ARTHUR O'CONNOR ; United Irishman and General-of-Division in Napoleon's Army : 1760 - 1852 .......



.......In the early 1790's , Arthur O'Connor MP returned to Ireland from France and joined the 'Society of United Irishmen' - he met Wolfe Tone and a radical British 'aristocrat' , 'Lord' Edward Fitzgerald .......


In June 1796 , Arthur O'Connor , Edward Fitzgerald and Wolfe Tone travelled to Paris , as arranged , to seek assistance from the French Directory (Revolutionary Government) in organising a rising in Ireland . The three men were well-briefed on the situation and , between that and their obvious commitment and enthusiasm , the French agreed .

On 21st December 1796 , French Commander General Hoche's fleet of 35 ships arrived in Bantry Bay , on the south-west coast of Ireland - the Bay was an ideal spot for the exercise , as it is 26 miles long , 7 miles across and , at its deepest , 40 fathoms . There were thousands of fully-armed and experienced French fighting troops on board - the same men that had only recently proved their mettle in Europe and that were known as " the greatest revolutionary army in the world " .

A storm at sea had separated the lead ship , with General Hoche on board , from the rest of the fleet .......

(MORE LATER).




WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :

war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.

By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.

GEATA BAN .......

".......We had two signallers with flags , two marksmen , and enough of us to handle two British Army trucks ; we had picked the ambush site well , and were anxious for the event ......."


" As best we could , we settled down to the weary process of waiting . Since the ground was favourable , we were allowed to leave our positions and sit in a group to talk . This helped to pass the time with " triumphant tales of recent fight and legends of our sires of old ." In the late afternoon there was still no sign of enemy activity on the road . We had eaten nothing since morning , and I doubt if many of us were provident enough at that time , to bring a sandwich or even a piece of dry bread with us . At any rate , the unexpected happened ; up the approach road came a young lady carrying what appeared to be a white enamel bucket and a basket . Soon we recognised her . She was the daughter of the teachers of the school nearby , half a mile down the road .

She had the bucket full of tea , and the basket full of sandwiches . Apart from the renewed bodily vigour which the excellent food and drink gave , our spirits were raised immeasurably by the action of this young woman who had openly come to help , while others cowered and shrank away from us . Of these latter I must speak a little : very few people showed us any open hostility , but a very great number regarded us as a nuisance . It was hard to blame them - the hand of the British was still heavy upon them . On their fathers before them it had been much heavier . But the 'real' "bad old times" were gone , and the rackrenting and evictions were gone . The teaching and work of Fintan Lalor and Michael Davitt had , by the 'Land League' , effected this . The people now owned their land . Now they had "security" and they were content enough ...

True , in their hearts they would like to see the British gone , but who could put them out ? Surely not a small group , here and there , of badly armed youths ? Nothing could come of it but "bad work" , shootings and burnings . Nothing came that day , or the next . Then came 15th July . About 2pm our group sat talking . My brother was with us . "Watch the signal" , he said . The signaller had stepped down from the rock and , holding his flag low , had shook it out ......."

(MORE LATER).



SEAN MacBRIDE : 1904 - 1988 .......

The following information was sent to '1169....' in mid-February last by a 'J.D. , Isle Of Man ' ; we reproduce it here , in 15 parts . 'J.D.' assures us that he/she got the article from an American newspaper , in the late 1980's/early 1990's .

(13 of 15).


All of Sean MacBride's international work and the Third World nations he helped were held in equal contempt by the establishment writers . MacBride was described as a " Soviet stooge " and his winning of The Nobel Peace Prize was ' the most shameful episode in the history of that dubious award '. " Sean MacBride was an able statesman - of the IRA " , wrote Bruce Anderson of 'The Sunday Telegraph' , aghast at MacBride's defence of Irish Republicans facing extradition . Then we see how Sean MacBride still really hurt the British establishment in his latter years . With the MacBride Principles he 'cajoled' American Congessmen and " batoned on the credulous , transmuting ignorance into bigotry . "

His work for an end to discrimination was " an attempt to undermine Ulster's economy " and were the " last fruits of a long career of political malevolence ".

(MORE LATER).

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ARTHUR O'CONNOR ; United Irishman and General-of-Division in Napoleon's Army : 1760 - 1852 .......



.......Elected to Westminster Parliament in 1787 , Arthur O'Connor soon realised that the word of a British politician was worthless - he wanted another way to strike a blow for Irish freedom . In 1789 , France erupted .......



The corrupt French 'ruling class' were ousted - Arthur O'Connor MP was interested : here , perhaps , was the other way . He went to France to investigate further , and saw a spark of defiance in the dirt-poor people , a strong glimmer of hope , of expectation , that their day had come ! He wanted the same for Ireland ; and so did others ....

Wolfe Tone was in the process of establishing a revolutionary society , having being inspired himself by the French Revolution ; in 1791 , the 'United Irishmen' group was formed , and was later to state that its objective was " never to desist in our efforts until we have subverted the authority of England over our country and asserted our independence . " It is often overlooked that , between 1791 and 1795 (when that statement was made) , The United Irishmen organisation was primarily a political force , seeking to bring pressure to bear on the British Government by the force of argument ; it was only after four years that the 'Society of United Irishmen' realised that the British would listen only to the argument of force .

On his return to Ireland , Arthur O'Connor joined the United Irishmen , as did the well-known radical British 'aristocrat' , 'Lord' Edward Fitzgerald - that was in the early 1790's and the three men - Wolfe Tone , Arthur O'Connor and Edward Fitzgerald - were soon working together .......

(MORE LATER).



WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :

war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.

By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.

GEATA BAN .......

".......Our IRA Unit was waiting near Coolavokig , in Cork , armed and alert . The Brits would travel this road soon , in a lorry , armed with rifles . We wanted their guns and equipment ......."


" Ours was not a common method at the time . Indeed , it was the first attempt in Ireland to capture rifles thus . The spot selected was at the highest point of a long incline . This would naturally reduce the speed of the lorry or lorries , a very desirable factor from our point of view . A double bend of the road , between the fire positions , was a further advantage which nature gave us . An irregular rock rising from road level on either side completed an almost classically ideal ambush site .

Around the bend , on high ground , and remote from the approach direction , was stationed a heavy horse-cart which could be run off the bank , to drop in front of enemy transport and bring it to rest . The British soldier driving would here be covered by two IRA marksmen with rifles - 'Mick the Soldier' and Dannie Harrington , of B Company . Theirs were the only two rifles we possessed . Across the road on the southern side , other expert shots were stationed , armed with shotguns , to shoot the driver if necessary .

The remainder were disposed on either side so as to be in positions to deal with a second lorry , if two happened to come . 'Dowd' and I occupied a niche , or shelf , in the face of the rock under the riflemen . Two signallers with flags were posted behind rocks , commanding the best views of the approach road ......."



SEAN MacBRIDE : 1904 - 1988 .......

The following information was sent to '1169....' in mid-February last by a 'J.D. , Isle Of Man ' ; we reproduce it here , in 15 parts . 'J.D.' assures us that he/she got the article from an American newspaper , in the late 1980's/early 1990's .


(12 of 15).



The finest tribute to Sean MacBride did not come from any of the organisations or individuals he worked for . It came from his political enemies who recognised him as a champion of the oppressed and detested him for it . In Britain , the establishment expressed itself in no uncertain terms through its mouthpieces , the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Telegraph . Most vicious of all was the Sunday Telegraph which carried an obituary by a Bruce Anderson entitled 'Death of an evil man' , in which Sean MacBride was described as a "murderer" who "spent his life in search of vengeance."

Sean MacBride's character was , according to the Sunday Telegraph, "one of frightening coldness and fanaticism" and he "had a psychopath's inability to understand those with whom he disagreed ." Recognising his life-long opposition to British rule , the Sunday Telegraph poured all their anti-Irish racism out --

-- " Two principles guided his entire political life . The first was a hatred of Great Britain , the second a worship of violence ."

(MORE LATER).

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ARTHUR O'CONNOR ; United Irishman and General-of-Division in Napoleon's Army : 1760 - 1852 .......



A child was born into impossible times in Ireland in 1760 : Arthur O'Connor came into the world when the effect's of the 'Penal Laws' were being felt . Catholics were treated worse than farm animals by the English 'landlords' .......


The poverty , the constant hunger , the struggle just to survive from day-to-day ; to literally see farm animals treated better than yourself and your fellow countrymen . That bred resentment and contempt in thousands of young Irishmen and Irishwomen , who carried those feelings with them into adulthood . At 27 years young(in 1787), Arthur O'Connor contested an election to the Westminster Parliament and won a seat .

It should be noted that , five years previously (ie 1782) the lawyer Henry Grattan and his 'Patriot Party' had won a 'Declaration of Independence' from the British Government , which looked good on paper - but , in reality , was worthless . Nothing changed - not the hunger , the treatment or the attitude of the British . Arthur O'Connor MP was determined to find another way ....

Two years after Arthur O'Connor won his seat (ie 1789), France erupted .......

(MORE LATER).




WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :

war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.

By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.

GEATA BAN .......

"..... Mick O'Connell, or 'Mick the Soldier' , had been in the British Army but was now out of it ; his brother Neilus ('Louth') was in the IRA , and Mick wanted to join ......."


" " Well , Mick , you would like to join the IRA ? " asked my brother , Pat. " Oh , this long time , this long time ," was the reply . " Would you be ready for action tomorrow morning , Mick ? " " I'm ready this minute ," answered Mick . So we chatted for a while with our new recruit , whose joy at being one with us was unconcealed and unlimited . Then we arranged a rendezvous for the morning .

The late morning saw six of us descending the northern side of Caherdaha Hill . Terry O'Connell , a brother of 'Louth' and Mick , was with us . Mick carried a handsome short Lee-Enfield service rifle , the only one we possessed . Pat , 'Dowd' and myself carried service revolvers , while 'Louth' and Terry carried shotguns . By a quiet path we travelled in pairs to cross the Macroom-Renanirree road , and then a little plank bridge over the Sullane Beag .

By hedges and along old boreens we reached the steps across the Sullane Mor at Linn-Fia-Chait . Here we met Jerry O'Sullivan (Jerry Conch). He carried a shotgun . We crossed the old steps , and , winding upwards between furze-covered rocks , reached the main Macroom-Ballyvourney road at Geata Ban , not far from Coolavokig school . Here we met an IRA Section from B Company , Ballyvourney , and the two were combined to occupy fire positions on both sides of the road .

It would be hard to get a better natural situation for our purpose . Our aim was to halt and disarm the personnell of the first British military lorry or two , that came from Macroom . We wanted rifles badly and were determined to get them in this , the only way ......."

(MORE LATER).




SEAN MacBRIDE : 1904 - 1988 .......

The following information was sent to '1169....' in mid-February last by a 'J.D. , Isle Of Man ' ; we reproduce it here , in 15 parts . 'J.D.' assures us that he/she got the article from an American newspaper , in the late 1980's/early 1990's .

(11 of 15).



Sean MacBride was acutely conscious of the imminent threat of nuclear destruction and his understanding of the military-industrial complex and NATO gave him a clearer perception of the workings of imperialism in Ireland than perhaps he had in earlier years . He was a thorn in the side of the 26-County establishment , with their increasing subservience to NATO/EEC interests and sell-outs of Irish sovereignty . Up to his death he remained a radical activist .

The MacBride Principles of Fair Employment have exposed internationally the sectarianism and inequality upon which the Six County state is built and the hollowness of British propagandist claims of reform and normality . His recent public campaign against strip-searching , Section 31 censorship in the 26 Counties and against the continued operation of the Sellafield nuclear plant , earned him the ridicule of many in the Irish and British establishments . It is ironic that those among the Irish establishment who were so opposed to Sean MacBride's efforts and beliefs in life , should now clamour to associate themselves with him in death .

That they should do so was a measure of the esteem in which Sean MacBride was held and the widely held aspirations - denied by successive Leinster House Administrations - which he represented . When he passed away , the oppressed , the imprisoned and the tortured of this world lost a valued friend and the cause of freedom , justice and peace both national and international , lost a brave and tireless worker .

(MORE LATER).

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ARTHUR O'CONNOR ; United Irishman and General-of-Division in Napoleon's Army : 1760 - 1852 .



Ireland 1760 - the 'Triumph' of William The Third was still being felt ; harsh laws were still in force against Catholics in Ireland . The 'Penal Laws' decreed that a Catholic could not hold any Office of State ,nor stand for Parliament , or vote , or join the English Army or Navy . Nor could a Catholic practice at the bar , or , more importantly (even though they had not the means to do so), buy land .

The Brits 'rented' Irish land to the Irish for periods of thirty-one years only - when a Catholic 'tenant' died , his/her last will and testament was subject to approval by the English Administration ! If an Irishman did lay claim , uncontested , to a piece of land (ie a rocky patch on a mountain-side) and died with that 'land' still in his possession , that patch could be divided-up between his children - unless one of them turned Protestant , in which case that child inherited the lot !

A child was born into these impossible times in Cork , in 1760 - Arthur O'Connor was that childs name .......

(MORE LATER).



WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :

war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.

By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.

GEATA BAN .......

".......'Louth's' brother , Mick , had served in the British Army but had been demobilised and was now back home . He was a good soldier , and was interested in joining the IRA ......."


" He had waited and watched with envy , his brothers and old school-mates go in the evenings to drill in some quiet place . Sometimes he had seen them at a distance at target practice with small bore rifles . He had longed to be with them but felt that he was not wanted . True , they all greeted him cheerily but never once hinted at the possibility of his joining them . His brother's attitude did not help either . 'Louth' , after his day's work as a labourer , read Irish history often until far into the night . He could not understand how any Irishman could join the British Army .

Well , Mick was not a student of Irish or any other history . When he joined the British Army there was no Irish Army to join . Besides , the politicians , then called 'Irish patriots' , had urged the young men of Ireland to join the British Army to get 'Home Rule' . Damn 'em all .

Anyway , 'Dowd' walked over to Mick the Soldier , who straightened himself with a galvanic start , and came towards us as if walking on air . With precision he halted squarely in front of Pat and saluted formally . But his face was beaming with pleasure . He was about to join his own Army ......."

(MORE LATER).



SEAN MacBRIDE : 1904 - 1988 .......

The following information was sent to '1169....' in mid-February last by a 'J.D. , Isle Of Man ' ; we reproduce it here , in 15 parts . 'J.D.' assures us that he/she got the article from an American newspaper , in the late 1980's/early 1990's .

(10 of 15).


Sean MacBride remained in the true sense a pacifist in that he never joined in the hypocritical condemnations of Irish Republican armed struggle of those ambivalent to , or supportive of , British violence . At all times , he identified the source of Ireland's problems and stated clearly that " a solution will only become possible when Britain relinquishes any claim of sovereignty over any portion of this island . "

Much more could be said about Sean MacBride's place on the world stage . He brought honour to Ireland (where official honours were denied to him) by winning the Nobel and Lenin peace prizes . His opposition to partition and the British presence in Ireland was mirrored in his commitment to anti-imperialism internationally and most particularly in Africa , earning him the respect of African nationalists throughout the continent .

His work in the defence of human rights and in the cause of world peace , most notabe in his participation as a founder of Amnesty International and in drafting the European Convention on Human Rights , was recognised when he became the first person to receive both the Lenin Peace Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize .

(MORE LATER).

( Happy Wednesday , Happy Paddy's Day , agus la fheile shona dhaoibh !)

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PATRICK EGAN - founder of 'The Land League' : 1841 - 1919 .......



.......At 43 years young , in 1884 , Patrick Egan was elected President of the National Land League of America . He supported those in Ireland who were fighting for their freedom , both politically and militarily.......


Over the following two or three years , Patrick Egan raised over $100,000 dollars for the American 'Clan na nGael' organisation , which was also involved in the 'dynamite campaign'. He 'kept a foot in both camps' for the following few years until around 1914 when , at 73 years of age, he became one of the strongest supporters of John Redmond's 'Parliamentary Party '.

On 30th September , 1919 , at 78 years of age , Patrick Egan died in America ; he had spent 61 years of his life actively opposing the British presence in Ireland , both politically and militarily - unfortunately , he is practically unknown outside of the Republican Movement today , but deserves to have his name inscribed on a fitting plaque when the day comes and his objectives are realised - that of a full British military and political withdrawal from Ireland . And that day will come .......

[END of ' PATRICK EGAN - founder of 'The Land League' : 1841 - 1919 .......'].




WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :

war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.

By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.

GEATA BAN .

" It was the dusk of a summer's night in early July 1920 . My brother Pat (our Commandant), Neilus O'Connell (Louth) , Patrick Cronin (Dowd) and I stood talking on the roadway at the Cross of Kilnamartyra . We talked , of course , of men and guns . We were just discussing the number of men , armed with shotguns , who were available in our local Company . A small but soldierly figure , wearing riding-breeches and putties , passed by and said " Good night , lads ." " Good night , Mick ," we replied . It was 'Mick the Soldier' , a brother of 'Louth's'. He stopped at the corner out of earshot from us .

" There's a man who is anxious to join us , " said Dowd . " He has had plenty experience of war , from 1914 to 1918 . I think he should be a most useful man , since he is a crack rifle shot and is also a machine-gunner . " Here Louth spoke - " He is my brother , but I do not approve of taking anyone who has been in the British service . However , please yourselves . " Pat spoke - " Some of our best men have been in the British Army , Neilus , and their training and experience have been of great value to us always . Did'nt some of them join the British and other armies just for the purpose of training themselves to be efficient soldiers to fight for their own country ? Call him over , Dowd . "

Mick had been leaning listlessly , a lonely figure , his back to the wall at the corner . He had come home in 1919 from England where he had been demobilised . He had found a changed country - all the spirited youth worth knowing were , he found , in the Volunteers . He would not , could not , associate with the seoinin young men . He was a soldier born , nothing else , and those young men outside the IRA had not the martial fibre he wanted ......."

(MORE LATER).



SEAN MacBRIDE : 1904 - 1988 .......

The following information was sent to '1169....' in mid-February last by a 'J.D. , Isle Of Man ' ; we reproduce it here , in 15 parts . 'J.D.' assures us that he/she got the article from an American newspaper , in the late 1980's/early 1990's .

(9 of 15).


It was a career with many aspects . At least as important as his military and political efforts to achieve Irish independence , was his work as a lawyer and an international campaigner for human rights . In this field , both at home and abroad , Sean MacBride exposed oppression and injustice wherever he could , always spurred on by a deep compassion for the oppressed .

In the 1940's , he challenged the repressive apparatus used by the Fianna Fail (Free State) Government to crush the Republican Movement . He had clauses of the 1938 Offences Against the State Act declared void in the courts , resulting in the release of Republican Prisoners . He defended those IRA Volunteers railroaded to the scaffold and the firing squad by de Valera's laws , taking a lonely stand against repression at a time of rigorous wartime censorship .

In 1946 , Sean MacBride exposed publicly the brutal treatment of Sean McCaughey in Portlaoise Prison . At the inquest on the dead hunger-striker , MacBride asked the prison doctor -" If you had a dog would you treat it in that fashion ? " " No ," was the doctor's reply . In this , too, he was consistent to the end . He took a strong stand against the extradition of political prisoners to Britain and the Six Counties , giving evidence on behalf of Joe Doherty in the United States and Brendan MacFarlane and Gerry Kelly in the Netherlands .

His presence in that Dutch Courtroom and his eloquent defence of the right of the Irish people to resist British oppression demonstrated the unbroken tradition of Republican resistance from 1916 - when his father , Major John MacBride, died at the hands of a British firing party - to the present generation of those offering that resistance .

(MORE LATER).

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PATRICK EGAN - founder of 'The Land League' : 1841 - 1919 .......



....... Patrick Egan got word that the Brits were making enquiries as to the funds belonging to The Land League ; he withdrew all monies and fled to Paris , from where he continued to work for the organisation , including helping with the publication of its weekly newspaper , ' The United Ireland '.......


In May 1882 , Patrick Egan was told that the British were attempting to link him with the killings earlier that month (ie 6th May 1882) of British Government Officials 'Lord' Frederick Cavendish and Thomas Burke by members of 'The Invincibles' in Dublin's Phoenix Park (it is not perhaps well-known that the 12-inch long surgical knives used in that operation had been purchased in Bond Street in London , and transported to Dublin by the pregnant wife of the Land League's Secretary , hidden in her skirts !).

Patrick Egan left Paris and went to America , where the 'Clan na nGael' organisation put him up in a safe-house ; he continued his work to highlight British injustice in Ireland and , in August 1884 , at 43 years young , he was elected President of the National Land League of America . He continued to support those who were involved in political action against the Brits (Parnell , Davitt etc) but did not confine himself to political opposition only - he made contact with the Fenian leadership in Ireland and told them he was "heart and soul" behind them in their 'dynamite campaign' in England .....

(MORE LATER).



WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :

war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.

By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.


BALLINGEARY BARRACKS .....


".......While being questioned by the Black and Tans in Ballingeary Barracks , Jer Carthy let it be known that his "friends" were expecting his safe return . One of the Brits led Jer out to the hallway . The front door was open ......."



" The Black and Tan spoke to Jer - but this time he was respectful - " You know the road home , Jer ? " " I believe I do, " said Jer as he walked out , a free man . Our visit to Ballingeary on Whitsunday 1920 might well be described as ill-timed and reckless . Had we met with Black and Tans of a tougher fibre , it is likely that they would have availed of one of the many favourable opportunities for attacking us .

In such case we would have suffered heavily . But , as events proved , our opponents' morale was not high . Thirteen days later they were withdrawn from their barracks . We then burned it to the ground . "


[END OF ' BALLINGEARY BARRACKS .....'].



SEAN MacBRIDE : 1904 - 1988 .......

The following information was sent to '1169....' in mid-February last by a 'J.D. , Isle Of Man ' ; we reproduce it here , in 15 parts . 'J.D.' assures us that he/she got the article from an American newspaper , in the late 1980's/early 1990's .

(8 of 15).



But in spite of his failure to recognise that armed struggle remained the most potent weapon in the political armoury of the Irish people - and ultimately the only one that would be listened to- Sean MacBride never joined the ranks of the sham constitutional nationalists . He never took the fruits of partition for personal gain even though he led his party , Clann na Poblachta , into the first interparty government of 1948 with the former Blueshirts of Fine Gael .

The vital difference was that Sean MacBride sincerely believed that constitutional pressure exerted internationally , could morally force Britain to end partition . As (Free State) 'External Affairs Minister' that was his priority and he used every opportunity to advance it . He failed , his constitutionalism perishing inevitably on the rock of British intransigence . That 26-County government failed in other ways too and Sean MacBride's role in the 'Mother and Child' scheme debacle , when the (Free State) government bowed to the Catholic Hierarchy and The Irish Medical Association was less than principled to say the least .

Modern Irish Republicans would also criticise his stated opposition to the removal of the ban on divorce from the 1938 (Free State) Constitution . In these and some other areas - his failure to endorse publicly the campaign of the National H-Block/Armagh Committee for instance - his stance was at odds with his overall progressive role throughout his career .

(MORE LATER).

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PATRICK EGAN - founder of 'The Land League' : 1841 - 1919 .......



.......When the leadership of the ' New Departure ' group were released by the Brits on 23rd January 1881 , the British Chief Secretary in Ireland , William E. Forester , resigned in protest . He was replaced by 'Lord' Frederick Cavendish.......


At about half-past-seven on the evening of his arrival in Dublin (6th May ,1882), 'Lord' Frederick Cavendish and his new British Under-Secretary ,Thomas Burke , were walking across the Phoenix Park to the British 'Vice-Regal' Lodge .... but they never made it..

Patrick Egan , as Treasurer of the Land League (which had been named as an "illegal organisation" by the British in October 1881) was aware that Westminster Officials had been making enquiries as to what funding the Land League had at its disposal ; he withdrew all funds and fled to Paris . He was in charge of the Land League's weekly newspaper , 'The United Ireland' , and continued to run it from Paris .

(Incidentally , on 10th December 1890 , an anti-Parnellite crowd forced their way into the Dublin Offices of 'The United Ireland' newspaper and proceeded to thrash the place ; Charles Stewart Parnell got word of what was happening and quickly organised a few dozen supporters and they , in turn , stormed their own building ! The fist-fight that followed ended in Parnell regaining control of the newspaper Offices).

(MORE LATER).



WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :

war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.

By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.


BALLINGEARY BARRACKS .....



".......The day after we left Ballingeary , the Black and Tans dragged one of our men , Jer Carthy , into their barracks to question him about the activity of the previous day ......."


" The Brits stood around Jer -

" Jereen," they said , "you brought a crowd of murderers here yesterday to wipe us out ."

" They were not murderers , but friends of mine ," Jer replied boldly .

" You've a lot of friends , Jereen ," they observed .

" I have more friends than those ," was Jer's reply.

" You're going to pay for yesterdays work ," they threatened .

" What happened yesterday ? Were any of ye murdered ? " asked Jer.

" No , but that's not your fault ."

" Why did ye not go out and pick up the murderers ? "

" What do you take us for ? A lot of mugs ! "

" Well," said Jer , " if my friends are a lot of murderers , and if anything happens to me , where do ye fit in ? "

There was a long silence . Then one of the Black and Tans beckoned to the others and they all left the room , leaving Jer alone . Very soon one of them returned . He motioned Jer to follow him . They reached the hallway . The front door stood open ......."

(MORE LATER).



SEAN MacBRIDE : 1904 - 1988 .......

The following information was sent to '1169....' in mid-February last by a 'J.D. , Isle Of Man ' ; we reproduce it here , in 15 parts . 'J.D.' assures us that he/she got the article from an American newspaper , in the late 1980's/early 1990's .

(7 of 15).


This period lays bare some of the puzzles of Sean MacBride's political outlook . While not antagonistic to socialist ideas , they were never a priority with him , in spite of his unstinting work on behalf of the dispossessed and underprivileged . He certainly recognised that British imperialism was the first obstacle to social progress and from the start recognised that Fianna Fail would not remove that obstacle .

Yet , after a period as IRA Chief-of-Staff , he parted company with the Republican Movement in 1938 , believing that the de Valera constitution removed the necessity for the use of armed force against the British occupation . In this , Irish Republicans would disagree fundamentally with him , believing that any constitution for the Irish people remains an empty formula so long as a foreign power forcibly prevents them from putting it into effect .

Throughout Sean MacBride's lifetime , the expressed wish of the Irish people for independence was met with brute force by the British Government . The democratic institutions of Dail Eireann(the 32-County body) were suppressed brutally in 1919 - 1921 and partition was imposed under the threat of " immediate and terrible war " in 1922 . The 1937 (Free State) Constitution claiming jurisdiction over the Six Counties and the pleas of successive (Leinster House) 'Governments' - including that which Sean MacBride himself served in as (Free State) External Affairs Minister - against partition , were ignored .

(MORE LATER).

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