This man was born in County Cork in the 1800's and made a name for himself as a person who could be trusted, a respectable worker. He made it his business to contact like-minded people with similar interests, social and political, and together, eventually, they numbered in the hundreds, then in the thousands...
In the 1940's, a house in Ballsbridge in Dublin was raided by the Free State Special Branch and a working man who was staying in the house was taken away by them for questioning. The raiding party was led by an ex-IRA man and the man they removed from the house was an active IRA Volunteer, but the Staters didn't know that at the time. But, when they found out afterwards, the Staters stitched him up...
...and that's just two of the 20-or-so pieces we'll be writing about on Wednesday, 5th March 2025.
1900's - Mixing 'sports' and politics : various weapons were used in clashes between Irish republicans and what this blog would consider to be blood-thirsty 'sport' enthusiastics ie those who apparently enjoyed seeing poor animals being injured and/or killed. During at least one such clash, a handgun was produced, and used...
An aberration in State politics in the 1950's, and not one that 'suited the suits' in Leinster House. This man was an ordinary 'working-class joe' with a social conscience and he acted on that conscience. And the 'suits' on the benches beside him didn't appreciate that...
Early 1920's - the new Free State Army were 'throwing shapes' at the IRA in this town in Munster but they were ill-equipped to do so, and their leadership knew it. Both army leaderships came to a compromise, of which some of the IRA men disapproved, insisting that they should instead push home their advantage...
Ireland, 1920's - this high-ranking member of the British judiciary in Ireland spoke out about both sides of the coin, even if he did get his "recklessness and wickedness" confused...
...but don't you go gettin' confused on us, now - we'll be here on Wednesday, 5th March 2025, with the rest of the above pieces and a dozen or more other bits.
Thanks for reading - see ya on the 5th!
Sharon and the team.
