Conference tallis::celt

128.0. "IRELAND FROM 1916 TO 1922" by FNYFS::AUNGIER (Rene Aungier, Ferney-Voltaire, France) Thu Feb 05 1987 08:49

		IRISH HISTORY SINCE THE 1916 RISING
		===================================

	As promised I will continue from where I left off in my previous
	note.

	The 1916 rising as a military exercise was a fiasco but then again
	the leaders of the rising did not expect it to be a success in the
	military sense. It achieved what no other rising or revolt had achieved
	prior to this. The people began to organise and see that Ireland
	needed total independence from Britain.

	In the years following the 1916 rising the I.R.A. came to maturity
	and were organising. They followed a strict code and knew that previous
	revolts etc had been foiled mainly by paid informers. There retribution
	to the paid informer was swift, they were executed and left at the
	side of the road with a sign around their necks to discourage other
	would be informers.

	During the years leading up to the war of independence, they armed
	themselves and began to become a real mititary machine. One of thier
	most famous leaders was Michael Collins from Cork.

	In 1919 the first Irish parliament (Dail) was inaugrated. The Dail
	collected money, operated banks, justice etc through the I.R.A.
	and therfore ensured the funds staying in Irish hands. Michael Collins
	had worked in the British post office in London. He was a good
	organiser. He was Minister fot Finance in the 1st Dail.

	The British began to get worried that the Irish were getting out
	of control in the early months of 1920 and intensified their spy
	activities. All this time Michael Collins had organised his own
	spy network including Irish secret service agents working in the
	British payroll in Dublin Castle. He always had the latest information
	from the horses mouth so to say.

	Michael Collins and the I.R.A. were forced underground because of
	the increased activities of the British military machine. The structure
	inside the I.R.A. was well established by the early months of 1921.

	The War Of Independence started when a "Flying Column" from the
	Tipperary brigade of the I.R.A. under the leadership of Dan Breen
	and Sean Tracy attached a mining quarry in Solaheadbeg in county
	Tipperary. stealing explosives and killing 2 R.I.C. men (Royal
	Irish Constabulary).

	"Flying Columns" contained maybe up to 20 or 30 men and made them
	more mobile than conventional army units, thus the origin of the
	name. If a larger attack was to be made a number of "Flying Columns"
	from other regions would gather. Generally "Flying Columns" operated
	in their own county and rarely operated outside this zone. If they
	came from the region there was less chance of getting lost or being
	unable to escape after an attack as there knowledge of the region
	and of the safe houses was a major factor in their favour.

	"Flying Columns" relied heavily on the support of the local people
	to guarantee their success. Uncoperative families were warned against
	betraying the "Flying Column" to the British, if they didn't heed
	the warning their houses were burnt down or they were executed.
	If somebody did not support them, that did not worry them only
	informers were generally executed.

	Michael Collins though from County Cork operated in Dublin. Many
	British agents and informers were executed. R.I.C. barracks were
	a regular target for Collins and his men. By Easter of 1921 I think
	this is the date, the British secret service decided to elimate
	Collins and his fantastic spy network. They decided to bring G-Men
	(Secret Service Agents) from Britain to do the job, about 14 in
	all to Dublin. Collins knew of their pending arrival before they
	left Britain and on Easter Sunday morning he had a few groups of
	I.R.A. men ready to execute the G-Men. The various groups of I.R.A.
	men from Collin's secret service strook at the same time throughout
	the city of Dublin. One innocent person was executed by mistake.
	They knocked on the doors of various guest houses and asked for
	the G-Men ny name, told them to say a prayer and then executed them.

	That same day in retaliation for the execution of their G-Men the
	infamous Black and Tans and Auxilaries believing that the I.R.A.
	men involved in the operation came from the country, were looking
	for them among of Easter Sunday Gaelic football fans going to Croke
	Park. What happened next was what is called Bloody Sunday. The Black
	and Tans and Auxilaries opened fire on the football supporters and
	left 14 dead and many wounded.

	The Black and Tans and Auxilaries were mainly criminals and ex army
	men who were released from prison in Britain in exchange for doing
	service in Ireland. They were not particularly liked by the normal
	soldiers, and this is the reason they wore a Kaki top and black
	trousers. The Auxilaries wore berets.

	The "Flying Columns" carried out attacks regularely on the Black
	and Tans and Auxilaries. After 1 famous attack where 12 of them
	were killed in an ambush in Cork, They set the city of Cork ablase
	and opened fire on the Fire Brigade as they tried to put out the
	fires.

	Tom Barry, a Corkman was another famous leader of the West Cork
	"Flying Column" and was very successful in his attacks on the
	Black and Tans. He and a few other "Flying Columns" from the rest
	of Cork and Kerry carried out a famous attack on Army units near
	Clonakilty in county Cork. Even though surrounded by 600 hundred
	soldiers and re-inforcments on the way he and his men escaped without
	one injury.

	The Black and Tans and the Auxilaries carried out many attrocities
	in Cork, Dublin and other parts and were hated by the people and
	especially the I.R.A. Collins had many of them executed while off
	duty. They killed 3 young men, one who knew nothing about the 1.R.A.
	Thomas Clune, Ceant, and Clancy (There are 2 military barracks named
	after the latter 2) after having tortured them beyond recognition.
	The said that they were shot in the back while trying to escape.
	Very hard to escape out the window of a 3rd floor office when you
	don't have a ladder.

	Towards the early part of 1922 the war was still going on but the
	I.R.A. could not sustain their operations due to a lack of arms
	and ammunition and the British had moved many of their military
	from the country side into the city where their barracks were well
	fortified, thus depriving the I.R.A. of potential arms.

	The I.R.A. also worked in the cities and carried out many daring
	raids.

	Sean Tracy was shot down in Talbot street while at a meeting in
	a safe house. An R.I.C. man from Tipperary identified him to the
	British secret service. Tracy took 3 secret service men with him
	before a 4th killed him, the 4th later died as Tracy wounded him.
        The Black and Tans on hearing the shooting opened fire on the street
	killing many innocent people. The R.I.C. man identified the body
	of Tracy. The same R.I.C. man lived for another 24 hours before
	being executed when he returned to Tipperary.

        Michael Collins and other leaders held meetings with the British
	government to seek a treaty or truce. Michael Collins had a price
	of 10,000 pounds on his head at the time of the meetings. The War
	of Independence had ended. Never before in the history of Britain
	had such a small, dedicated and well organised group managed to
	force Britain to talk.

	Foot Note
	---------

	Michael Collins often walked and cycled around the streets of Dublin
	undisguised. It is said that one day a police man saw him and said
	hello, that was all he did, the police knew what would happen if
	he uttered a word. Dan Breen had a price on his head also.

	I had the great pleasure of meeting Dan Breen as a child when I
	went on holidays to Tipperary. He was an old but very witty and
	clever man. I used to love going to Tipperary just so that I could
	ask him questions and listen to his stories of the War Of Independence.
	He still had some bullets in him, which could not be removed in
	safety due to the location of the bullets. Sean Tracy was related
	on my father's mother's side.
	
	I also travelled around Cork and I have always loved listening to
	the men and women who fought in the War Of Independence. Most of
	them have now passed away but if you happen to come across one you
	could spend hours listening to them and the exploits of their comrades
	in arm.

	The leaders or signatures of the proclamation of the 1916 rising were

			Padraig Pearse
	James Connelly			Joseph Mary Plunkett
	Thomas Mac Donagh		Eamonn Ceannt
	Sean Mac Diarmada		Thomas Clarke


	Tomorrow : Ireland from the end of the War Of Independence until
		   the end of World War II.

	Go dti amarach

	Rene