THE MEN WILL TALK TO ME Mayo Interviews by Ernie O’Malley THE MEN WILL TALK TO ME Mayo Interviews by Ernie O’Malley Edited by Cormac K. H. O’Malley and Vincent Keane A page from the Michael Kilroy interview. (UCDA O’Malley Notebooks P17b/101, p. 39. Courtesy of UCD Archives) Dedicated to the men and women of Mayo Contents who served their country Acknowledgements 7 Abbreviations 11 MERCIER PRESS Preface 13 Cork www.mercierpress.ie Chronology of Events Impacting Co. Mayo and Its Brigades, 1918–24 19 © Original notebooks of Ernie O’Malley, UCD Archives Introduction 29 © Preface: Cormac K. H. O’Malley, 2014 West Mayo 35 © Introduction: Vincent Keane, 2014 © Footnotes: Cormac K. H. O’Malley and Vincent Keane, 2014 Michael Kilroy 35 Paddy Cannon 73 Paddy Duffy 96 ISBN: 978 1 78117 206 3 Tommy Heavey 118 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Broddie Malone 163 South Mayo 208 A CIP record for this title is available from the British Library Tom Maguire 208 North Mayo 228 This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, Matt Kilcawley 228 be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a P. J. Ruttledge 264 similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any East Mayo 282 means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher in writing. Johnny Grealy 282 Printed and bound in the EU. Tom Carney 303 Short Biographical Sketches of Men Referenced Acknowledgements in Footnotes 329 Bibliography 333 Index 335 Foremost in this endeavour to facilitate greater public access to the Ernie O’Malley Military Notebook Interviews have been Seamus Helferty, Principal Archivist, and his staff at the University College Dublin Archives, the keepers of the Ernie O’Malley Archives since 1974. This series of volumes could not have been started without their support and backing over these past few years. They shared the vision. Many people have helped unstintingly along the journey to transcribe some of the more than 450 handwritten interviews of survivors of the War of Independence and Civil War. Special thanks should be given to Eunan O’Halpin at Trinity College Dublin’s Institute for Contemporary History, who facilitated a one-day seminar on this transcription process back in 2009. In terms of this Mayo volume, it could not have been undertaken but for the noble assistance of Dominic Price, initially, and Vincent Keane, subsequently. Dominic undertook the initial transcription of most of these Mayo interviews; those who also assisted with initial transcriptions were Frances-Mary Blake for Michael Kilroy, Roddy Ryan for his grandfather P. J. Ruttledge, and Cormac Ó Comhraí with one interview, parts of which were included in The Men Will Talk to Me: Galway Interviews by Ernie O’Malley, which he and I co-edited. Vincent Keane has assisted greatly with his extensive local knowledge of people and places in Mayo, which is essential to getting facts and locations accurately recorded. A project like this needs local lore, and Vincent undertook this task professionally and generously, and truly this volume could not have been completed without him. For photographs, copyright and other permissions we are 7 The Men Will Talk to Me Acknowledgements indebted to Anthony Leonard, who provided photographs by As this is a history with a difference and the work was already his grandfather, J. J. Leonard; Seamus Grealy for his father, done by Ernie O’Malley back in the 1950s, it was just a case of Johnny Grealy; Robert Ryan for his grandfather, P. J. Ruttledge; identifying dates and strange place names, and providing short Micky Kilcawley for his father, Matt Kilcawley; Mary Maguire biographical notes on various individuals. My main source of McMonagle for her father, Tom Maguire; Dr Pádraig Carney information was the public libraries. The research section of the and Pádraig Walsh for Tom Carney; James Reddiough and Lew Castlebar Public Library provided me with much of what I was Thorne for the Swinford IRA Training Camp photograph, as seeking and I extend my thanks to the staff there. Marguerite, in well as to Mercier Press for their marvellous archive collection. Westport Public Library, made some phone calls for me when Other people have helped on specific questions: Tim I sought information regarding the North Mayo Brigade from Horgan, Bronach Joyce and Aidan Clarke of the Westport Ballina Library. The librarians in Sligo also helped out when I Historical Society, Johanna Kilcawley McGrath, Anthony was researching the Enniscrone area. Leonard, Anne McMonagle, Rosa Meehan, Eve Morrison, When seeking information about the Kilmeena ambush, I Cormac Ó Comhraí and Kitty O’Malley. I would also like to attended the annual ceremony at the Republican plot in Myna thank Dominic Price for his general support over many years, and was introduced to several interesting people there. I met Kathleen Hegarty Thorne and Lew Thorne for moral support relatives of Patrick Marley (killed accidentally at Rockfield), and comments on the chronology, Pádraig Walsh, and many and Jim Browne and Pat Staunton (killed at Glenhest and others. I thank my family for their support in this endeavour: Kilmeena respectively). Also in attendance was Peadar Kilroy, my wife, Moira, and children, Bergin and Conor O’Malley, son of Michael, and he put me right about where Jim Moran and Bergin’s husband, David Boyle, all of whom have been so came from. The Hughes sisters of Ballina were made known to supportive on the technical side. me and told me of their father, Michael, who was injured but Thanks must also be given to Mary Feehan of Mercier Press, escaped that fateful day at Kilmeena. Hugh Feehan of Rossow along with her highly supportive staff, for agreeing to publish was there too and had some interesting snippets of information this volume as the third in this series of interviews. regarding events in the Kilmeena area. Liam Ryder, always enthusiastic about national events, helped in identifying some Cormac O’Malley of the townlands that were proving problematic. In the Islandeady district I enlisted the help of Paddy Browne of Derrycourane. Paddy has an encyclopaedic mind, and he brought me around the area pointing out the Big Wall, the spot where Thomas Lally and Thomas O’Malley were killed, Driminahaha RIC Barracks, and the house where Paddy Jordan lived. Paddy knew, and was a friend of, Paddy Cannon, whose interview is included in this book. He actually got to fire some rounds from Cannon’s famous Mauser rifle. 8 9 The Men Will Talk to Me In Westport, over the months, I spoke to relations of men Abbreviations who were on active service in 1920–24. It was all very informal and I gleaned much information then. Ger Geraghty provided background information on his grand-uncle, Joe Ring. Patsy Staunton told me of his uncle, Michael ‘Bully’ Staunton, ASU Active Service Unit or Flying Column and how he emigrated to Chicago, never to return. Maureen Auxie/Auxies Auxiliary Division of the RIC Lambert, niece of ‘Broddie’ Malone, provided essential dates. Capt. Captain Richie Joyce gave me information on his Uncle Rick, a member C/S Chief of Staff of the West Mayo Brigade flying column. Liamy MacNally gave me interesting facts on his grand-uncle, Willie Malone. EOM Ernie O’Malley Pádraig Kennedy was always available to tell of his uncle, Ned GAA Gaelic Athletic Association Sammon, quartermaster of the Westport Battalion during the GHQ General Headquarters Truce and Civil War. Dave Keating looked up information for IRA Irish Republican Army me regarding the Sligo brigades. I also wish to thank Harry Hughes, who was always ready to impart relevant information IRB Irish Republican Brotherhood for this project. A sincere thanks to all mentioned. the Joy Mountjoy Gaol, Dublin Lastly, I wish to thank Cormac O’Malley for inviting me to Lt Lieutenant participate in this venture. It was a pleasure to be involved with O/C Officer Commanding the work of Ernie O’Malley. PA Póilíní Airm or Military Police Vincent Keane RIC Royal Irish Constabulary Tintown 1, 2 Tintown internment camps No. 1 and No. 2 UCDA UCD Archives V/C Vice-Commanding Officer 10 11 Preface Introducing the Ernie O’Malley Military Interviews Belmullet Enniscrone Cormac K. H. O’Malley North Mayo Brigade Mayo Ballina 3 West West Mayo Brigade Sligo Though born in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, in 1897, Ernie O’Malley 4 West Swinford moved to Dublin with his family in 1906 and attended CBS East Mayo Brigade secondary school and university there. After the 1916 Rising Newport Kilmeena Castlebar he joined the Irish Volunteers while pursuing his medical Highwall studies, but in late 1917 he left home and went on the run. He Louisburgh Westport 2 West Roscommon rose through the ranks of the Volunteers and later the Irish Carrowkennedy Republican Army, and by the time of the Truce in July 1921 South Mayo Brigade Tourmakeady at the end of the War of Independence, or Tan War as it was Leenane Ballinrobe known, he was a commandant-general commanding the 2nd Southern Division covering parts of three counties and with over 7,000 men under him. Clifden O’Malley was suspicious of a compromise being made during the peace negotiations which resulted in the Anglo-Irish Treaty Galway Athlone of December 1921 and reacted strongly against the Treaty when it was announced.
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