The Irish-American 'GROWL' ; the 'AARIR'- 'American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic ' .



Ireland 1920 ; Black and Tans on the rampage , the Irish Republican Lord Mayor of Cork , Thomas MacCurtain shot dead by RIC men who were out of uniform at the time (for that purpose) ; notices , thousands of them , were stapled-up throughout the country , warning that ' for every member of the Crown Forces shot , two Sinn Feiners would also be shot '.

The then President of the Irish Republic (all 32 Counties) , Eamon de Valera , was in America ; he had been there since June 1919 , campaigning for support to get the British out of Ireland .......


(MORE LATER).




THE SLIPPERY ROCK .



" It was half-past seven on the morning of 17 August 1920 . 'Mick the Soldier' and I were still in our beds , which were good ones - a mattress each and a few blankets on the floor of Henry Browne's barn at Cools , Kilnamartyra . The weather was very fine , so fine that we had often slept in the open . One day , having slept the night before under the " blue vault of heaven " , someone complained of a headache . "Ah," said Joe Roche , "that was the crack you gave your head on the rafter this morning ..."

Someone tramped up the stairs outside our 'bedroom' door , and knocked . We admitted Seainin Donncha Eoin , an IRA Volunteer from 'B' Company , Ballyvourney . We liked Seainin , and gave him cordial greeting . Then we asked him why he came so early . " I'll tell ye then ," said Seainin . " A cycle patrol passes from the British military post at Ballyvourney through the village of Ballymakeera to meet a convoy of lorries from Macroom . The idea is to scout the road for the lorries . Then take up positions somewhere beyond Poul na Bro and wait until the lorries return from Ballyvourney ."

Seainin continued - " The enemy number ten men and an Officer with a revolver . They travel ten or twelve yards apart in single file . Our lads are going to take up positions in the village , extended, like the British soldiers , along the street , and rush out on them with sticks . We want a couple of revolvers to hold up the Officer , and that's what has brought me - to get a loan of two revolvers . "

I did not think much of the project ......."


(MORE LATER).




A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

[12 of 12].



Even before the present flap , no real momentum was discernible under the Agreement (ie the Hillsborough Treaty) since Fianna Fail took Office . When SDLP party leaders travelled to Dublin shortly before the February election to make their peace with Fianna Fail , they were told that the approach would be different . Fianna Fail had the economy to handle as an absolute priority ; they would not pursue the day-to-day details of the administration of justice with the same vigour as Fine Gael's Peter Barry and Garret Fitzgerald had . They would concentrate on policing and fair employment .

After December 1st , the task will be to keep things going in a cordial atmosphere , to slow things down to a pace where tempers are likely to remain cool . Having pinned his colours to so many different masts , Brian Lenihan has few entrenched positions to defend . ('1169 ..' comment - As with all Leinster House career politicians , there is no 'bottom line' ; they are entirely flexible , regardless of the issue at hand , eyes firmly fixed on the pension ...)

Tom King (Brit politician in the Six Counties) and the 'Northern Ireland'(sic) Office , who have a distinct disdain for political passion have already found Brian Lenihan "very professional - a thorough-going gent . Very good , for example , at remembering to shake hands and say goodbye to people who service the conference . "

In the months to come , Brian Lenihan's unflappable bonhomie may be the main motor of Anglo-Irish co-operation . Matters of more substance await the tortuous process of resolution . Once again , Brian Lenihan has the job of sweeping up .


[END of - ' A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......'].

(Tomorrow - Ex-'terrorist' makes 'good'...?).

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PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......



.......In December 1920 , the remains of Pat and Harry Loughnane were found ; they had been sadistically battered , with wrists and legs broken , body-parts sawn off and grenades used on the remains .......



The remains of both men showed that the Black and Tans had attempted to 'write' on the men , using knives or bayonets - sets of initials were carved into both bodies .

There was a heavy presence of Black and Tans at the funerals of Pat and Harry Loughnane , but the IRA called their bluff just as the burial ceremony was coming to an end - six armed IRA Volunteers stood over the grave and a three-volley shot was given .

The kidnap , torture , abuse and manner of death suffered by Pat and Harry Loughnane is the most horrific incident that this author has come across in researching articles for this weblog . Even in times of war , the fate deliberately inflicted on the brothers was inhuman . At the risk of sounding like we are trying to score a cheap political point , we remind our readers that the military kin of the Black and Tans are still in this country .

And they receive their instructions from the same political institution which gave the Tans their orders . Think of that , next time you hear talk of "dissident Republicans" in Ireland , and ask yourself how could you be but "dissident" to the Brits ? And ask the Brits when have true Irish Republicans ever been but "dissident" .......?

[END of -' PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......'].




WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :

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

By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.


TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......


".......While we were unloading the tins of paint from the captured British Army trucks , we were being watched by an unknown 'warrior of the street' , who had his own plans for the paint ......."



" Now the 'street warrior' was making hay while the moon shone . Hardly had the IRA Volunteers turned their backs when this gentleman " arose and twitched his mantle blue " and proceeded to transfer the paint "to fresh woods and pastures new ." Working enthusiastically , he did not notice the passage of time or any undue activity in his neighbourhood ; not until he saw , by the light of a full moon , the glint of steel here and there around him . Then he took alarm ....

He made the mistake of trying to slip away through a meadow studded with hay-stacks . Some one of the British soldiers in the search party caught a glimpse of him and shouted a warning to the other soldiers . Surrounding the meadow they started a diligent search of it . At length they located him under a hay-stack and dragged him out ...

"Yerra lads ," he said , " 'tis I am glad to see ye . I was sure 'twas t'other fellas were there ! " "What other fellows ?" , asked one of the Brits . " Sure the crowd that had at the soldiers . I was with the soldiers all the evening helping them to release the lorries . When t'other lads attacked I ran , but they followed me and fired on me , so I hid under this hay-stack . I came out when I thought them gone , and when ye came after me I hid again thinkin' they had come back for me . "

Strangely enough , the British soldiers accepted the tale as a plausible story of his movements and released him !

[END of - 'TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......'].



A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(11 of 12).



Charles Haughey privately "expressed his concern" to Brian Lenihan at these remarks . Shortly afterwards , again after meetings with Irish-American politicians in the U S , Lenihan amended his position . Without mentioning the Extradition Act by name , he said that the British government would be doing no more than giving effect to the explicit commitment in Article 8 if it introduced substantial measures to improve confidence in the administration of justice . Yet another about-turn had been executed ...

Ironically , it may not be Brian Lenihan's very lack of passion about the North of Ireland ie his failure to take up consistent , let alone rigid, positions , which could be most useful in rescuing the Anglo-Irish process . Not burdened by the driving mechanism of Fine Gael's Peter Barry and Garret Fitzgerald , ('1169...' comment - ...even if it was a pro-Brit 'driving mechanism' !) Brian Lenihan may find it easier to sail through the period after December 1st when evasion , bland optimism and the 'putting on of a good face' will be the order of the day ...

(MORE LATER).

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PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......



........ The Loughnane Brothers were beaten-up by the Tans for about four hours , then each was shot twice . Their bodies were set on fire , then thrown in a hole in the woods , then dug up and thrown into a pond .......



That happened on Sunday , 28th November 1920 ; the following day (Monday 29th November) the Brits called to the Loughnane home and told the boys' mother that they were looking for her two sons - that they had escaped from custody and were " on the run " . The Brits knew well enough where the two brothers were but , as well as deliberately giving false hope to the family , they were in the process of concocting an alibi for themselves . However , at this stage , the family and friends did not know any better and search-parties were organised to look for the brothers .

In the middle of December that year (1920) , the remains of Pat and Harry Loughnane were found . Before the brothers were given a proper funeral , a local doctor was asked to examine the remains - his report showed that both men had , at first , been sadistically battered ; the eldest of the brothers , Pat , had both wrists broken and both legs broken , while Harry had had two fingers removed by a saw , while still alive , and his right arm was only attached to the remains of the charred body by sinews.

The doctor stated that the damage to the head , neck and upper-chest area of both men was caused , in his opinion , by "hand grenades (which) were put in their mouths and that these then exploded ..."


(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.


TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......



".......After we took control of both British Army trucks , we escorted the thirteen British soldiers to an old house , sat them down and gave them a couple of mugs of tea . We then pointed them in the direction of Macroom and told them to go . We heard they returned later , with support , but all they found was two burnt-out trucks ......."



" While some of our number escorted the Brits to the old house , the rest of us examined the lorries and their loads . We found nothing of any military value among the stores carried . The large quantity of paint in tins appeared to be the most valuable material . Perhaps it might come in useful in the construction of arms-dumps , mines and other things . In any case , we felt it would be wanton destruction to give it to the flames . Accordingly , we set to work and , taking it to nearby dykes and trenches away from the roadside , dumped it into them with little ceremony .

But if we had been somewhat careless about the disposal of the paint there was , in the background , an unknown warrior who deprecated our rough and ready methods , and took steps to correct them . He belonged to that type which , in any emergency , hates to see wilful waste - a firm believer in suitable proverbs , he always did his best to realise them ; the "ill-wind that blew somebody good" had often blown this character's way , for the simple reason that he had caused it to veer in his direction ......"


(MORE LATER).




A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(10 of 12).



The absence of tangible progress on the administration of justice in the North of Ireland , together with the in-fact-unrelated but highly emotive case of the Birmingham Six , makes it virtually impossible for Fianna Fail to bring the Extradition Act into effect .

But even on this , the one issue to do with Anglo-Irish relations on which Fianna Fail took a clear and detailed stand in opposition , Brian Lenihan has had difficulty in adjusting to the convolutions of his leader's policy . He entered heartily into the role of easy-going friendship with the British , to the extent of effectively blaming the IRA for the deaths at Loughgall in May (1987), at a time when middle-of-the-road nationalists like Austin Currie (SDLP) were calling for an inquiry .

In an RTE interview on September 20 (1987), Brian Lenihan strongly implied that the (Free State) government would bring the Extradition Act into force , by saying that there was no connection between the Act and the reform of the administration of justice in the Six Counties , even though the two are explicitly linked in Article 8 of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (Hillsborough Treaty).


(MORE LATER).

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PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......



.......The Black and Tan truck stopped in Moy O'Hynes Wood and the Loughnane brothers were thrown out of the back of it . They were dazed from the beating they had got . The Tans marched the two of them deep into the Wood ; locals later reported hearing four shots .......



The following day (ie Saturday , 27th November 1920) , rumour was rife in the neighbourhood that Pat and Harry Loughnane had been dragged into the Moy O'Hynes Wood and shot dead by the Black and Tans ; that rumour also insisted that Harry Loughnane somehow survived the ordeal - the Tans heard the same rumour ....

It was early on Sunday morning (28th November 1920) that the Brits again entered the Wood - they were observed loading something into the back of their lorry and driving off at speed towards the small town of Umbriste (near Ardrahan , on the Gort to Clarinbridge road); it later transpired that the Black and Tans burned the bodies of the Loughnane brothers when they arrived at Umbriste but even then they were not satisfied - so they dug a hole and threw the bodies in to it .

However , because of the rocky terrain , the Tans were unable to fully cover their tracks and were convinced that the charred remains would be found ; they dug them up and carried them to a near-by pond , weighted them down , and threw them in - they then apparently poured a couple of gallons of dirty engine oil into the pond at that same spot .......

(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.



TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......



"....... The IRA Unit had taken the first of the British Army trucks ; the Brit sentry had been disarmed - but the Brit soldiers at the second truck refused to surrender when offered the chance ......."



" Throwing themselves flat , the British soldiers took the best cover they could get - under the lorry . A volley from the IRA Unit tore splinters from the woodwork over their heads and rattled on the ironwork . That helped them to decide otherwise ; a white flag was raised on a rifle . The third and final phase of the operation was over . Eleven rifles and bayonets , with one-hundred rounds for each rifle , was the prize of the day . No lives had been lost - not even a man on either side had been scratched . That was all to the good . The British Government would regret the loss of the arms , but a Brit Tommy or two killed or wounded would not worry them unduly . The arms would be used against them again , but they could get another 'Tommy' for a shilling a day .

But the Brit Tommys did not look at it that way - they felt , and small blame to them , that their own life and limbs were of far greater importance to 'Thomas Atkins' than was a rifle to 'John Bull' ! We looked at it in that light also , and always , when 'Tommy' was reasonable , gave him the benefit of the doubt . The British soldiers from Ceimaneigh were now brought over , and the thirteen men were taken to a nearby dis-used house ; a fire was lighted for them , kettles were boiled and tea was made for them . After the tea , which they really appreciated , three of our men marched them , two deep , down the road through the village . Showing them the road to Macroom , they were told that they were free to go in that direction .

They had not gone many miles when they met a strong relief party and returned with them to the scene of action . They found the two lorries completely burned out ...."


(MORE LATER).





A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(9 of 12).



Fine Gael's Peter Barry , who maintains that it would be " criminal and treasonous " to damage the Hillsborough Treaty , is phlegmatic about the extradition question and sees " no serious prospect " of the British walking away from the 'deal' - " What people forget is that the British did'nt come into the Agreement for nothing . They're there because there's something in it for them - it's in their interests . "

The problem for Brian Lenihan is that Fianna Fail in opposition mounted one of their more effective operations in parliamentary debate precisely on the question of the Extradition Act . They moved amendments calling for a prima facie case to be established before extradition could be granted , for the removal of the clause in the Act which allows it to apply retroactively to offences committed before the passage of the Act , and to extend the powers of the courts or the (Free State) Minister for Justice to refuse to grant an extradition on the grounds that the standards of justice in the jurisdiction to which the prisoner was to be sent were unsatisfactory .


MORE LATER).

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PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......



....... the Loughnane brothers were thumped around in the cell by the Black and Tans for three or four hours ; they were then tied together and dragged behind a truck , on their way to the Headquarters of the Black and Tans in Drumharsna Castle .......


Both Pat and Harry Loughnane were at that stage too weak to run behind the truck , and ended up being dragged on the ground behind the Black and Tan truck ; on arrival at Drumharsna Castle , the rope was untied from the truck and the two men were dragged into another cell and beaten again .

At around 10.30 or 11pm that same night (ie Friday 26th November 1920) the Loughnane brothers were removed from the cell and put in the back of the truck ; they were pushed out of the back of same after travelling a few miles - the brothers would have been too dazed to realise it , but they were now in Moy O'Hynes Wood , and were being taken deep into the thicket of it by the Black and Tans .

Locals later reported hearing four shots.......

(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.


TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......



".......the group of British soldiers guarding one of the trucks had been , silently , forced to surrender ; one armed IRA Volunteer stayed with them while the rest of the IRA Unit headed for the second truck ......."



" Keeping well out of sight of the road on the southern side of it , the IRA Unit moved eastwards towards Tuirin Dubh . On the way they would deal with the British soldier acting as sentry . Now this was not to be an easy job , since the road fences were low and in some places absent altogether . However , Dan Lehane and Tadhg Twomey took positions behind the pillars of a gateway about seven hundred yards from the school . As the sentry came abreast of them they rushed out at him . At first he backed away as if to get room to use his rifle . Dan followed him up , his shotgun inside the soldier's guard , and repeatedly asked for the surrender of the man's rifle .

This at length the British soldier did , by dropping the weapon , and the second phase was over . The sentry was sent under escort to his comrades at the school . Pushing on to Tuirin Dubh , parallel to the road and south of it , the IRA Unit halted not far from the second lorry . Creeping slowly forward in line , they came quite near the British soldiers without being observed . It was now the twilight of this late July 1920 evening . As at Ceimaneigh , the Brits stood in a group near the lorry . The order to surrender was not in this case complied with ......."

(MORE LATER).



A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(8 of 12).



Brian Lenihan was in Washington with Charles Haughey for the Saint Patrick Day celebrations , telling American Secretary of State George Schultz in a meeting that he was in a position to give " official confirmation " of the Dublin Administrations acceptance of the Hillsborough Treaty (this despite the fact that Fianna Fail had been , publicly , describing that Treaty as a "sell-out" !).

The suddenness of the turn-around and the fact that it was announced in America could not have been better designed to suggest that it was encouraged by pressure from the American government or by the American contributors to the International Fund set up under the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement' (ie the Hillsborough Treaty) . There was , however , another reason for the change of heart : domestic political expediency .....

Having ditched all of his previous reservations about the Treaty , Brian Lenihan was left with the thorny question of extradition . Even those most strongly committed to seeing that nothing should be allowed to endanger the Treaty , including Peter Barry (Fine Gael) , accept that the bringing into force of the Extradition Act would be a largely symbolic act with little practical significance , since the (Free State) courts have already re-defined the old (ie 1965) 'Extradition Act' in such a way as to give it the same effect ....

(MORE LATER).

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PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.......



....... The Loughnane brothers were working on the family farm at Shanaglish , County Galway , on 26th November 1920 when they were suddenly surrounded by the Black and Tans - the brothers were well-known locally as strong Irish Republicans , and both had a keen interest in Irish culture as well .......



The two brothers were slapped around a bit in the corn fields by the Black and Tans and then thrown into the back of the lorry belonging to the Tans - they were pushed off the lorry outside the Bridewell Barracks in Gort and put in a cell . People in near-by cells later reported hearing the brothers being thumped around by the Tans , who were well aware that the Loughnane brothers were active in the struggle for Irish Freedom .

After three or four hours of beating , the brothers were dragged out to the courtyard of Gort Bridewell and tied to each other ; the other end of the rope was then tied to the back of the truck , which drove off , heading for Drumharsna Castle , which was then the Headquarters of the Black and Tans in that area of Galway .......


(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.


TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......


".......We had thirteen men - so had the British , but they were better armed . However , they had split their force in two in order to guard both trucks , which were about a mile apart ......."


" I do not know what a 'giniral' would have done with such a badly equipped party in such circumstances ? Nothing at all , probably , but even if he tried , he could not do better . The taking of each British Army group separately had , of course , one serious disadvantage . Two of the three operations should be carried out quietly , otherwise the Tuirin Dubh group might separate and take up unknown and perhaps impregnable positions .

Twilight comes early under the shadow of the hills around the Pass of Ceimaneigh . As soon as the light began to fail , the full group of IRA Volunteers began to move . Making a short detour towards the mouth of the Pass , they crossed to the southern side of the road . Keeping south and moving east , they soon came to the back of the school . Sending forward a scout to the schoolyard , they quickly followed on receipt of his signal . Stooping low , they were soon in line behind the front wall of the playground .

In front and underneath them were the British soldiers grouped near the lorry . "Put up your hands," a voice spoke quietly - a little startled , the Brit Tommies looked upwards . A long line of men , with guns pointing ominously at them , stood behind the wall . With little hesitation , the Tommies raised their hands . No noise had so far been made . The IRA men took the rifles and equipment and , leaving one armed Volunteer to keep an eye on the disarmed British soldiers , departed for the second truck ......."

(MORE LATER).




A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(7 of 12).



It was clear that Brian Lenihan would now have to deal with a vocal and determined section of Irish Americans that would no longer be content with a few words about the Anglo-Irish Agreement (ie 1985 Hillsborough Treaty) and a tribute to the ties of friendship between America and Ireland .

What is more , this section is one which still has very close ties to families and friends in Ireland , making it a potential political embarrassment back home .

A week after his second , unsuccessful, meeting with the Irish Immigration Reform Movement in New York , Brian Lenihan's 'Newsweek' interview appeared on the news-stands . The timing could hardly have been calculated to do more damage to his standing among the articulate young Irish emigrants .......

(MORE LATER).

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PAT AND HARRY LOUGHNANE , Galway - tortured to death by the Black and Tans , 1920.


" I am of the opinion that hand grenades were put in their mouths and that these then exploded ....." --


--....part of the comments made by the doctor who examined the remains of the Loughnane brothers .


Pat and Harry Loughnane were well-known and equally well-liked and respected in their neighbourhood of South-Galway . Pat (the eldest) was an IRA man and Secretary of Sinn Fein in the area ; he was also active in GAA circles .

His younger brother , Harry , played in goal for the local Beagh Hurling Club , and was in charge of the local cumann of Sinn Fein ; both brothers worked on the family farm in Shanaglish , County Galway , and were working in the corn fields on Friday , 26th November 1920 , when the Black and Tans surrounded them .......


(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.


TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......


"......Two British Army trucks had got themselves stuck on the soft bog road ; thirteen enemy personnel , eleven of whom were armed . The local IRA Unit were aware of the situation ......."


" On arrival in the village of Ballingeary , IRA Volunteer Dan O'Sullivan sought out the brothers Dannie and Jer Shea ; he found them , and Dannie immediately left to mobilise some armed men in the shortest possible time . Christy Lucey and Liam Twomey were already near at hand in Tuirin Dubh . Dan Lehane , 'Cahir' , Pat Murray and Jack Moynihan were that day working at Doirin Flodaigh and , hearing the news , were quickly on the spot . Dan Thade Seain (' O'Leary') , John Con ('Cronin') , John McCann ('MacSweeney') , Connie and Donncha Cronin , and Jerome Creed all together made thirteen , the same number as the British soldiers .

The arms of the Volunteers , however , bore no relation in quality to those of their opponents . Eleven shotguns , a carbine and a nondescript rifle were the weapons . But the spirit makes up for the lack of material things . The dispositions of the British soldiers now made things a little difficult - five riflemen guarded each lorry . As a conecting link between the two parties (they were about one mile apart) the eleventh armed man patrolled the road . It was decided not to split our forces for a simultaneous attack on both lorries and on the sentry . Instead , the plan was adopted of starting with a full strength attempt on the leading , or Ceimaneigh , group . It certainly made matters far simpler than by the simultaneous movement of three parties , which would require fairly accurate timing and some system of signals and signallers .

Besides , considering the poor quality of our arms , it was better to keep them all together to get the best effect ...."


(MORE LATER).




A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(6 of 12).



The 'Irish Immigration Reform Movement' had had a meeting with Brian Lenihan , Free State Minister for Foreign Affairs -


" We understood that Lenihan was going to offer us concrete support and that the next meeting would tie it all down , " said 'IIRM' member , Patrick Hurley . When the time for the second meeting came , however, the 'IIRM' were denied a meeting on their own with Brian Lenihan and instead were grouped with the Ancient Order of Hibernians , the Catholic Charities of New York and a group representing Irish-American trade unionists . " Whenever we raised any of the concrete problems we were offered solutions which had already been examined and discarded months previously ," said Patrick Hurley .

Another member of the 'Irish Immigration Reform Movement' stated - " We were left with the impression of a man who had'nt done enough to help us , pulling away in a big black limousine to go to a cocktail party . "


(MORE LATER).

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



.......in March 1802 , Arthur O'Connor and other United Irishmen were released from Fort George Prison in Scotland under the terms of the 'Peace of Amiens' Treaty ; the men immediately travelled to France .......



Incidentally , under the 'Peace of Amiens' Treaty , the Brits agreed to relinquish control over all the territories they had 'taken' , except for two - Trinidad and Ceylon ; in return , France agreed to evacuate Italy . Surely a missed opportunity ? - how history would have changed had the French insisted on Ireland being added to that list ...

Arthur O'Connor settled in France and enlisted in the French Army ; within two years (ie by 1804) he was appointed 'General-of-Division' by Napoleon . On 25th April , 1852 , at 92 years of age , Arthur O'Connor died ; he had given 65 years of service to the Cause of Irish Freedom , but is perhaps better known and remembered in France than he is in Ireland .


' There's not an Irishman today would ever wish to roam
unto a foreign land to live , if he could live at home .
So give us our liberty , let our banners be unfurled -
in Ireland then , her children, shall prove a credit to the world . '

(From 'Show Me the Man ' , as published in the book - Songs of Resistance , 1982).


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




WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :

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

By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.


TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .......


".......on the evening of 27th July 1920 , two British Army trucks were going through Ballingeary on their way to Bantry ; in the village of Ceimaneigh , the soldiers on the lead truck noticed that the second truck was no-where in sight ......."


" The old bog road , or 'tochar' , was never made to carry such a heavy vehicle with its solid tyres . An Irishman would have avoided the soft treacherous sides and kept to the road surface . But the foreign driver did not realise this danger - it transpired that the driver of the second lorry had pulled in to the side at Tuirin Dubh even further than his colleague had done at Ceimaneigh .

Perhaps the solidity of the rocks around gave them a false idea of stability below their feet . In any case , both vehicles were now held firmly , with their inner wheels sunk to the axles . Their distance apart was roughly one mile . The leading lorry had stopped in the shadow of the national school of Ceimaneigh , which stood on a sharp height above the road . Nearby , and across the road , lived a local IRA Volunteer , Dan O'Sullivan . Dan got his bicycle and left for the village of Ballingeary , to acquaint the Volunteers there of the chance that had presented itself .

On his way he saw the position of the second lorry and noted the number of the escort . Between the two , the total personnel numbered thirteen - eleven of them , a British Corporal and ten men , were armed with rifles , while the two drivers were unarmed ..."

(MORE LATER).




A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(5 of 12).



" Brian Lenihan seemed taken aback at how well organised we were , " says Patrick Hurley , from the Irish Immigration Reform Movement - " He was friendly but aloof in the way that politicians can be . He seemed not at all well-briefed about the situation on the ground , as if his impressions of New York came from a cocktail party in the consulate . "

The meeting lasted for ninty minutes , at the end of which it was agreed that the 'IIRM' would present a 'shopping-list' of action , and that the two sides would meet again a month later . The 'IIRM' came away reasonably satisfied , confident that their next meeting would produce immediate results .....

(MORE LATER).

---

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



....... Arthur O'Connor and others in the United Irishmen wanted an immediate attack on the Brits ; however , others in the leadership , led by Thomas Addis Emmet , wanted to wait a while , as the French had again agreed to help . A decision was made to send Arthur O'Connor to France to finalise arrangements - he was arrested while through England ....


But the Brits failed to 'stand-up' their 'case' against Arthur O'Connor - he was found not guilty and released ...only to be immediately re-arrested , transported to Kilmainham Jail in Dublin and charged , again , with "sedition" . He was held in the prison with other members of the United Irishmen , without a 'trial' of any type , for seven months (ie until January 1799) and then all the Irish political prisoners were moved to Fort George Prison in Scotland .

They were held in Scotland for a further three years and two months (ie until March 1802) when , as one of the conditions insisted on by the French under the 'Peace Of Amiens' (which was signed between the Brits and the French on 25th March , 1802 , to bring their war to an end) the Irish political prisoners in Fort George in Scotland were released - they left Scotland immediately and travelled to France .....

(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.


TUIRIN DUBH and CEIMANEIGH .


" Tuirin Dubh and Ceimaneigh ! It was not surprising that some event of note should happen in these places in our time . It merely repeated what had happened there before , for the spirit of Maire Bhui lives on in her native Uibh Laoghaire . Her's was no mere huckstering spirit that would recommend patience and politicians as a remote cure for Ireland's ills . The present was ever and always the time to deal with tyrants , she had declared . She did not want courts or other useless machinery for their trial , but a high gallows and a good rope !

She counselled the young men to be always ready with serviceable pike and gun to meet the enemy . She exhorted them , over a hundred years ago , boldly to retake possession of the lands and homes of their ancestors . We understood how right she was ...

On the evening of 27 July 1920 , two heavy British military lorries passed through the village of Ballingeary . Their destination appeared to be Bantry , the nearest military barracks on the road to the west . The British lorries were laden with material for the maintenance of buildings . A large quantity of paint in tins added considerably to the weight of each lorry . They travelled about two hundred yards apart . Near the school at Ceimaneigh , the British soldiers on the first lorry noticed that the second was not in sight - they told their driver to pull in to the left and stop ......."


(MORE LATER).




A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(4 of 12).



It was Brian Lenihan's misfortune that his remarks on emigration came at a time when the new 'Irish Immigration Reform Movement' was mounting a campaign of unprecedented quality aimed at getting the Irish(sic) and American governments to alleviate the situation of the Irish 'illegals' , and at a time when he himself was under very heavy pressure from the 'IIRM' . Brian Lenihan met representatives of the 'IIRM' for the first time in New York at the end of August 1987 .

The delegation was mostly young , first-generation Irish immigrants with their ears close to the ground of the growing and increasingly resentful 'illegal' community , untouched by sentimentality for the old sod or reverence for politicians in Leinster House ...

(MORE LATER).

---

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



....... The Brits openly used torture on the Irish to get them to inform on the Irish Rebels - 'pitch-capping' and the use of the 'Walking Gallows' . But the United Irishmen were still active.......


Arthur O'Connor and 'Lord' Edward Fitzgerald were calling for an immediate armed campaign against the Brits - the two men were prominent members of the Leinster Directory of the United Irishmen and had good 'pull' within the organisation . But so had those who were not in favour of an immediate campaign - their chief spokesperson was Thomas Addis Emmet ; the United Irishmen organisation agreed to postpone plans for an immediate attack on the British after Emmet told the leadership that the French were prepared , again , to help the Irish .

It was agreed that Arthur O'Connor would go to France to finalise the arrangements and , on his way there , whilst passing through Margate in England , he was arrested by the British police . O'Connor was 'tried' in May 1798 , in Maidstone , England , charged with "sedition" (ie "talk or action exciting discontent or rebellion" against the Westminster Parliament) - but the British had moved against him too quickly ; they knew what his intentions were but , with typical Brit arrogance , had not bothered to back-up their 'case' with proof .......

(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 .......

"....... Micheal O'Briain , the school-master , was trying to get through to the children that the 'gentlemen' throwing pennies on the ground for them to scramble for , were the same people that had brought a curse of blood and hardship to the land ......."



" He expected the children to show those 'gentlemen' and , indeed , to show to their own people , that their young spirits were not subdued and that as soon as possible they would rise again . He did not blame them for their action of the morning , but he expected them , now that they understood , to recover their lost prestige . The way to do that was to fling the pennies back to the English 'gentlemen' bodachs.

The seeds the good man sowed that day fell on fertile ground ; that evening , as the children were on their way home , they met the same shooting party . Again , the pennies were thrown amongst the children from the cars . And again , the children scrambled for them eagerly , much to the amusement of the rich 'gentlemen' .

But , to the consternation of the bodachs , the pennies were returned to them with a high velocity imparted by youthful arms ! "


[END of - 'GEATA BAN' : - tomorrow...'Tuirin Dubh and Ceimaneigh'.......].




A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(3 of 12).



But the 'rosiness' from Brian Lenihan re emigration continued , culminating in his now famous remark that - " After all , we can't all live on a small island . " Journalist Paul Keating is convinced that the remarks were not inadvertent -

- " In the context , it was not a throwaway line. He knew he had to look for the 'silver lining' to a cloud that had hovered over him all during his visit . He was trying to be the 'pitch-man' for a 'things-that-are'nt-that-bad' line . "

Brian Lenihan , in other words , was doing what he has always done - putting a brave face on things , stepping into the gap . For once , his burbling optimism rebounded on him ....

(MORE LATER).

---

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



....... The Brits wanted information on the Irish Rebels ; those not 'triangled' in public were either 'pitch-capped' or put on British Sergeant Heppenstall's list .......


The British 'pitch-capping' torture was when a paper cap was filled with wet tar and jammed onto the victim's head ; when the tar was just about set (ie hard) it was put on fire and the victims hands were untied , once the fire had caught . Hands , hair , scalp , forehead and most of the face suffered horrific burns as the victim tried to remove the flaming cap .

The list which British Sergeant Heppenstall kept contained names of possible or suspected 'dissidents' , or those thought to know of same - Heppenstall was known as ' The Walking Gallows ' because his height and strength made it possible for him to hang a man or woman over his shoulder - he had refined his 'technique' so that the victim was half-hung , revived and , if he/she did'nt give information (or simply did'nt have any) he/she was half-hung again .

In most cases , if the victim did have information and gave it to the Brits after a 'session' with Sergeant Heppenstall , he/she was usually 'finished-off' by him as a lesson to others to 'speak-up' before they were introduced to Heppenstall . Many a person died on that man's shoulder because they genuinely had no information to pass-on .

While the 'pitch-capping' and 'half-hanging' was going on around the country , the United Irishmen were organising to hit back .......

(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 .......

"....... The Brits were angry ; their Captain was dead and their comrades in the truck were wounded . Just then , the local school-master , Micheal O'Briain , was passing the scene on foot . The British soldiers surrounded him and , for a while , it looked like he was in trouble . But they let him go ......."


" Many years before , when The Great Hunger flourished in Ballyvourney , and when Irish nationality seemed dead everywhere , Micheal O'Briain was at work in his school on a certain morning . Presently he noticed an undercurrent of disturbance in his classes . Investigating , he found that some of the children had pennies which they were proudly displaying to their less opulent neighbours . A little further research and he had the complete story of the fount of prosperity .

As the children coming to school approached the 'Big House' they were met by a shooting party , travelling in open brakes or two-horse cars . These had thrown handfuls of pennies on to the roadway to see the children scramble for them . Micheal O'Briain was shocked and grieved . There and then he delivered a lecture , and explained to the children that they belonged to a conquered race . They had been beaten by the sword , the torch , the rope , the pitch-cap and other devilish methods of torture , and every effort by famine and deportation had been made to secure their final extinction .

Yet , by the grace of God , they had managed to survive in the mountains and other waste places . Their forefathers had once lived on the good land in the middle of Ireland . That land was now held by the English 'bodachs' who had dispossessed them . It was some of these 'bodachs' who that day had thrown the pennies to them . It was no shame to be conquered , but it was a shame to become a subject race......."

(MORE LATER).




A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(2 of 12).


Paul Keating (Associate Editor of 'Newsweek' Magazine) had forty minutes of tape which was already too much for the short , highly edited piece he was going to print . The interview (with Brian Lenihan , Free State Minister for Foreign Affairs) was winding down , and both men relaxed . Keating began to ask philosophical questions , quoting John F. Kennedy on asking what you can do for your country and wondering what Brian Lenihan thought Irishmen could do for theirs .

Things began to get "a little looser" , the answers a little less pat , a bit more speculative . " But was'nt emigration a defeat for the Irish Republic(sic)?" , Keating asked . Brian Lenihan began to give a rosy picture of emigration , of skills being learned and a work ethic being developed which would be useful when the emigrants returned home . Keating was , he says , "very surprised".

"It was the first time I had heard this kind of optimism about the issue , and what he was saying seemed extraordinarily positive , given the scale of the problem . It struck me as a trifle unrealistic , given the real concerns of the Irish aliens here . When he first started to get rosy , I felt I had to press him on it . I did'nt want to give a Polly Anna-ish response if it was'nt fully considered ...."

(MORE LATER).

---

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


....... December 1796 ; the Brits realised that it was only the weather which stopped thousands of French soldiers from landing in Bantry Bay in Cork . The British were now in a hurry to find out if any more attacks against them were planned .......


The British wanted information , and quickly ; torture was used openly and in public . During 1797 and early 1798 , thousands of Irish people were 'questioned' by the Brits re their knowledge of the Irish Rebels : in Athy , County Kildare (the Headquarters of the British 'Ninth Dragoons') for instance , a 'wooden triangle'-type structure was used , in public , with the victim tied to it , spreadeagled , facing the rough timber .

He was whipped untill he gave the Brits something they thought they could use , or until he passed-out , or died . Reports from that time mention " flesh torn in lumps from the body and the baring of bones and internal organs " due to the whippings . An eye-witness account of one of the 'triangle' whippings stated - " There was no ceremony used in choosing victims - the first to hand done well enough . They were stripped naked , tied to the 'Triangle' and their flesh cut through without mercy . And though some stood the torture to their last gasp sooner than become informers , others did not and one single informer in the town was enough to destroy all the United Irishmen in it . "

Those not 'triangled' were either 'pitch-capped' or put on British Sergeant Heppenstall's list .......

(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 prepared plan of action was now useless ; we fired heavily on the Brit truck , wounding its driver and killing a British Army Captain . But the driver kept control and drove off , with us still firing : its petrol-tank was leaking , but it spluttered on its way . We ran after the truck , but it was too late ......."


" A party of British soldiers from Ballyvourney found the truck before we did - they had sent out a scouting-party to try and find those that had attacked their truck . We approached as near as we possibly could without being seen . Having only two rifles , we could do no better than watch their movements , and reflect with sorrow on our lack of proper arms . Had each of our men had a rifle , we could again have encircled the lot and driven them back on to the road .

As we watched , we saw a tall figure come slowly along the road from Ballyvourney . We knew him by his erect and dignified carriage . He was Master O'Brien , or Micheal O'Briain as he preferred to be called , on his way home from school . The British soldiers gathered around him , evidently questioning him , and gesticulating with their weapons . They were in an angry mood , and we all knew that his life hung on a slender thread . Their Captain had been killed and nearly every man in the lorry wounded . But they could not frighten Micheal O'Briain ....

He was a gentle , saintly man , who would not harm any creature . He was also shy and retiring . But the heart within him was stout , and, while we trembled for his safety , I have no doubt Micheal did not worry . Some of us asked my brother to allow the riflemen to open fire on the British soldiers and scatter them to cover . He told them to be ready to fire , but to wait for his word . He watched through the glasses for a long time , and , once , when Micheal was evidently ordered back from the road to the southern fence , he again said - " Be ready " .

Then Micheal sat down on the fence in a leisurely manner , and our tension eased a little . Finally , they must have given him the all clear to go home for , unhurriedly , he arose , and unconquered , he walked away down the rough boreen .

(MORE LATER).



A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED GAFFE .......
Fianna Fail , Brian Lenihan , Charles Haughey , George Schultz and Saint Patrick ;
....a story from 'Magill Magazine' , 12th November 1987 , pages 19 and 20 . A 'snap-shot' of Ireland in the 1980's , in 12 parts ...

(1 of 12).



Paul Keating was'nt enjoying himself much . As an Associate Editor of Newsweek Magazine with an Irish background , both of his parents coming from Clare , he keeps an eye on Irish stories and on Irish politicians coming through New York . On September 22nd last (ie September 1987) , Paul was involved in a story which the magazine was working on about illegal aliens in America , and he had been thinking in particular about the influx of "undocumented" Irish .

He went to a breakfast for journalists at the Irish(Free State) consulate in New York that morning and arranged to interview Brian Lenihan , (the then) State Minister for Foreign Affairs , the following day . Now he was sitting in the consulate with Brian Lenihan , the Irish(Free State) ambassador and the press attache of the New York consulate , listening to a very unexciting recitation of Lenihan's up-beat optimism about everything from the 26-County economy to the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement'(ie the Hillsborough Treaty).

It was pretty standard stuff , a useful panel to be boxed off the main story , but nothing to make the headlines .......

(MORE LATER).

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


.......After one week in Bantry Bay , the 35-strong fleet of French warships had been reduced to a force of 15 ships - by the weather ! The lead ship (with French General Hoche on board) had been caught in a storm on its way to Ireland and other ships were pushed out of the Bay by gale-force winds . 400 British troops were by now on the beach , shouting 'bravely' at the French soldiers on the ships.......



The Brits had apparently been 'tipped-off' about the French fleet by the 'landlord' who lived in the 'big house' at the head of Bantry Bay - this man was later 'awarded' the 'title' of 'Lord Bantry' , by the Brits , for his "service to The Crown" . The French ships were being pulled and pushed by the continuing storm and were forced , one by one , to cut their anchor cables and allow themselves to be pushed out of the Bay and forced back to sea again .

They made sail for France , with a dejected Wolfe Tone on board . That happened during December , 1796 ; the Brits realised that it was only the weather that saved them and , in early 1797 , they set-about vigorously investigating the two main Irish Rebel organisations - the United Irishmen and The Defenders , a loose group (although large in number) which concentrated its efforts on the land question rather than the National issue of British interference in Irish affairs .

However , as far as the Brits were concerned , they were all "terrorists" and "dissidents" ; the French fleet had startled the Brits - they wanted information , and quickly .......

(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 .......

".......The arrival of a Ford car at the ambush site at the same time as the British Crossley truck complicated matters for us ; the car passed the site unchallenged but , in allowing it to do so , our ambush plan was no longer an option . One of our men , 'Mick the Soldier', decided to have a go at the Brits anyway ......."


" He stood on the rock , feet apart , pouring rapid magazine fire downwards at the Brit lorry . Dannie Harrington stood a few yards from him to the west firing more slowly . Across the road , Con Sean Jer fired six shots from a double-barrelled shotgun while ,near him , Jamie Moynihan rapidly worked another . A British Army Captain , named Airey , was killed beside the driver , who was himself hit twice , in the arm and the neck . The British Army lorry was by now out of control and it hit the northern rock-face a glancing blow , which tore off a spare wheel mounted on that side .

Swerving across the road , it mounted a low wall which dropped inside to a depth of about fifteen feet - it was 'touch-and-go' for a good distance ; if it toppled in , the survivors would have little fight left in them . But the driver tore it off the wall and straightened it for the road . He was a very worthy man , and when we failed to stop him we wished him well . He drove off at high speed . Dannie had a few cartridges left in his magazine - he aimed carefully and fired ; the bullet pierced the rear petrol tank . This gave us renewed hope , and we set off in pursuit of the faltering truck , running roughly parallel to the road . We had hoped to overtake it before it left the rocky country around Poul na Bro , where we could close with it again . We were doomed to disappointment .

It had cleared the ground that would favour our approach and was stopped in the only patch of open country for miles around . Moreover , a party of British soldiers from the Ballyvourney Garrison had come out to meet it and had sent out sentries ......."

(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 .

(15 of 15).


In a comment about the death of Sean MacBride , 'The Times' newspaper of London , stated - " Many Irish politicians and voters are still in thrall to the romantic appeal of violence - provided it is directed at British victims and occurs outside the Republic(sic) itself . MacBride was a cosmopolitan high priest of this cult . " There was no mention of the violence of the forces Sean MacBride fought against in Ireland or elsewhere . Britain is untainted by it , according to the London 'Times' newspaper --

-- " Britain is that exceptional society which has not faced this problem , at least not in the agonising form in which it was posed in the Republic(sic) which Sean MacBride helped to found ." The 'Times' editorial - in common with many of the constitutional politicians who attended his funeral and with the revisionist historians - welcomes what it sees as the decline of 'that ruthless and irreconcilable Irish Republicanism '. The punchline in effect says - "good riddance" .

Perhaps , however, that "terrible beauty" will eventually be laid to rest . The absence of Sean MacBride will only help .


[END OF - 'SEAN MacBRIDE : 1904 - 1988 '- our thanks to 'J.D. Isle of Man' for that correspondence].

---

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


.......Under the Command of General Hoche , the French fleet of 35 ships arrived in Bantry Bay , Cork , on 21st December 1796 - they carried thousands of fully-armed and experienced French fighters . But a storm at sea had separated the lead ship from the rest of the convoy .......


In Bantry Bay itself , a strong head-wind prevented the ships from landing their troops . The Bay was wide open , with no British troops to offer resistance ....but the wind was growing in strength , and soon became a gale-force , which forced 20 of the great French ships out of the Bay and pushed them out to sea ; the other 15 ships attempted to move up the Bay , and it was later reported that they could only manage to move about 50 yards every 8 hours .

The gale-force winds were now mixed with squalls of sleet and snow ; but still no notable British presence to face them had materialised in the area . But the French were unable to land .... General Hoche's men were in Bantry Bay for a week ; by now , a small force of 400 British troops from the Bantry area were on the beach , throwing shapes at the French , safe in the knowledge that the French troops could not get at them .....

(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 .......

".......A young lady from the neighbourhood had brought us a bucket of tea and a basket of sandwiches . After a few days of waiting , we seen one of our signallers step down from the rock he was using as a 'look-out' post ......."


" The signaller held his flag low and shook it out - then , raising it , he shot it forward ... but the flag flew off the staff and travelled a long way downhill ! We burst out laughing . Now our signaller was in a fix . With commendable presence of mind he threw down the staff and raised both arms , his palms facing towards us . We readily understood - there were two lorries ; the second signaller confirmed that on a nearer stretch of the road . It was a long time before the lorries appeared to us - they were coming very slowly . It was evident that they were heavy haulage lorries in a low gear for the incline . My brother studied them through powerful Zeiss field glasses.

" Pass the word ," my brother said , "let them through . They are laden with petrol and have only an escort of two on each lorry . We want rifles , not petrol ! " So they passed by , unconscious of the eyes that watched them . At about 3pm , one lorry was signalled . It was a Crossley , covered with canvas and well laden with British troops . It came rapidly up the incline and on to the stage set for its reception . Had the fates decreed that the matter be left solely between the two contending parties , I think both would have been better satisfied . We would have got the arms we wanted , and the casualties amongst the occupants of the lorry would have been certainly fewer or probably nil . Now a car on the road , other than a military one , was, at that time , as rare as a four-leaved shamrock .

However , there was one in Kerry , and as the military Crossley came speeding uphill from the east to cross a certain line drawn by us across its path , the Kilgarvan Ford came from the west to straddle the same line at exactly the same time ! The unexpected arrival of the Ford from the west gave pause to the throwing of the road block to allow it to pass . It passed , and the pause was maintained until it was too late . Meanwhile , the Ford met the British Crossley truck and , although going in the opposite direction , became its escort for more than halfway across the deadline to safety . Scarcely had the tails of both vehicles passed each other than a desperate effort was made by some of our men to retrieve ill fortune --

-- a furious round of bullets was opened on the British Army driver or in his direction ; it was 'Mick the Soldier' , standing , his feet apart on the rock , while he poured rapid magazine fire downwards ....... "

(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 .

(14 of 15).


The British 'Daily Telegraph' newspaper said Sean MacBride was "the former IRA Chief of Staff whose later career saw him transformed - as if by a puff of Irish magic - into a respected figure at the United Nations ." Though less blatant than the Sunday paper's obituary , the racism from 'The Daily Telegraph' was still in evidence - " His war against 'oppression' nurtured on his strong anti-British line , however, made him a firm favourite at the United Nations , where new 'Third World' leaders were reassured with a representative of an older , white nation who could spout platitudes with great beauty at the highest level ."

A more subtle form of anti-Irishness was seen in the editorial of the British 'Times' newspaper , London - this was by far the most interesting of the obituaries as it could have been written by any one of a number of Irish politicians , academics or journalists : the theme was violence in Sean MacBride's career and in the development of the 26-County State . The analysis was that of proponents of , and apologists for, British 'rule'.

Its basic message was that the Irish are a violent race , the authors of their own misfortune . It is as if the British never set foot in Ireland !

(MORE LATER).

---

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 ".

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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 .......

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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 ."

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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 .

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