On the 13th March, 1920, about sixty Volunteers from the Listowel, Ballyduff and Ballybunion Companies of the IRA, County Kerry, ensured all roads leading into the town of Ballybunion, from the Listowel, Tralee and Ballylongford directions, were impassable.
Then, under the leadership of Jim Sugrue and Stephen Fuller, the Volunteers attacked and attempted to take over the RIC Barracks in Ballybunion but the bomb they intended to use was a dud so, armed only with shotguns, rifles and revolvers, they fired on the barracks for about an hour, then noticed lights coming from the direction of the Liselton RIC hut and, running dangerously low on ammunition, retired from the attack and returned safely to base.
==========================
On March 13th, 1920, a Mr Peter Gavin appeared on bail in front of Major Thackeray at Kildare Petty Sessions, charged with arson at the military pumping station, Brownstown, County Kildare, in February.
In February (on the 11th), a military shed at the Brownstown pumping station was burnt down in the early hours of the morning.
The fire brigade from the Curragh Camp tried to save the building.
The shed was at the spot where Patrick Gavin was shot by a sentry while on his way from Tully to the fair at Newbridge...
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'SINN FÉIN REPLIES TO MR. HANNA'.
From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, April 1955.
Speaking at the Annual Conference of the 'Ulster Unionist Council' on March 10th last, Mr Hanna, the Stormont 'Minister of Home Affairs', referring to the Sinn Féin candidates in the forth-coming Westminster election, said -
"The law with regard to candidates in the Imperial Parliament is this : a person must be a British subject.
But that has been extended in such a way that a person who is either a full British subject or who has the rights of a British subject is entitled to be a candidate.
Under the recent 'Ireland Act' it is possible that the citizens of Éire can claim the rights of a British subject. How they have the nerve to claim that right I do not know, but they have it..."
Mr Hanna's assertion that Sinn Féin candidates are claiming British citizenship for the purpose of the Westminster elections is ridiculous and meaningless and would not even provoke a reply from us but for the amazing credibility of the Irish people...
(MORE LATER.)
On the 13th March, 1921, a Mr Thomas Shannon, a magistrate in the Dáil Courts, answered a knock on his house door, late at night, in Moyasta, County Clare, to be met by two Black and Tans from the Kilkee area (men with "strange accents", according to his wife) and was shot dead.
In June 1919 Dáil Éireann (not to be confused with the Leinster House institution) had issued a decree authorising the setting up of 'Republican Arbitration Courts' and West Clare was the first electoral area to respond.
Propagandised rumour was circulated by anti-republican elements that Mr Shannon 'was not identified as with any political organisation...he was in conflict with local republicans...he had refused to pay a Sinn Féin levy..' but Mr Shannon was known to be a well-liked and respected local magistrate by all who dealt with him, except the British.
Another Judge, a Mr Bodkin, awarded his widow, Bridget, €3,000 in compensation.
==========================
On the 13th March, 1921, a farm labourer, Tim Hourihan (57), was walking across a field at Paddock, Coppeen East, Enniskeane, in County Cork, when he was shot dead by a member of the British Auxiliaries.
The British 'police', the RIC, later claimed that two warning shots were fired in his direction before the fatal shot was fired, but this was disputed by an IRA Volunteer who witnessed the event -
"Tim Hourihane, to whom I had been speaking a short time before, appeared about 20 yards away.
I beckoned to him to move off, and just as I did, the Auxie, who had seen him, came along and searched him.
I remained under cover. After the search Hourihane was allowed to proceed, and as he moved along the high ground, I heard a shot and saw poor Hourihane fall to the ground.
In a short space of time about twenty Auxies were gathered around him..." - more here.
==========================
"About the end of the summer 1920 a raid for mails was made at Waterfall which resulted in the capture of a letter from (Thomas) Nagle, a local postman, to a man by the name of O'Sullivan, an ex-British soldier.
They (the IRA) arrested Nagle, who gave all information, also a photo of O'Sullivan and details of the place in Cork city where he was to meet with him.
Leo (Murphy, Officer Commanding, Third Battalion IRA) and some others went there instead of Nagle and shot him dead.
Later Nagle was also tried and shot. Nagle had been in the RIC and actually had a brother still in the force and stationed at Tuckey Street Barracks in Cork city..."
- statement issued by the Third Battalion (Ballincollig) of the Cork Number 1 Brigade, IRA, and verified by the IRA Volunteers from the D (Aherla) Company, Cork Number 1 Brigade IRA, who pulled the trigger.
Mr Thomas Nagle was arrested by the IRA on the 12th March, 1921, charged with espionage, tried, and executed by them, at Kilbawn, Aherla, County Cork, on the 13th March 1921.
He was an 'ex'-RIC operative, a green grocer, caretaker of one of the local Masonic Halls and was registered at the 'Petty Sessions Court' as a 'Civil Bill Officer'.
'British liability' was accepted, and compensation of £1,400 was awarded to his family.
==========================
On the 13th March, 1921, IRA Volunteer Richard Newman (a scout/messenger with the Castletownbere IRA Company), from Na hAilichí ('Allihies', the Cliff Fields), County Cork, was in his house when, at about 2pm, he seen armed and uniformed members of the 'King's Own Scottish Borders' regiment of the British Army approach his house to raid it, and 'arrest' him.
He decided to make a run for it out the back door but a BA Private, named Reid, spotted him and opened fire ; the bullets hit him in the loins and in the stomach and he was taken to the hospital in Castletownbere, but died there at about 2am the next day.
His funeral was witnessed by "a large attendance of the people of Castletown" and John Cronin, the Captain of the Castletownbere Company IRA, and other Volunteers, were also present.
==========================
On the 13th March, 1921, a Mr Thomas Hennessy (48), an ex-British Army 'Labour Corps' member, who was now employed as an agricultural labourer and worked occasionally for a Mrs Kate Sisk on her farm, was present when a joint British Army/RIC patrol, from 'Queenstown', consisting of about 20 armed men, raided her house, in the Crosshaven area of Cork.
A report in 'The Cork Examiner' newspaper stated - 'During the searches the residence of Mrs Sisk was visited, and while the armed party were there, two shots were heard.
A few minutes later, some of the party brought Thomas Hennessy into the kitchen and laid him on the ground. One of them said they had ordered Hennessy to put up his hands, but Hennessy had not complied with the order and was fired upon...'
Mr Hennessy, a widower, died from his wounds shortly afterwards, leaving his eight children with no parent.
==========================
On the 11th March, 1921, as three 'off-duty' RIC members were crossing Victoria Square, in Belfast, they were shot at by the IRA.
Two of them - 'Constables' John McIntosh and Robert A. Crook - died in the shooting, and their colleague, Walter H. Cooper (28), died from his wounds two days later, on the 13th March 1921.
==========================
SO, FAREWELL THEN, CELTIC TIGER....
It had to happen, sooner or later.
Most of the pundits and economists were too busy singing the Celtic Tiger's praises to notice, but a few critical observers worried all along about the weaknesses of a boom economy that depended so much on a few companies from one place - the United States.
By Denis O'Hearn.
From 'Magill' Annual 2002.
The resulting flow of foreign investments was sufficient to create rapid economic growth, but only because Ireland is so small to begin with.
These are things that other countries cannot emulate ; they can reduce their tax rates but they cannot teach everyone to speak English, they can cut back on social spending and wages but they cannot reduce their populations below five million and, most of all, not everyone can get a forty per cent share of US investments in Europe.
There is just not enough to go around.
The 'Irish Industrial Development Authority' can be praised for its foresight and success in attracting foreign industry ; don't expect anyone else to follow.
But we may even want to question whether the 'Celtic Tiger' strategy works for Ireland...
(MORE LATER.)
On the 13th March, 1922, an 'Appointments Office' was opened at the Courthouse, Naas, County Kildare, by the new Free State administrators, to secure recruits for their new 'Civic Guard' ('An Garda Síochána') in the Kildare and Carlow areas.
We don't know how many people they recruited at that time, but it hasn't gone too good for them since then...
==========================
On the 13th March, 1922, as RIC 'Sergeant' Christopher P. Clarke was making his way up the Falls Road in Belfast, he was shot dead by the IRA.
He had just attended the funerals of two of his colleagues, RIC 'Constables' James Cullen (23) and Patrick O'Connor (35), who were shot dead at the corner of Dunlewey Street and the Falls Road on the 10th March.
Even though fire was returned by other RIC members, the IRA Volunteers returned safely to base, but they hit and killed a civilian, a Mr Daniel Rogan.
Mr Clarke was said to be also a member of 'the Nixon Gang', which would have brought him to the particular attention of the rebels.
==========================
On the 13th March, 1922, the 'Limerick City Workers Housing Association', led by William James Larkin, took over houses in Garryowen Villa that had previously being occupied by the British Army's 'Royal Engineers Corps' (who were evacuating the city as per the 'Treaty of Surrender' arrangement) ; forty adults and 87 children moved into 27 houses.
The 'landlords' (some of whom were local politicians) classed them as 'squatters' and moved against them, legally, and the occupied houses were soon back in the possession of the 'landlords', supported by the Free State court and 'police' system.
==========================
On the 13th March, 1922, Mr James Craig, the '1st Viscount Craigavon PC PC (NI) DL' ETC (!), and the 'First Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (sic)', brought it to the attention of his Stormont Cabinet that Field Marshal 'Sir' Henry Wilson (who had just retired as 'Chief of the Imperial General Staff') had agreed to take the position as 'Military Advisor to the NI Government'.
Mr Craig said it should be celebrated that he had managed to get "so distinguished a soldier" to advise on security issues.
At 2.20 pm, on Thursday, 22nd June 1922, Mr Henry Wilson was shot dead on the doorstep of his Belgravia home, in London, by IRA Commandant Reggie Dunne and Volunteer Joe O'Sullivan.
==========================
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.)
ROBERT EMMET AND THE IRELAND OF TODAY...
"Did, then, these dead heroic men (sic) live in vain?
Has Ireland learned a truer philosophy that the philosophy of 1798, and a nobler way of salvation than the way of 1803?
Is Wolfe Tone's definition superseded, and do we discharge our duty to Emmet's memory by according him annually our pity?
To do the English justice, I do not think they are satisfied that Ireland will accept Home Rule as a final settlement. I think they are a little anxious to-day.
If their minds were tranquil on the subject of Irish loyalty they would hardly have proclaimed the importation of arms into Ireland the moment the Irish Volunteers had begun to organise themselves.
They had given the Ulster faction which is used as a catspaw by one of the English parties two years to organise and arm against that Home Rule Bill which they profess themselves so anxious to pass : to the Nationalists of Ireland they did not give two weeks.
Of course, we can arm in spite of them : today we are organising and training the men and we have ways and means of getting arms when the men are ready for the arms..."
(MORE LATER.)
On the evening of the 12th March, 1923, three IRA prisoners - John Creane (from Taughmon, County Wexford), James Parle (Clover Valley, Taughmon, County Wexford) and Patrick Hogan (William's Street, County Wexford) - were informed by a Free State representative that they were to be executed the following day at 8am.
A republican and former parish priest of Rathangan, Father Patrick Walsh, attended the men, and later stated that Volunteer John Parle had requested him to get word to his Commanding Officer, Robert Lambert (the Volunteer in charge of the Kyle Flying Column, IRA) that he did not want reprisals carried out following their executions.
On the 13th March, 1923, the three IRA prisoners were blindfolded and lined up against the outside wall of the jail.
The Free State troops fired a volley of shots but Volunteer Patrick Hogan, who had been placed in the middle, was the only one of the three to die instantly.
A Free State officer then shot Volunteer Parle and Volunteer Creane twice in the head with his revolver.
'And now you three – we'll honour thee,
And your memories shall not fade,
Since 'twas your lot – in the rebel plot,
Your bodies to be laid.'
Also, on the 13th March, 1923, William Healy (from Donaghmore, County Cork) was executed by the Staters in Cork, and James O'Rourke (1 Upper Gloucester Street, Dublin) was executed in Dublin (for his part in an attack on Free State soldiers in Dame Street, Dublin, on the 21st February 1923).
Ten days later three Free State soldiers were taken from a public house in the townland of Ballagh, near Adamstown, in County Wexford, and shot dead later that night as a reprisal for the executions.
==========================
IRA Volunteer John Walsh, from Kilmacthomas in County Waterford (who operated with Thomas Keating's Column of the West Waterford Brigade IRA) had been 'arrested' by the Staters in March, 1923, and taken to Kilkenny Jail (pictured). On the 13th March, during the morning role call, the IRA prisoners decided not to cooperate with the Staters and they refused to acknowledge their names, when called upon to do so.
A Free State soldier started to beat Volunteer Walsh and then shot him ; he died from his wound the next day in the prison hospital and was brought home to Kilmacthomas to be waked, and then buried in the Republican Plot in Kilrossanty, County Waterford.
==========================
On the 12th March, 1923, two IRA Volunteers, Frank Slevin and James O'Donnell, were in the town of Manorhamilton, in County Leitrim, on a fund-raising operation, disguised as women, to investigate how secure the bank was but, finding it heavily guarded inside by Free State soldiers, they decided to leave and report back to their base.
Both Volunteers were 'arrested' by the Staters on their way out of the town.
In the town of Kiltyclogher, County Leitrim, on the 13th March, 1923, the Staters came across eight IRA Volunteers, led by Philip Rooney, and a gun battle ensued, which lasted for about two hours, following which the eight Volunteers were captured.
==========================
On the 13th March, 1923, 'The Irish Times' newspaper (!) quoted Mr Kevin Christopher O'Higgins, a republican-gamekeeper-turned-Free State-poacher (who 'served' in several high-ranking positions in the Leinster House assembly) as declaring that the 'Neutral IRA' were either "moral cowards" who knew that the IRA campaign was wrong and were afraid to say so or were "physical cowards" who thought that it was right but were afraid to participate in it!
The IRA (proper), however, were not 'neutral' in regards to Mr O'Higgins ; at 12 Noon on Sunday, 10th July 1927, Mr O'Higgins (35) was assassinated by three IRA members (Tim Coughlan, Bill Gannon and Archie Doyle) in revenge for his part in the executions of 77 IRA prisoners during the Civil War (in the six months between November 1922 and the end of the Civil War in May 1923, the Staters executed 77 IRA men for political offences).
Mr O'Higgins was walking from his home on Cross Avenue, in Blackrock, Dublin, to mass on Booterstown Avenue.
He had sent his armed State detective away to buy cigarettes and, as he approached the junction with Booterstown Avenue, one of the IRA men emerged from a parked car and shot him.
Mr O'Higgins ran a short distance before collapsing, and one of the Volunteers shot him again as he lay on the ground.
The men then got back in their car and drove away but, despite being hit eight times, Mr O'Higgins did not die for almost five hours.
==========================
On the 13th March, 1923, two Free State soldiers, Captain Michael Cleary (from Whitegate, in County Clare, a republican-gamekeeper-turned-Free State-poacher) and Lieutenant Alfred Glynn (from Gort, in County Galway), were experimenting with throwing grenades into the River Neale, near Listowel, in County Kerry.
The 'experiment' went wrong and led to both of their deaths ; there was a premature explosion which killed Mr. Glynn instantly, and seriously wounded Mr. Cleary, who died in hospital the next day.
==========================
'Politician Shoots Himself In The Foot...'!
On the 13th March, 1925, Mr Winston Churchill - realising that his 'Government of Ireland Act 1920' in relation to 'the Irish Question' - gave his puppet Stormont political administration in 'the North of Ireland' (sic) responsibility for funding social services but wrote, in private correspondence (in his personal diary?) that the provision of such social services depends on a "sufficiently large area and large numbers of trades" which that particular area doesn't have!
Too late, Mr Churchill : you break it, you bought it...!
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NA hOILEÁIN CHANÁRACHA - SEO LINN ARÍS!
ISLAS CANARIAS - AHÁ VAMOS. ¡DE NUEVO!
Well...
...it's that time of year again!
Myself and the Girl Gang are going back to the Canary Islands in a few days time, courtesy of our families, who have gifted the five of us very special (and much appreciated!) 'Mother's Day' presents, all paid for (including a few bob spending money each), in a beach-front Villa (own pool) on an 'extendable holiday' - meaning that we can stay on for another week (or longer) if we book it in the final three days.
And we just might do that, if the three weeks aren't enough for us!
We're going to Lanzarote, where we have been before, for a well-deserved break (...or so the husbands, brothers, children and grandchildren tell us!) and we are really looking forward to temporarily exchanging a wet, wind-swept, 10ºC island for a sun-kissed, warm-breezed 25ºC island, and having nothing to do and all day to do it!
So, obviously - because the two lads that work the blog with me will also be taking a break - we won't be posting again until sometime in April (as we probably will take up the offer of an extra week) but I'll probably still manage to post a few comments on 'Twitter/X' (if they stop censoring me!) and on 'Facebook', as well.
So, until we meet again on the blog...behave yerselves, and remember :
'The Great Only Appear Great Because We Are On Our Knees. Let Us Rise!'
Slán anois - go n-éirí leat!
Thanks for the visit, and for reading ; see yis in April!
Sharon and the team.
