Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 4 March 2021

Journeys to a Truce: The Relief of Irish Distress

In the first week March 1921, members of an American Committee for the Relief of Irish Distress arrived in Cork City. They were hosted by members of Cork Corporation and the Cork Harbour Board, amongst others. Their arrival was a positive one in the context of the narrative of repair after the Burning of Cork and of donating money to the impoverished of the city.

Towards the end of 1920 men and women came together on the invitation of (and under the chairmanship) of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Laurence O’Neill to form the Irish White Cross. They met to consider how it was possible to alleviate the great amount of suffering that, even at that date, had resulted from the Irish War of Independence. The group were representative of practically every section of the political and religious beliefs of the Irish community. They were motivated solely by humanitarian motives.

Independently of the Irish White Cross in Ireland, in December 1920, a Committee for the Relief of Irish Distress was founded in America by Dr William J Maloney, a Republican cause sympathiser. The committee carried out its task in the same humane spirit that had inspired the many charitable organisations that went out from the United States to offer relief in the days of the First World War.

The committee influenced a series of great drives for funds, which were organised throughout 48 States of America. In a short period of time, it had at its command a large sum – approximately five million dollars – for the relief of people in Ireland.

From the establishment of the committee American members of the Religious Society of Friends were prominent in the ranks of its active members. In January 1921, several members of the latter group with experience in relief and reconstruction work in France and other areas devastated in the great war arrived in Ireland. The group comprised Messrs. R Barclay Spicer (Philadelphia), Oren B Wilbur (New York), William Price (Philadelphia), John C Baker (Philadelphia), Walter C Longstreth (Philadelphia) accompanied by Messrs C J France, (Seattle, Washington) and S D McCoy (New York) City. Their aim was to ascertain the nature and extent of American aid necessary for the relief of the Irish people.

During their mission of 49 days, which lasted until April 1921, C J France acted as Chairman, and S D McCoy as Secretary (the latter not returning to America until October 1921). Mr France remained in Ireland until June 1922, acting as a representative of the American Committee in connection with the distribution of the American Fund.

The delegation’s subsequent published report (which in the present day is now digitally scanned and online) outlines that during their visit members visited nearly one hundred communities in Ireland in which acute distress existed. They visited no less than 95 cities, towns, villages, and creameries, in which destruction of buildings or property by the military or police forces of the British Crown has occurred. In the 95 places visited there occurred 95 per cent, of the material damage to property owned by the civil population, which has been recorded during the twelve months ending 31 March 1921.

The places visited range in geographic location from Gortahork, on the extreme north-western coast of Ireland, to Timoleague, on the extreme southern coast; from Dublin, in the east, to Clifden and Aran Islands, in the west.

The delegation viewed the damage personally, and personally collected on the spot evidence as to the value of the property destroyed. In addition, written statements from reliable sources were supplied to the delegation regarding material damage in the small number of afflicted communities which they were unable to visit. They reported forty co-operative creameries, which were totally ruined and which had their whole machinery reduced to scrap-iron; thirty-five were partly wrecked and rendered unfit for work. The delegation reports on the conflict;

“In the course of this conflict at least 2,000 houses – dwelling houses, farmsteads, shops –were utterly destroyed, while about 1,500 were partially destroyed, many of the latter being rendered uninhabitable. In this way nearly 3,000 families were cast on the world homeless, and very often with the loss of their entire possessions. The majority of the victims were of the small farmer class in the country, and, of the shopkeeper and artisan class in the towns. These had little or no resources to fall back upon, and were it not for the aid of the charitable large numbers must have perished from cold or hunger”.

Summarising this data in regard to material damage and personal distress, the delegation reported that the material damage to Irish shop-buildings, factories, creameries, and private dwelling houses, inflicted by the British forces during the previous twelve months, amounted to approximately $20m. Without reductions in the cost of labour and materials they estimated the cost of replacing the buildings would be approximately $25m.

On arrival in Cork City the committee took the time to hear about the economic and fallout and the destitution created from the Burning of Cork event;

“In a city such as Cork it is difficult to estimate with accuracy the number of people who were directly involved in distress by this destruction, but it is safe to take the estimate given in the same report, that close upon 4,000 persons – men, women, and children – had to be relieved by reason of the loss of their employment. The ordinary charitable associations could not cope with the burden thus cast upon them, and the Irish White Cross had to undertake responsibility for their maintenance”.

Following the delegation’s report, over the ensuing 18 months £788,215 was sent to Ireland to be distributed through the Irish White Cross in Dublin and down to parish committees and in the Cork context to the city’s own Distress Committee. A total of £170, 398 was sent to Cork City to be distributed to those effected by the Irish War of Independence.

Caption:

1089a. Branding for Irish White Cross, 1922 (source: Report of the Irish White Cross to 31^st August, 1922)

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 25 February 2021

Journeys to a Truce: Revenge in the City

By the last week of February 1921 revenge was the talk of Cork IRA Brigade No. 1 for their fallen comrades of the Dripsey Ambush and the Battle of Clonmult.  On Saturday evening, 26 February, a comrade of Michael O’Donoghue’s whispered to him, “Go to Confession to-night, Mick, and be ready for Monday near St. Augustine’s [Church]”.

In his witness statement for the Bureau of Military History (WS 1741), Michael recalls that the members of A Company, got the mobilisation order on that Monday afternoon, 28 February 1921. By 6.30pm, members had reported at the college tower, at UCC’s quadrangle and had been issued with small firearms and ammunition from the arms dump there. Their instructions were clear – to shoot down at sight, every enemy soldier and policeman in uniform on the streets of Cork City that evening.

Michael outlines that the particular area of operations allocated to ‘A’ Company, was St Patrick’s Street and the adjoining streets between South Mall and the Coal Quay. This was the most dangerous section of the City as it was ringed by a chain of police barracks barely 150 yards apart between the two river channels. On Cornmarket Street was the Bridewell police station and its detention cells, all of which were strongly garrisoned. On Tuckey Street corner, there was another large RIC barracks. These two barracks effectively dominated the approaches to St Patrick’s Street from the west. At its other extremity was the bottleneck of St Patrick’s Bridge. Michael recalls of the event:

“This then was the sector where our University Republican soldiers were to challenge the military might of the Crown Forces and exact bloody revenge for the execution by firing squad of the six Republican prisoners that same morning. Every man of ‘A’ Company who had a gun was in action that night. We operated in small groups of two or three. Zero hour was 7pm by Shandon Church clock. By 6.45pm, we had made our way unobtrusively to Patrick Street and begun to scout along quietly marking down our quarry”.

 Michael’s companion was Dan Barton, a fellow engineering student. They strolled casually up the south side of St Patrick’s Street. No policemen in uniform were anywhere to be seen in the whole section. Civilians, men and women, hurried by, each focused on some vital personal business.

At 6.53pm, Dan and Michael reached St Patrick’s Bridge, meeting Mick Crowley, Connie Lucey and “Nudge” Callanan, three of our lads who had come in from West Cork, where they were with Tom Barry’s Column, to share in the night’s desperate work.

            It was 6.57pm and almost dark when they saw a party of three khaki warriors with bandoliers ahead near Prince’s Street corner. With two minutes to go at least, they ran rapidly down to Oliver Plunkett Street and turned up Prince’s Street intending to get to the soldiers as they emerged on to St Patrick’s Street again. Seven o’clock struck as they swung into Prince’s Street. Michael describes the engagement.

“Loud and clear and ominous the strokes rang out. A few seconds tense silence and then desultory shots to the north. Then shooting seems to break out all over. Three soldiers came running from Patrick St. straight towards us, all scared by the nearby shooting. Our revolvers are drawn and I have the big Colt cocked. Fire! Within eight yards of us, two of the soldiers crash to the ground, the survivor stops, shrieks in panic, turns and flees back”.

Michael raced after him as the survivor ran in through an open shop door:

“I am almost at his heels. It is a fancy shop with a variety of musical goods. The soldier huddles, crying in a corner against the counter. Another shot and he slumps down. I turn on my heels quickly towards the door. I don’t even search the khaki body or glance at it. Then as I reach the door I hear a loud shriek of terror behind me. I look back and see the face of a terrified woman behind the counter. I do not know if she has witnessed the ghastly business, but I am now scared”.

Outside near the corner Dan awaits Michael. The two slain policemen lay motionless on the street. Shooting continued and seems to come from the streets all round. It was now quite dark and the streets are completely deserted. Both chose to escape outside of the ring of police barracks. Curfew time was approaching and it was only minutes until the streets were going to be filled with armoured cars and lorries and machine-guns.

As they emerged from St Patrick’s Street to cross to Castle Street a volley of revolver shots rang out and crash went a plate-glass shop window behind them. They were seen and fired at.  Two dark figures, Black and Tans evidently from Tuckey Street were firing at them from Singer’s Corner about fifty yards away. Crouching low by the van of Woodford Bourne’s. Michael fired three rounds at the two Tans to disconcert them.

Then together Michael and Dan rushed across the street to Castle Street corner. They made it safely and continued down Castle Street. Michael had but one round left in the Colt gun now.

Shooting could still be heard at intervals, now more heavily in the Sunday’s Well and Blarney Street direction. It was almost on curfew hour as they reached the Dyke Parade.  Dan agreed to smuggle Michael into the Honan Hostel where he stayed and to shelter him there for the night. As they reached O’Donovan’s Bridge opposite UCC after crossing over the Western Road. Michael ejected the five spent shells from the Colt end dropped them in the River Lee.

Caption:

1088a. View from Woodford Bourne street corner, Daunt’s Square, St Patrick’s Street, c.1910, from Cork City Through Time by Kieran McCarthy and Dan Breen.

1088b. UCC quadrangle tower, A Company’s arms dump, 1920-21 (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 18 February 2021

Journeys to a Truce: An Engineering Student Speaks

Cappoquin born Michael O’Donoghue was a final year student in early 1921, who was studying for his Batchelor of Engineering degree (mechanical and electrical) in UCC. He was Engineer Officer of the 2^nd Battalion, Cork IRA Brigade No.1. In his witness statement to the Bureau of Military History (WS1741), he provides insight into his life going between student and IRA member.

At UCC, Michael details that his class was a small one, about eight or so, and only three or four were Volunteers. University College, Cork had at that time great teams competing in the Cork County Senior Championships in hurling and football. In the years 1919-20-21 UCC teams reached the Cork County finals more than once. During January and early February 1921 Michael describes he put in a little hurling practice at UCC’s Gaelic grounds in the Mardyke. Selection of players for the University’s hurling and football championships – the Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cups – were due for decision. He had not played much in Cork, but he had already competed in the Waterford championships in 1919 and 1920.

Turning up for hurling practice with Michael was Jerome Twohill, medical student, an ex-radio operator of the First World War and IRA member, and who also ‘digged’ in the Shamrock Hotel or lodgings at 31 Grand Parade. Mick Crowley, too, of Kilbrittain, afterwards second-in-command of Tom Barry’s flying column in West Cork, also turned up for hurling practices with John Joe Joyce of Midleton, a good friend of Michael.

Late in January 1921, Michael and volunteer Jack Daly met Raymond Kennedy, who was acting Officer in Command of the 2^nd Battalion. They asked him to arrange to have them redeployed to the Brigade flying columns in the county. Raymond told them that the county’s active service unit columns were at full strength and that scores of City Volunteers were offering their services for flying column operations in rural areas.  He told them that we were far more valuable in Cork City where the two city IRA battalions were holding down strong crown forces.

According to Michael, Cork City’s IRA members aimed to keep crown forces occupied and preventing them from being thrown into the campaign against the Flying Columns in areas from West Cork to North Cork to East Cork. As well as that British forces in Cork City hardly knew a single IRA officer either by name or by description.

During January and early February 1921, Michael kept a Colt .45 with ammunition in his lodgings in the Shamrock Hotel at 31 Grand Parade. The Shamrock was located above Miss O’Brien’s Restaurant. Many a night the landlady Mary O’Brien took the gun from him and concealed it herself during the long night hours, handing it over to him in the morning. There were a number of IRA men in the building sharing its 6-8 bedrooms, including her own brother. 

However, the 1921 Martial Law Ordinance decreed that all heads at households had to list the names and occupations of all those residing in their house and that they should hang this list for military inspection on the inside of the front door. Absentees or fresh arrivals or new residents were to be especially noted. The penalty for evasion of this blacklisting decree was all the rigours of a British military court martial. Miss O’Brien had complied, as did every other householder.

One day when Michael was at the university, a British military officer with about ten armed soldiers visited 31, Grand Parade. The officer removed the list of names, questioned Miss O’Brien about the then whereabouts of all the residents – who were out and noted the names of the men who were in. He ordered Miss O’Brien to show him to the rooms of these in turn, leaving his armed soldiers below in the hallway and at the door. He queried each man of those in about his name, age, occupation, and reason for being in, and checked, with particulars on list. Satisfied, he returned the sheet to Miss O’Brien and withdrew with his troops.

That night Michael remembers he kept the gun loaded in his overcoat pocket hanging in the wardrobe of his room. He shared the room with Mick O’Riordan, an IRA man with B-Company, 2^nd Battalion, who worked as a draper’s assistant over in the South Main Street.

The night passed without incident and next morning he brought the gun, loaded and all, with him to the Crawford Municipal Technical Institute where he was to do some practical work and study in the electrical laboratory.

Michael’s two IRA class-mates were Bill O’Connor and Ned Enright. During the morning laboratory work Michael did not feel at all at ease, carrying in his trouser pocket the big Colt .45. At lunch break, he decided on going ahead to the University College to hand up his gun to the quartermaster, Jerry Wall, of A Company, and then return to his digs. Enright, who was in digs down the Mardyke Walk, volunteered to accompany him as a scout and look-out. However, on route up College Road, both ran into a group of Black and Tans.

Both passed through a group of Black and Tans with nervousness speaking aloud being late for classes. They reached the College safely and gave the Quartermaster for safe keeping the gun for the company’s arms dump.

Captions:

1087a. Former site of the Shamrock Hotel, 31 Grand Parade, Cork City, present day, blue building in the centre (picture: Kieran McCarthy)