HS, 8 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (10–11).
244 An Phoblacht, 17 December 1926.
245 DI to MP [Mick Price], 17 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (55).
246 Unsigned to MP, 17 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (7).
247 OC 4th battalion, Dublin to CS, 3 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (22–3).
248 An Timthire to unaddressed, 21 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/183 (159– 60).
249 Irish World, 27 November 1926.
250 Unsigned to MP, 17 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (7).
251 Unsigned to ‘A Chara Dhil [Dear Friend]’, 25 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/ 47 (52).
252 Unsigned to MP, 17 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (7).
253 QMG to CS, 4 May 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (47).
254 Chairman to An Timthire, 3 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (123–5).
255 Minutes of meeting of the Army Executive, 27 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (104–5).
256 Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army, p. 58.
257 CS to OC Cork 1 brigade, 10 February 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (338).
258 DI to ‘unaddressed’, 10 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (62).
259 Regan, The Irish Counter-Revolution, pp. 251–6; Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army, p. 60.
260 Chairman to An Timthire, 18 March 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (77–8); Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 115.
261 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 115.
262 Unsigned to George, 2 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (75).
263 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 134.
264 Chairman to An Timthire, 8 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (74–5).
265 Chairman to unaddressed, 12 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (71–2).
266 Minutes of Army Council meeting, 5 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (112).
267 Jones to Browne, 28 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (102–4).
268 Meeting of officers regarding republican co-ordination in the general election and memorandum of suggested basis of co-ordination between republican bodies, 9 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69 48 (35–6, 152, 154–6 and 157–62).
269 Minutes of meeting of Army Council, 11 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (108).
270 Chairman to unaddressed, 12 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (71–2).
271 Chairman to An Timthire, 8 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (74–5).
272 MD to HS, 19 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (19).
273 Chairman to Mr Jones, An Timthire, 14 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (61–
2).
274 Joint meeting of representative members of Fianna Fáil and of representatives of the Army Council, 15 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (115).
275 Unsigned to George [Gilmore], 2 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (75).
276 Seán Lemass and Gerald Boland to secretary Army Council, 29 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (33). Minutes of Army Council, 28 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (114).
277 Chairman to An Timthire, 29 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (58–9).
278 Unsigned to George, 2 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (75).
279 Secretary of Army Council to E. de Valera, 11 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (30).
280 E. de Valera to secretary of Army Council, 13 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (29).
281 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 208.
282 Unsigned to George, 2 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (75).
283 Regan, The Irish Counter-Revolution, pp. 270–1; Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 209.
284 Coogan, The IRA, p. 40.
285 Mr Ambrose, Outline of the present movement, July 1927, in MTUCDA P69/72 (14), quoted in Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 246.
286 Lawlor, Seán MacBride, That Day’s Struggle, p. 106.
287 Regan, The Irish Counter-Revolution, pp. 273, 421.
288 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 136; Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army, p. 61.
289 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 136.
290 Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army, p. 61–2.
291 Dublin brigade IO to DI, 23 July [1927], in MTUCDA P69/196 (142–3); Christly Quearney in MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 768.
292 Dublin brigade IO to DI, 23 July [1927], in MTUCDA P69/196 (142–3).
293 Dublin brigade IO to DI, 27 July [1927], in MTUCDA P69/196 (133–4).
294 Ibid.
295 Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army, p. 62. Regan, The Irish Counter-Revolution, p. 273.
296 DI to OC Waterford battalion OC, 6 September 1927, in MTUCDA P69/196 (74).
297 Lawlor, Seán MacBride, That Day’s Struggle, p. 107.
298 Irish World, 10 September 1927.
299 HS to ‘Dear Sir’, 1 November 192[7], in MTUCDA P69/150 (18).
300 IO Dublin brigade to DI, 12 December 1927 in MTUCDA P69/196 (19).
301 Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army, p. 62; Regan, The Irish Counter-Revolution, p. 274.
302 Regan, The Irish Counter-Revolution, pp. 274–6.
303 Kramer, Dynamic of Destruction, p. 238-239.
304 Unsigned to chairman of Army Council, 18 November 1925, in MTUCDA P69/ 181 (74–6).
CHAPTER 4: : THE IRA’S LOCAL UNITS
1 Hanley, B. The IRA, 1926–1936 (Four Courts Press, Dublin, 2002), pp. 206–7. The IRA may also have been responsible for the mysterious death of William Dahlgrene, first mate on the Victor Emmanuel II (see Chapter 7). Additionally four people died in Britain in railway, accidents, that occurred in May 1926 during the general strike. This was at a time when the IRA wanted to disrupt the railway system and ‘derail trains’ (see Chapter 6).
2 Ibid., p. 12. O’Donoghue, F., No Other Law (Anvil Books, Dublin, 1986), p. 219.
3 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 12–13.
4 Ibid., p. 30.
5 Ibid., pp. 200–1.
6 The St Enda’s dump was captured on 1 February 1926; Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 47; MacEoin, U., The IRA in the Twilight Years, 1923–1948 (Argenta Publications, Dublin, 1997), p. 125.
7 Coogan, T. P., The IRA: A History (Roberts Rinehart Publishers, Niwot, Colorado, 1993), p. 72.
8 An Timthire to Mr Smith, 20 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (48–51).
9 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 49.
10 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, pp. 129–30.
11 In his report to the Army Executive Twomey used the word ‘pleased’ and to Gilmore he stated he was ‘quite pleased’; minutes of Army Executive meeting, 27 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (104–5); unsigned to George [Gilmore], 2 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (75).
12 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 12.
13 Irish Times, 26 October 1926.
14 CS to OC Dublin brigade, 26 October 1926, in MTUCDA P69/41 (45).
15 Irish Times, 28 and 29 March 1927.
16 Chairman of Army Council to An Timthire, 8 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (74–5).
17 Some of this account is taken from a newspaper cutting in the Twomey papers. The title of the paper and the date aren’t included in the cutting, though ‘April 1926’ is written in by hand, MTUCDA P69/44 (39). The eight defendants were listed as: Christopher Brennan, Thomas Gerrard, Patrick and Michael Hogan, Charles Rann, Denis and Thomas Corr and John Cherubine. Named in court, but not on trial, were Arthur and William Kelly. In Ernie O’Malley’s memoir of the Civil War, The Singing Flame (Anvil Books, Dublin, 1992, p. 295) Thomas Gerrard is named as a medical orderly at Portobello barracks who smuggled out a letter for the badly wounded O’Malley. Arthur Kelly of Hanover Street West, Dublin was arrested in October 1924 in connection with the killing of a British soldier in Cobh, though members of the Cork 1 brigade had actually carried out the attack. Reference: MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 108; Irish Times, 1 March, 17 April, 24 April, 4 May, 8 May, 20 May and 29 June 1927.
18 ‘Almost one-third of the 1,545 members of the Crown Forces who were killed or seriously wounded by the IRA between January 1920 and the Truce occurred in Co. Cork’; quoted from: Augusteijn, J., From Public Defiance to Guerilla Warfare (Irish Academic Press, Dublin, 1996), p. 18.
19 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 20.
20 Ibid., p. 12.
21 Seán MacSwiney is described as assistant adjutant in a despatch, CS to OC Cork 1 brigade, 28 April1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (93–4) which cross references S MacS to CS, 23 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (96–100).
22 Fallon, C., Soul of Fire: A Biography of Mary MacSwiney (Mercier Press, Cork, 1986), pp. 132–3.
23 S MacS to CS, 23 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (96–100).
24 CS to OC Cork 1 brigade, 12 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (102).
25 CS to OC Cork 1 brigade, 15 February 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (281–2).
26 Meeting of officers regarding republican co-ordination in the general election, 9 April 1927; roll call, in MTUCDA P69/48 (157–8, 152, 160); discussion on memo in MTUCDA P69/48 (161–2).
27 Brigade adjutant Limerick brigade to CS, 27 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (38); Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 12
28 Unsigned note, likely from the Limerick brigade adjutant, to CS, 27 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (40); S Commdt for D. of Intelligence to CS, 25 May 1926, in MTUCDA P69/12 (47).
29 Hopkinson, M., Green Against Green: The Irish Civil War (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1988) p. 210.
30 S Commdt. for D. of Intelligence to CS, 25 May 1926, in MTUCDA P69/12 (47).
31 CS to OC Waterford batt. 6 September 1927, in MTUCDA P69/50 (26).
32 Hopkinson, M., The Irish War of Independence (Gill & Macmillan,Dublin, 2002), p. 146.
33 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 12
34 Meeting of officers regarding republican co-ordination in the general election, 9 April 1927; discussion on memo in MTUCDA P69/48 (161–2).
35 [1st staff officer] Offaly to CS, 18 November 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/41 (251–2).
36 1st staff officer to CS, 5 December 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/41 (248); references to General Prout in Hopkinson, Green Against Green, pp. 136, 154, 168, 209–10, 225, 246.
37 This letter is signed ‘chief of staff’; however, Moss Twomey was imprisoned at the time, and so it was likely written by Andy Cooney; CS to S Officer Offaly brigade, 23 November 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/41 (250).
38 Twomey remained in prison at the time of this letter. CS to 1st staff officer, 13 December 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/41 (247)
39 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 12–13.
40 OC battalion Connemara South to CS, 28 September 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (124).
41 S Galway t
o CS, 7 March 1923 [the date the document was received was 9 March 1924, and thus the actual year was likely 1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (253).
42 Dáil Éireann, Volume 124, 15 March 1951. Committee on Finance, adjournment debate, appointment of paymasters; Reviewed on www.oireachtas.ie on 15 March 2008.
43 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 12.
44 Ibid., p. 209.
45 Unsigned, N Mayo brigade to adjt. general, 1 November 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/149 (108–10).
46 In this despatch the service of ‘J Barret’ were also offered; ‘M’ to adjutant general, 8 September 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/149 (121–2).
47 Canfield, B., ‘The three-inch Stokes mortar’, excerpted from ‘US Infantry Weapons of the First World War’. Reviewed on the website www.worldwar1.com, 28 April 2008.
48 Based on the numbers presented by Brian Hanley, 511 of the IRA’s members were from Northern Ireland units in 1930. Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 12–13.
49 CS to S Capt W, 3 May 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (11–12).
50 The relevant despatch was sent by the intelligence officer of the Armagh battalion to the director of intelligence in Dublin: ‘1. Enquires have been sent to Armagh police barracks, re Tommy Donnelly, who is working in Fianna Fáil interests in 2. Sergt Rowe (RUC) Markethill has been transferred to Dromitee (South Armagh) and Sergt Browne (RUC) has been transferred from the latter Station to Markethill’; IO Number 2 Area to DI, 6 November 1927 in MTUCDA P69/196 (29).
51 There is considerable evidence that the IRA’s organiser in the north, ‘Captain W’, was ‘Staff Captain Wilson’; documents from the north are signed ‘ W Capt GHQ’; a Staff Captain W attended the IRA officers’ meeting in Dublin, 9 April 1927, P69/48 (157–8, 152, 160); there is a reference to ‘Wilson’ working at GHQ, Unsigned to George [Gilmore], 2 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (75); Mick Price also approved ‘Wilson’ to act as his proxy on the Army Council on 16 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (59).
52 Captain W to CS, 4 May [1926], in MTUCDA P69/44 (8–9); Captain W to CS, 20 May 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/47 (173–6).
53 Captain W to CS, 20 May 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/47 (173–6).