On the 15th November 1920 - 103 years ago on this date - A British soldier in Ireland, a Lieutenant William Spalding Watts, who was attached to the '33rd Company Royal Engineers', was enjoying a train journey from Cork to Bere Island, in West Cork, an internment camp for Irish Republican POW's, which was built that year by the British.
Lieutenant Watts was travelling in the '1st Class' carriage and some of his comrades were in '3rd Class', as they were of the opinion that it would be safer for them to mingle with the public rather than to travel as a group in '1st Class'.
All of them wore their British Army uniforms and all were relaxed as the train pulled in to Waterfall Railway Station, about six miles outside Cork City, to pick up more passengers.
Lieutenant Watts, Lieutenant RR Goode, Captain Reedy, Captain Stewart Chambers and Captain Montague Green were sitting in their respective carriages oblivious to the fact that armed Volunteers from the 2nd Battalion, Cork No. 1 Brigade IRA, had boarded the train, and were making their way through the carriages.
Three of the Volunteers entered the '3rd Class' carriage and walked slowly through it, looking at each passenger as they went ; one of the IRA men, now with gun in hand, stopped at British Army Captain Chambers and said to his two comrades "That is one of them.." and, pointing at Captain Green, said "..and that is the other."
The two British Army soldiers were were then marched out of the train at gunpoint and were joined outside by Lieutenant Watts, who had been removed from his '1st Class' comfort by other Volunteers (...it was rumoured later that the IRA were looking for a British Army man named George Edward Green, who was involved in the torture of Tom Hales [".. his mouth was severely damaged and his hands crippled.."], not Montague Green. Incidentally, Tom Hales survived only to later join a Leinster House party).
Lieutenant Goode and Captain Reedy were left where they were.
Captain Stewart Chambers was responsible for the 'arrest' of Father O'Donnell (Chaplin to the Australian Forces) in October 1919 for 'seditious language' and the IRA wanted a word with him about that, and British Army Captains Chambers and Green had the previous week been witnesses to the shooting of two RIC members at Ballybrack, in Cork and, it seems, the IRA wanted to know what exactly they had seen.
Within days of their absence, posters and leaflets were displayed in areas of Cork and Kerry, signed as being from 'The Anti-Sinn Féin Society', demanding the release of the three British Army operatives within two days or else "...individuals and houses would be blown to the Devil. No mercy shown...(and) leading members of the IRA will be suitably dealt with. Ignore this at your peril. Vengeance may be slow, but it’s sure...not a tooth for a tooth, but 50 to 1.."
The posters and leaflets named thirteen villages in Cork and Kerry and listed certain houses in those villages that would be blown up and stated that the occupants of same would be killed, claiming that the 'Society' would not stop until "222 men were dead".
However, all three British Army Officers were shot dead. Their bodies were never recovered.
'RADIO ÉIREANN.'
From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, April 1955.
If ever blood is spilt among Irishmen* which, God forbid, there will be many whom history will judge harshly for their sin of omission, and among their number will be the men* (*sic) of Radio Éireann, the men* who could have enlightened but didn't, who could have spoken but elected for silence.
These, by a false toleration of error, have betrayed truth and, by an unvirtuous prudence, have suffered the continuance of ideological barriers. It is incredible, but it is also true.
Perhaps it is not yet too late to make amends ; all that is required is that at a certain fixed time, every day of the year, present political facts be related to their historical causes.
This should be done in an accurate and impartial manner, the aim being to educate both Orange and Green to know their past mistakes and the effects of these. The facts of history will show, also, that the chief architect of partition has never lived in Ireland.
(END of 'Radio Éireann' ; NEXT - 'American Notes', from the same source.)
IRELAND ON THE COUCH...
A Psychiatrist Writes.
'Magill' commissioned Professor Patricia Casey to compile an assessment of Irish society at what may emerge as the end of a period of unprecedented growth and change.
This is her report.
From 'Magill Magazine' Annual, 2002.
A few years ago, such reliance on therapists and pills would have been regarded by Irish people as among the worst kind of excesses typifying American society ; now we have abandoned any sense that it is mormal to feel negative emotions and that there are no simple, rapid solutions to the emotional vagaries of human existence.
It is in our voting pattern that we can most clearly see the fragmentation of our society - according to data produced by Professor Richard Sinnott of the Department of Politics at UCD, there has been a huge decline in turnout over the past nine years, especially among the under-25's ; from 47% in the 1992 Maastricht referendum to 21% in the recent Nice referendum, a decline that persisted even when circumstantial factors were taken into accoont.
Voter turnout increased with increasing age, but even in the Nice referendum only 52% of those in the 50-64 age group voted.
The lack of involvement of young people especially in the political process is worrying, since it suggests either a smugness that they have all their material wants and need nothing more, or alternatively that their lack of interest stems from a sense of helplessness in shaping their future.
Such disconnectedness, if proven to be the cause, is a breeding ground for dissent and anarchy...
(MORE LATER.)
BEIR BUA...
Republicanism in history and today.
Published by the James Connolly/Tommy O'Neill Cumann, Republican Sinn Féin, The Liberties, Dublin.
August 1998.
('1169' comment - 'Beir Bua' translates as 'Grasp Victory' in the English language.)
"One of the ancient indestructible things of the world...an idea which is older than any empire and will outlast every empire.." - Padraig Pearse was right.
Irish republicanism has outlasted the British Empire, thanks to determined people like Pearse. Ireland was Britain's first colonial possession to challenge its power this century and, since then, Britain has constantly retreated.
Britain is now only a shadow of the power it was in Pearse's time, still trying desperately to cling onto its first, and one of its last, colonies - Ireland.
In our time it has succeeded in strengthening and updating its grip on Ireland, in the form of a new Stormont Assembly in Ireland, but its overall power since Pearse's time has weakened, while republicanism - "one of the ancient indestructible things of the world" - has remained, pursuing Britain "like a sleuth-hound ; we lie in wait for her and come upon her like a thief in the night. And some day we will overwhelm her with the wrath of God".
Pearse followed in the tradition of Tone, Emmet and the Fenians. He accepted no compromise and knew that you could not claim to be heirs to Tone and the Fenians while disregarding their programme...
(MORE LATER.)
ON THIS DATE...
1922 :
On the 15th November 1922 - 101 years ago on this date - twenty-five IRA prisoners entered a tunnel they had dug inside Kilkenny Jail and escaped from the confines imposed on them by the Free Staters.
When the prison authorities discovered that the jailbreak had happenened they interviewed the remaining POW's who, to a man, knew nothing about it (!) and their 'privileges' were withdrawn as a result ie no cigarettes or other 'luxuries' were allowed in.
The newspapers heard about the escape so a press briefing was organised, at which the guv'nor reluctantly acknowledged that IRA prisoners had escaped but claimed that none of the missing prisoners were important IRA men!
None of the prisoners were recaptured.
(One of those who escaped, Jim Hayes, was shot dead by Free Staters three days after the escape [18th] near Silverfort, Fethard, in County Tipperary.)
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1922 :
On the 15th November, 1922, a 'legal writ', issued by a Free State court, was served on a Republican POW - a Mr Daithi O'Donnchadha (David O'Donoghue...who, a few short years later, joined the Staters).
Mr. O'Donnchadha had been sacked from his position in the Civil Service four years earlier because he refused to swear allegiance to the then new Free State regime which was attempting to organise itself and had, instead, placed his accountancy skills at the disposal of the fledgling Dáil Éireann (the 32-County institution). He was employed as the 'Secretary to the Dáil Loan' Department and, as such, he had 'insider knowledge' as to how to access the funds in those accounts, and the Staters wanted that information and the cash.
The Free State 'writ' sought to compel him to transfer those details (and the money!) to the new 'trustees' who had been 'appointed' (!) by the Staters.
In around the end of that month (November 1922) a second 'writ' was served on a Mr Stephen O'Mara, another Republican POW - he, too, was being held captive in prison by the Staters as he was also a 'Loan Trustee' and, like Mr O'Donnchadha, had refused to aid the new State regime.
Mr Éamon de Valera was also a 'Loan Trustee' but, as he was then 'on the run', the Staters were unable to actually serve him with one of their 'legal writs' so they made it 'legal' to serve him with a 'writ', by placing an ad claiming that that ad was deemed to be 'notice of being served', in newspapers on the 4th December 1922!
Speaking later of his time as a finance-man-on-the-run, Mr O'Donnchadha recalled one occasion when he was nearly caught by Free State operatives -
"On the 11th November, 1919, as I was leaving 76 Harcourt Street, to go to the Sinn Féin Bank, I observed that there was a raid on the Sinn Féin Headquarters at No. 6.
I returned immediately with the news, and a warning that it might be advisable to be prepared in case No. 76 were raided. Mícheál Ó Coileáin was on the premises and I sent up word to him. After stowing away some money and accounts in the secret cache, I went into the street and mingled with the crowd outside No.6.
When the raid was over I followed the lorries down St. Stephen's Green South, until they were out of sight. Whilst the crowd was dispersing I went into University Church and stayed there a few minutes. Then, deciding to avoid No. 6, I was going back to 76 when I met Brian Ua hUigiun and Fionán Ó Loinsigh at the corner of the Green on their way to meet some other T.Ds.
We were just about to enter 76 when some military lorries came speeding towards us and pulled up there, so we passed on, saved by a matter of seconds. Leaving my two friends near Hatch Street, I came back on the other side of the street and joined the crowd which had gathered to look on at the raid..."
This corrupt, gombeen State remains 'loyal to the half-crown'!
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(sic - Ulster has nine counties, not six.)
1923 :
On the 15th November 1923 - 100 years ago on this date - Westminster held a 'Partition Meeting/Boundary Commission' discussion between themselves in London.
The attendance would have included their 'top people' in regards to 'Irish affairs' and it's safe to assume that Lionel Curtis, James Masterton-Smith, John Anderson, Mark Sturgis, Tomas Jones, G G Whiskard, Norman Loughnane and Stephen Tallents would have been present, as those people had all, in one way or another, 'directed Irish affairs' for Westminster over at least the previous three or four years.
A recommendation for 'progess' (consisting of about thirty pages!) was the outcome of their one-way chit-chat and it advised Westminster to change 'Article 12', stating that economic and geographic conditions should not now 'be read as a qualification to the wishes of the inhabitants'.
That meeting also advised Westminster that "...it is difficult to see an award (ie 'granting' extra land to Leinster House) which would not precipitate war between the North and South..", and suggested employing "..the large force of Specials equipped and armed by the British taxpayer (to) resist the findings of the Boundary Commission..."
Also included in their report was advice in regards to the actual composition of the Commission - that Westminster should have the final say on the Chairperson of that entity and that this should be done with a covernote stating that, in doing so, the British were proving just how serious they were in dealing with the issue - and, once the new appointment had been made, the new Chairperson would have to be allowed "...time to study the whole subject until he had fully grasped the issues at stake.."
An obvious delaying tactic and, considering that the 'Boundary Commission' was allowed to run until late 1925, it is obvious that its members from the Free State preferred the delaying tactic rather than having to report back home that the British had not only 'pulled a quick one' but weren't going to concede an inch of Irish territory.
The final (1925) report of that Commission was not made public until January 1968 ; it was suppressed (for 43 years) to aid the Stormont and Leinster House administrations to 'settle themselves' into their 'seats of power'.
And that whole saga remains to this day an open wound ; one of many caused by Westminster in Ireland.
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1973 :
IRA CAPTAIN MICHAEL McVERRY.
On the 15th November, 1973, IRA Captain Michael McVerry was killed during an attack on the 'Royal Ulster Constabulary' (RUC) barracks in Keady, County Armagh.
He was shot dead by British soldiers after placing a 100 lb bomb against the gable wall of the barracks during the IRA attack.
1st December 1949 – 15th November 1973.
RIP.
Thanks for the visit, and for reading!
Sharon and the team.
