Irish Independent I 21 November 2020 2 20|20 CENTENARY BI00DY SUNDAY CONTENTS 6 The GAA’s complex relationship November 21, 1920: with the nationalist struggle, by Paul Rouse 8 A British officer’s wife remembers an IRA raid Catherine Holmes 10 Tipperary player Thomas Ryan on details the his capture after fleeing Croke Park assassinations, 12 Bloody Sunday, through the words of those who were there indiscriminate 14 The Collins Papers, slaughter and by Conor Mulvagh executions 16 Retracing the footsteps of the y 1920, British intelligence Collins Squad assassins had improved its ability to gather information about the 18 How de Valera harnessed the republican movement, and it posed a serious threat to diaspora during a US trip Binsurgents. The Royal Irish 20 The diaries of UCD student Constabulary (RIC) was bolstered by war veterans, commonly known as the Black Celia Shaw on Kevin Barry and Tans, and the new Auxiliary Division and Bloody Sunday of the RIC whose role was to conduct counter-insurgency operations. 22 Barry and Sinead Andrews on Michael Collins, the IRA’s director of their revolutionary grandparents intelligence, had established the Squad, a special unit created to target members 24 Fake news and propaganda of the British intelligence such as plain- clothes detectives from the G Division, 26 How both sides abused women who held files on known IRA members. 28 Kathleen Lynn: converted to He had also built up a network of civilian informants including dock workers, clean- republicanism through suffrage ers and secretaries who fed him informa- 30 Who shot the best tion about the British intelligence. Collins sanctioned a plan to eliminate, in revolutionary-period movie? one operation, a large number of the Brit- ish intelligence network in Dublin. In the weeks leading up to what became Bloody 1 Sunday, Collins used his network of spies, November 21, 2020 particularly Lily Mernin, a typist in Dublin 20|20 CENTENARY Castle, to gather names and addresses of B I00DY undercover British officers. A list of targets SUNDAY was created. Due to the size of the planned operation, members of the Dublin Brigade ‘Transilience’, by 9.20am General FP Crozier was passing were called in to support Collins’ Squad. artist David Sweeney, 22 Mount Street with a group of Auxiliaries On the night of November 20, 1920, the a former Dublin when they heard shooting. They ran to the units involved were briefed on the plans GAA senior hurling house, where a group of IRA men led by at secret locations around Dublin includ- captain, was specially Squad member Tom Kehoe burst through ing Gardiner Street, Gloucester Street and commissioned as part the door and shot two Auxiliaries before Parnell Square. After the briefings, Dick of the GAA Museum’s escaping. Volunteer Frank Teeling was McKee, commanding officer of the Dublin exhibition to mark caught while trying to escape and sent to IN ASSOCIATION WITH Brigade, and Peadar Clancy, its vice-com- the centenary of Dublin Castle. mandant, were arrested by the Auxiliaries Bloody Sunday at their hideout on Gloucester Street. COURTESY OF THE GAA 9.30am Within half an hour, the killings ON THE COVER Conor Clune, a civilian and Gaelic MUSEUM, CROKE PARK were finished. Laurence Thermes as a British soldier in League member, who was visiting Dublin the TV docudrama, A Terrible Beauty (2013) from Co Clare, was arrested in a sweep of A Collins Papers 10am-11am Soon news of the killings Vaughan’s Hotel, which was a known IRA file in the Military reached the British administration FOR THE IRISH INDEPENDENT meeting place. Archives, listing at Dublin Castle. They suspected that Editor: Jon Smith hotels where British the IRA might be using the Dublin-Tip- Design and Production: Joe Coyle TIMELINE OF A DAY agents were staying, perary football match at Croke Park as Sub-editing: Sam Wheeler OF BLOODSHED the Republican a cover, so planned a search operation ‘insiders’ in each as the crowds left the ground that after- Newspaper archives: Clodagh Finn 8.15am The groups involved in the attacks one, and codes for noon. Pictures: Thanks to UCD, National Library of set out, as recalled by Paddy Daly, a member Collins’ agents Ireland, GAA Museum, Military Archives of the Squad who helped organise them. PHOTO: FRANK McGRATH 11.30am The first game of the day at Croke and the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Park, a Dublin Intermediate Champion- 9am The series of killings of members ship match between Dún Laoghaire Com- FOR UCD of the British intelligence mercials and Erin’s Eilis O’Brien, Director of Communications network began. Eleven Hope, began. The Dr Conor Mulvagh, Assistant Professor British officers, two auxil- game was followed in Irish History iary cadets and two civil- by a meeting of Kate Manning, Principal Archivist ians were killed in Dublin’s administrators south inner city (see table). from across the Two British intelligence country to dis- IN PARTNERSHIP WITH officers survived, three cuss the rule that were wounded and four banned GAA play- who were targeted could ers playing soccer not be found. and rugby. 21 November 2020 I Irish Independent 3 How Bloody Sunday unfolded The 11 British officers, two auxiliary cadets and two civilians killed in Dublin’s south inner city on the morning of Bloody Sunday LOCATION VICTIMS DETAILS 22 Lower Lt Henry Angliss, a Angliss’s belongings were searched Mount British intelligence before he was shot dead. A friend Street officer staying with him was left unharmed. Lt Peel, another British agent in the house, barricaded his door and managed to escape. Auxiliaries passing by heard the gunshots and attempted to enter the building. 38 Upper Mount Lt Peter Ashmun Ames (pictured far left) and Bennett Street Ames, a commanding (below right) were marched to a officer of the British back room where they were intelligence unit shot multiple times. Lt George Bennett, a commanding officer of the British intelligence unit 92 Lower Capt WF Newberry was shot multiple times Baggot Newberry, a while trying to escape through Street courts-martial the window. His pregnant wife officer witnessed the attack and died giving birth to a stillborn baby weeks later. 119 Lower Baggot Capt George T Future taoiseach Seán Lemass Street Baggallay, a was one of the three men who courts-martial shot the one-legged captain. officer 28 Earlsfort Sgt John Fitzgerald Fitzgerald was killed in a case of Terrace of the RIC mistaken identity when republicans were looking for a Colonel Fitzpatrick. Midday A large crowd was expected at the began to arrive and took up positions sur- 117-119 Capt Donald L MacLean was shot in a spare room Dublin vs Tipperary match. News of that rounding the ground on Clonliffe Road and Morehampton MacLean (left), an as he begged not to be killed in morning’s killings had reached GAA gen- Jones’s Road outside the main entrance and Road intelligence officer at front of his family. John Caldow eral-secretary Luke O’Toole at Croke Park. at the Canal Bridge outside Croke Park. Dublin Castle was wounded but survived. Smith, Shortly before its scheduled start, three the owner of the house, was also officers of the Dublin Brigade of the IRA 3.20-3.25pm Five to ten minutes after the TH Smith, a civilian shot dead. advised cancelling the game. They had throw-in an aeroplane flew over Croke landlord received a tip-off from a Dublin Metropolitan Park and circled the ground twice before Police sergeant that a raid would take place flying in the direction of the Phoenix Park. 28-29 Pembroke Major CMG Dowling, This proved to be one of the at the ground. O’Toole talked to association Street Upper a British intelligence tougher assignments because in the officials Dan McCarthy, James Nowlan, Andy 3.26pm The British authorities’ intention officer house alongside the targets were Harty and Jack Shouldice about cancelling was to announce by megaphone before the four British infantry officers and the match but they decided not to. To call off end of the game that spectators were to be Capt Leonard Price their wives. A maid identified the the game at short notice when spectators searched as they left. However, shots were (left), a British rooms of Dowling and Price, where were already gathering could have impli- fired almost immediately after the they intelligence officer both men were shot in the chest. cated the GAA in that morning’s events, and reached the stadium. The British initially Montgomery was shot twice and an announcement to leave the stadium might claimed that the IRA had fired first, but Col Hugh F died of his wounds on December 9. have led to a panic and crush at the exits. this has been disputed by historians. Montgomery, a staff Col Woodcock and Capt Keenlyside Crown forces by Russell Street Bridge officer were wounded but survived. 2.45pm The match was scheduled to begin shot 11-year-old William ‘Perry’ Robinson at 2.45 but was delayed by 30 minutes as as he sat in a tree and 10-year-old Jerome Gresham Hotel Capt PJ MacCormack MacCormack was almost certainly the crowd was still entering Croke Park. O’Leary as he sat on a wall watching the on Upper not engaged in any intelligence Estimates of the size of the crowd have match. Around the same time, British Sackville Street LE Wilde, activity. He was shot in his bed varied between 5,000 and 15,000. The forces entered Croke Park from the Canal (now O’Connell employment status while reading a newspaper.