Decoding the IRA (51 page)

12
CS to Military Attache, USA, 15 April 1925, in MTUCDA P69/37 (221–3).

13
Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936,
p. 11.

14
CS to IO Tipperary brigade, 2 October 1925, in MTUCDA P69/206 (12).

15
CS to Military Attache, USA, 15 April 1925, in MTUCDA P69/37 (221–3).

16
CS to Comdt. LP, 15 October 1924, in MTUCDA P 69/37 (116).

17
MacEoin, U.,
Survivors
(Argenta Publications, Dublin, 1987), pp. 456–7.

18
Regan, J.,
The Irish Counter-Revolution: 1921–1936
(Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1999), pp. 75–6.

19
English, R.,
Radicals and the Republic: Socialist Republicanism in the Irish Free State,
1925–1937
(Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1994), p. 7.

20
Communication from Seamus Helferty. CS to Military Attache, USA, 15 April 1925 in MTUCDA P69/37 (221–3); Lawlor, C.,
Seán MacBride, That Day's Struggle: A Memoir 1904–1951
(Currach Press, Blackrock, 2005), p.
85.

21
Bowyer Bell, J.,
The Secret Army: The IRA 1916–1970
(The John Day Company, New York, 1971), p. 52.

22
Ibid.,
p. 51.

23
CS to Military Attache, USA, 15 April 1925, in MTUCDA P69/37 (221–3).

24
Ibid.

25
References for the 1925 army convention; English,
Radicals and the Republic,
pp. 66–70; Bowyer Bell,
The Secret Army,
pp. 52–3; Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936,
p. 207.

26
English,
Radicals and the Republic,
p.
66.

27
Unsigned to chairman of the Army Council, 18 November 1925, in MTUCDA P69/181 (74–6).

28
Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936, p.
19.

29
Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army, p. 57; Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936, pp.
19, 193.

30
MacEoin,
The IRA in the Twilight Years,
p. 116; Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936,
p. 20.

31
‘Wilson', who was attempting to type, appears to be Staff Captain Wilson and not a female typist; A ‘S/Capt W.' is listed as a member of the GHQ staff in the roll call for the officers meeting on 9 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (157–8, 152, 160); Mick Price also approved ‘Wilson' to act as his proxy on the Army Council on 16 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193
(59);
there is in addition a reference to a ‘Miss Wilson' who worked for Moss Twomey, see 1 March 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (277); however, Twomey by convention ordinarily referred to women either by their first name or used the titles ‘Miss' or ‘Mrs'; all of this suggests that ‘Wilson' was Captain Wilson and not Miss Wilson; Unsigned to George [Gilmore], 2 May 1927 in MTUCDA P69/48 (75).

32
Moss Twomey was under arrest on this date, and the letter was likely written by Andy Cooney; CS to HS, 8 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (10–11).

33
CS to Finance and Accounts Officer, 1 March 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (277).

34
CS to OC Dublin Brigade, 3 March 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (267).

35
Andrews, C. S.,
Dublin Made Me
(Mercier Press, Dublin and Cork, 1979), pp. 154, 205, 218–19; MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 375; Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936
, p. 207.

36
Con Casey in MacEoin,
Survivors
(Argenta Publications, Dublin, 1987), pp. 27, 375; MacEoin,
The IRA in the Twilight Years
, p. 853; Andrews,
Dublin Made Me
, p. 227.

37
Army Council minutes April 1926, in MTUCDA P 69/181 (46); MacEoin,
The IRA in the Twilight Years
, p. 34; Bowyer Bell,
The Secret Army
, p. 57.

38
Bowyer Bell,
The Secret Army
, pp. 64–5.

39
Minutes of the Army Council meeting, January 1927, in MTUCDA P 69/181 (3).

40
Chairman to An Timthire, 3 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (123–5).

41
The following letter implies that ‘Mr Smith' or Andy Cooney was in the United States by 4 June; to Mr O'Sullivan from Mr O'Connor, 18 June 1926, in MTUCDA P69/182 (31).

42
To chairman of Army Council from chief of staff, 12 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/181 (48).

43
Quote from a captured IRA despatch,
The Irish Times,
1 May 1926.

44
The minutes of the Army Council, on 18 November 1925 record that ‘A appointed 45 C/S', in MTUCDA P 69/183 (69); Army Council minutes from April 1926, report: ‘A announced he had decided to visit the US and this was approved', in MTUCDA P 69/181 (46).

45
Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936
, p. 19.

46
CS to adjt North Mayo brigade, 26 October 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/39 (107).

47
MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 851

48
Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936
, p. 19.

49
MacEoin,
The IRA in the Twilight Years
, p. 843.

50
Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936
, p. 19.

51
Bowyer Bell quoted in MacEoin,
The IRA in the Twilight Years
, p.853; see also English,
Radicals and the Republic
, p. 115 and MacEoin,
The IRA in the Twilight Years
, p. 851.

52
Twomey received two volumes on Stonewall Jackson from OC. Britain and also requested Field Marshal Wilson's diaries and
The Science of War
by Colonel Henderson; MD to HS, 25 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (59); MD to HS, 17 October 1927, in MTUCDA P69/150 (20).

53
CS to OC No. 2 Area, 14 October 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/47 (98).

54
Document titled ‘Publicity' and signed by ‘C' [which was the designation assigned to Twomey in Army Council documents] 20 February 1926, in MTUCDA P69/ 181 (52–3).

55
MacEoin,
The IRA in the Twilight Years
, p. 842; reference to Lynch and the uniforms is from Todd Andrews in the O'Malley notebooks, UCD Archives.

56
The handwriting in the O'Malley notebooks is notoriously difficult to read, and the distinguished historian Peter Hart appears to have misread this quote. Hart wrote in
The IRA at War 1916–1923
that Twomey ‘was a good staff officer who had a sense of reality'. I have carefully read the document and reviewed my interpretation with UCD Archivist Seamus Helferty, and feel that the correct interpretation is as I've quoted in my text; P.A. Murray in the O'Malley notebooks, UCD Archives, P17/b, 88. Hart P.,
The IRA at War 1916–1923
(Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003), pp. 163–4.

57
OC Number 3 Area to CS, 8 October 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (66–9).

58
CS to OC Number 3 Area, 12 October 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/47 (63–64).

59
Chairman to An Timthire, 11 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (41–3).

60
HS to CS, 27 April 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (57).

61
CS to OC South Dublin batt, 29 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (77).

62
MD to HS, 6 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (50).

63
MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 24.

64
Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936
, p. 195.

65
MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 21.

66
English,
Radicals and the Republic
, pp. 72–3; MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 24.

67
Hanley,
The IRA, 1926-1936
, p. 195.

68
Officially the montion was proposed by the Tirconaill (Donegal) battalion of the IRA; English,
Radicals and the Republic
, p. 68.

69
English,
Radicals and the Republic
, p. 69.

70
Hegarty P.
Peadar O'Donnell
, p. 211.

71
Ibid
., p. 8.

72
Ibid.
, p. 10.

73
English,
Radicals and the Republic
, p. 71; English, R.,
Armed Struggle: The History of the
IRA
(Macmillan, London, 2003), p. 44.

74
O'Connor, E.
Reds and the Green: Ireland, Russia and the Communist Internationals
1919–43
(UCD Press, Dublin, 2004), pp. 105, 142.

75
Bowyer Bell,
The Secret Army
, p. 59; MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 33; English,
Radicals and
the Republic
, p. 102.

76
Lee, J J.
Ireland 1912–1985: Politics and Society
(Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1989), p. 105.

77
There are at least four biographies on O'Donnell: Ó Drisceoil, D.,
Peadar O'Donnell
(Cork University Press, Cork, 2001); Hegarty, P.,
Peadar O'Donnell
(Mercier Press, Cork, 1999); Freyer, G.,
Peadar O'Donnell
(Bucknell University Press, Lewisburg, 1973); McInerney, M.,
Peadar O'Donnell: Irish Social Rebel
(O'Brien Press, Dublin, 1976).

78
English,
Radicals and the Republic
, p. 109.

79
Ibid
., p. 91; Bowyer Bell,
The Secret Army
, p. 58.

80
O'Drisceoil D.,
Peadar O'Donnell
(Cork University Press, Cork, 2001), p. 41.

81
Mrs Patsy O'Hagan in MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 170.

82
Tom Maguire in MacEoin,
Survivors
, pp. 300–1.

83
Lawlor,
Seán MacBride, That Day's Struggle
, p. 111.

84
MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 252.

85
Seán MacBride in MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 122.

86
Tony Woods in MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 318.

87
Ernie O'Malley in
On Another Man's Wound
quoted in English,
Radicals and the
Republic
, p. 36.

88
Minutes of Army Council meeting and notes on constitution for proposed Revolutionary Organisation, 17 February 1927 in MTUCDA P69/48 (117–20, 312 and 315–16).

89
MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 32.

90
Minutes of Army Council Meeting, 27 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/181 (3); notes for Constitution for Revolutionary Organisation, 17 February 1927 in MTUCDA P69/48 (312).

91
Army Council Meeting Minutes, 17 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (117–
20); CS to HS, 18 February 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (300).

92
Joint Meeting of Representative Members of Fianna Fáil and of representatives of the Army Council, 15 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (115); meeting of Representative Individuals of Republican Bodies, 26 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (107).

93
Seán Russell quoted in the ‘Discussion on [the] Memo' at the IRA officers meeting, 9 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (161–2).

94
Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936
, p. 195.

95
Pax O'Faolain in MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 148.

96
Tony Woods in MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 328.

97
MacEoin,
The IRA in the Twilight Years
, p. 843.

98
MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 571.

99
Unsigned to HS, 26 September 1927, in MTUCDA P 69/150 (28)

100
E, member of Army Council, Memorandum to members of Army Council on our future policy in Britain, 11 Feb. 1926 in MTUCDA P69/181 (67-68).

101
Minutes of Army Council meeting, 27 Jan. 1927 in MTUCDA P69/181 (3).

102
Hanley,
The IRA, 1926–1936
, p. 196.

103
Ibid
.

104
Ibid
.

105
HS to CS, 1 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/41 (30).

106
The text literally reads: ‘1,000 rds of .45 amm'; Ambrose to DI, 15 September 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (120).

107
‘For Chief of Staff' to HS, 8 Nov. 1926 in MTUCDA P69/41 (29). Unsigned to ‘A Chara Dhil, 25 Nov. 1926 in MTUCDA P69/47 (52).

108
Lawlor,
Seán MacBride, That Day's Struggle
, pp. 100–5.

109
Tony Woods in MacEoin,
Survivors
, p. 320; Lawlor,
Seán MacBride, That Day's Struggle
, p. 107.

110
Moss Twomey quoted in MacEoin,
The IRA in the Twilight Years
, p. 843.

111
Ambrose to CS and DI, 9 October 1926, in MTUCDA P 69/41 (264).

112
Lawlor,
Seán MacBride, That Day's Struggle
, pp. 95–7.

113
Ambrose to CS, 18 February 1926, in MTUCDA P 69/80 (2).

114
MacBride in his memoirs wrote that he and his wife lived in a small flat in the Rue d'Annonciation in Passy. In the communications log book, the following contact addresses are given for ‘Ambrose'. Telegrams were to be sent to: Elie, 4 Rue de la Terrasse, Paris 17 and letters to: Lynch, 20 Rue de la Paix. The letter was to be placed inside a second envelope, with the name ‘Ambrose' written on the outside. It was standard IRA security to send letters and telegrams to addresses different than where the IRA operative actually lived; Lawlor,
Seán MacBride, That Day's Struggle
, p. 100; communications log book, no date in MTUCDA P69/195.

115
HS to ‘Dear Sir', 13 September 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/150 (24), unsigned to HS, 22 September 1927 in MTUCDA P69/150 (31); document of the Political Prisoners Committee, approximately October 1927, in MTUCDA P 69/197 (75).

116
Tarpey, M.,
The Role of Joseph McGarrity in the Struggle for Irish Independence
(Arno Press, New York, 1976), pp. 175–6.