PHILIP GREY ; 1827 - 1857 : AN IRISH MILITARY MAN.......
.......Following the collapse of the Rebel Rising in 1849 (in the Tipperary / Waterford area), Philip Grey made his way to Dublin .......
Although young in years (he was only 22) Philip Grey must have been physically and mentally exhausted - trying to organise men and women into an armed force to hit back against the English , while those same men and women were watching each other , and their children and family "dropping into their graves" must have aged Philip Grey in mind and body ; he died in Dublin on 28th February , 1857 , at 30 years of age , having dedicated the last ten years (ie 1847-1857) of his short life to the Irish Republican Cause.
His name would probably mean nothing to most Irish people today ; we found no mention of the man in three of the reference books we consulted - another 'forgotten hero' , with whom we are proud to be associated .......
[END of 'PHILIP GREY ; 1827 - 1857 : AN IRISH MILITARY MAN'].
(Tomorrow - 'Joseph Brenan ; 1828-1857 : 'Young Ireland' Leader.').
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
A DRIVE TO CORK CITY .......
".......Our driver , Jim Grey , always started an operation with the one saying - by telling us how he felt . And he always felt the same way .......!"
" Jim Grey took his place at the wheel of the Buick . Sean Murray sat next to him , then Hughie with the Lewis-Gun resting on the windscreen frame . In the back seat Corney sat immediately behind Jim Grey , with Dan Donovan ('Sandow') in the middle , behind Sean Murray . I sat behind Hughie . On the floor at my feet were the Lewis ammunition drums in their carriers . The car stood in the light from the house , and with its own lights burning ; our driver , Jim Grey , got out and walked around the Buick for a final inspection of tyres . Then he took his place again and , grasping the steering-wheel , said with emphasis - " Well , h'anam an dial , lads , but I'm terribly windy ! " A mighty burst of laughter greeted the pronouncement , and in its heartening atmosphere the grey car slipped quietly away ...
We travelled with lights on dim as a rule ; only in certain valleys were the headlamps used , screened by the hills from enemy posts . At that time if you met a car on the road you could be certain it contained the enemy , for no other was allowed by them to travel . Thus , when we travelled and met people on the road , we passed as Black and Tans or Auxiliaries , which put us in some danger from our own people . There was always the chance that some enterprising IRA man might , like Nelson , put his 'blind eye' to the telescope and his good eye on us ! Otherwise , it generally served us well to be mistaken for the enemy . We passed quietly through Coolea and Ballyvourney , and for a short distance along the road to Macroom . Then by quiet roads through Liscarragane , where the great Canon O'Leary (an t-Ahair Peadar) was born . We passed the door where he stood , as a ragged little boy of eight , to watch
and faithfully record the ghastly procession of the Famine .
Then , a few miles more, and we were at Carraig an Ime , where fell the gallant Art O Laoghaire fighting alone against the English . From Carraig an Ime through Ballinagree and Rylane to Donoughmore our journey was uneventful , but tiring on our driver , especially since lights had to be used sparingly . At Donoughmore we were entertained by the Sixth Battalion IRA , and we rested until dawn ; we had time to spare , as we had to wait until the British curfew patrols and armoured cars were withdrawn at 7.30 a.m. We had breakfast and we started off on the Donoughmore-Blaney-Cork road ......."
(MORE LATER).
BREAKAWAY PARTIES HAVE POOR RECORD .......
By Carol Coulter.
(First published in 'The Irish Times' newspaper on Monday 22nd April 1985).
Reproduced here in 7 parts .
(5 of 7).
During the rest of the 1960's , only the three main parties - Fianna Fail , Fine Gael and Labour - were represented in the Dail (sic- Leinster House). Then the 'Arms Trial' produced a crisis in Fianna Fail and the beginnings of two further parties . The first of these was Aontacht Eireann , formed by Kevin Boland in 1971 ; he was joined by Sean Sherwin and Captain James Kelly , one of the key figures in the 'Arms Trial' .
But Sean Sherwin failed to retain his seat in 1973 , and in 1976 Kevin Boland resigned as leader and the party folded . Neil Blaney adopted a different course of action .......
(MORE LATER).
