,, ,. · >; ·; '• '::; ~ ...- ·~ .;. ,... .. , ,~ .... ~ -~ . !- ' .;. (. ~ • ' ; • ' ~ ;.; ~· " .1 -~ ' •, . \ .. ;' l j ' .... 4 \ ~ .~ .. Famously the second section, the War As part of the centenary commemorations of Independence 1919-21 was ushered for the 1916 Easter Rising, Tipperary in by the opening of the First Dail in County Council Library Service published Dublin and the Soloheadbeg Ambush County Tipperary in 1916- a history in 40 in Tipperary. Much of the activity of this documents. Edited by Denis G. Marnane period is summed up in such trigger and Mary Guinan Darmody, this booklet words and phrases as 'ambush', 'reprisal', was welcomed and made available 'spy', 'Black & Tan', 'flying column' and free of charge across the county. This 'on the run'. Tipperary along with a present publication continues the story handful of other counties, such as Cork of how the following four and a half and Limerick, was very much at the heart years impacted on Tipperary. This is not of the struggle during these two and half a history of these years, rather a series years to the Truce in July 1921. The story of glimpses of people and events - a of the Truce and the tragic Civil War as sequence of slides rather than a movie. experienced in Tipperary will be covered More detailed information can be had in in a final booklet to be published in 2020. Sean Hogan's, The Black and Tans in North Tipperary (2013) and D.G. Marnane's, The Third Brigade (2018). Our thanks to Noel Ahern, Dimphne Brennan, Adrian Corcoran, Dan Finnan, The events of this four and a half year Eamonn Gaynor, Breda Hanly, Sean period fall into two sections. Firstly the Hogan, Joe Kenny, Seamus Leahy, Noel time of re-organisation after the release Mcinerney, Michael O'Connor, Mick of prisoners at the end of 1916. This O'Dea, Jerry Ring, Neil Sharkey, Brendan period 1917-1918 was the phoenix time, Treacy and R6isin O'Grady; also Dublin when out of the ashes of defeat new City Library & Archive, Kilmainham Jail, structures and new leaders emerged. In Military Archives, National Library of Tipperary three brigades were created Ireland, Tipperary County Museum, and and leaders like Jim Leahy and Sean Tipperary County Archives. Treacy emerged to put the county at the centre of the war when it came. ·-­la Front Cover image: Wedding of Dan Breen and Brighid Malone by Mick O'Dea nu pai111i11g is baud 011 a phorogmph rakm by Sed11 Sharkey i11 j1111e 1921 t11 rhe weddi11go/Da11 Bru1110 Brighid Malo11e a11d i11cl11des Sed11 Hogan as bm ma11 a11d Aine Malone. bridesmaid. ~~. ~ ,..~~ ·· ~ r~~~r,;~ -.~ ~ ~~l.5fe;;::)h;.:~~~~.M'td"'.~~~.5c~&.'li\'i'JiiR'ISllils.1Si",.-t;;;~ . · 1. Released from 2. On 10 May 1917, the victory of prison in England Joe McGuinness, the SF candidate in at the end of 1916, the South Longford by-election was Eamon 6 Duibhir, a announced. Fr Michael Maher, the key personality in the Archbishop's secretary, described the Tipperary republican reaction in Thurles as hundreds marched movement, got through the town. things moving again. He was responsible I was watching the whole proceedings for bringing Ulster's from a front window in the Presbytery Seamus Robinson, a and was very keen on observing how 1916 Rising veteran, the crowd would behave passing the to Tipperary. The Irish Palace, because the Archbishop had Enmon 0 Duibhir teacher mentioned refused to allow an anniversary Mass to below took part in the be celebrated in the Cathedral for the Soloheadbeg Ambush. victims of the rising and that refusal had been given only a few days before. Robinson arrived some day in January Although I was watching closely through 1917, in the midst of a snow storm, and the open window I did not observe he had with him a small black travelling anything in the attitude of the crowd bag that we got to know very well and to different from what it had been at the associate with him. As a farm worker, he other points of the route, where I was made up for his lack of knowledge by his able to observe them. honesty. hustle and zeal. ...... That outburst in Thur/es and similar In Kilshenane the local meetings of the ones on all sides was the first indication organisations and meetings of a wider of the rapid strides Sinn Fein had made circle were held, and later the Brigade within the past twelve months. I may Council meetings were held there for add that the Archbishop allowed the a considerable time. I had become a Mass on second application only under parishioner of Fr Matt Ryan in Knockavilla condition that there was to be no public and he was a frequent visitor to the place, procession to or from the church nor any and of course, as president of the local demonstration in the neighbourhood of branch of Sinn Fein he was interested in the Cathedral on the occasion. The Mass the work of that organisation, plus the was celebrated, I being the celebrant, work of the Gaelic League which was his greatest love, as it was probably the greatest love of most of us. We had a hall in Ballagh and at this time Padraig McCormaic was teaching Irish in it, and to this hall, on the class nights, we used to travel from Kilshenane, gathering like a moving snowball a crowd as we went, and we often arrived in Ballagh thirty or forty strong. The Volunteers met in this hall also. (Bureau of Military History, Eamon 6 Duibhir, WS 1474, pp. 2-4) Seamus Leahy, Clonmel 8111111tr ofBoherl11h1111 Si1111 Fii11C111111111111917 Words of command were used by different men: Daniel Breen, Michael Looby Jr, Maurice Crowe, John Treacy, and Timothy Crowe. The drilling was principally marching in fours and Treacy was not drilling all the time owing to looking after the voting (for officers). (Constable P.J. Murtagh's report, 10 Dec 1917. (CO 904/122, NU) ~ ~ 7. At the close of 1917 Fr Michael Maher ·~ in Thurles reflected on the cost of living. 3 We had the usual Christmas festivities at the Palace in spite of the shortage of History Ireland food and drink. Everything is very dear; 11/egnl Drilli11g meat is 116 a pound, butter 216, eggs from party a short distance, said 'Hold left 216 to 31- per doz. Potatoes 9d. a stone. turn' and then told off two batches of Tea is plentiful, sugar scarce; whiskey sixteen, giving Michael Looby Jr aged 11- per glass etc. Cattle are twice the pre 23, Newtown, this sub-district, charge of war prices, and boots and clothes are one batch and Daniel Breen, Milesman, similarly expensive; coal about £2-10-0 Grange, Tipperary sub-district, charge of per ton, and working horses fetch up to the other batch. £60. We have experienced no shortage of food here up to the present, but the Treacy took charge of 23 men himself and operations of the U boats are threatening Timothy Crowe, farmer's son, Ardloman, us with that spectre every day. The bread this sub-district, took charge of 22 boys is getting very black owing to foreign ranging in age from eight years to fifteen mixtures being put in the flour, there is years, a few of the latter having joined no such thing as white flour now or white the ranks after Treacy giving 'Halt'. ......... bread. Bacon is at a prohibitive price and it is no wonder when pigs cost 105 shillings per cwt. live weight. Motor cars are nearly as rarely seen as they were a ;\l,\:'tOID I ,\~P ' llXl)lrll rRJ('t'S IL\H-: ll t:t:.~ n~ro ..·01 .1 n•11JX"• dozen years ago owing to the shortage I L~ 0.\1'$ CH.OWN JX l~li . ~ r~ ~ " of petrol. l )l .\~l ~ l" >t 11.. - . Nau k-,t>• tis(') ,,,. 1~ r .....1 t·. .,. 1~,,i1.. ,. • •·I ~ rnt •~ · :!:s!°:.1:~,;;''rl~?.i'r~: '~~.t·t,~~i;;i,~n'!'l~~H ~ (Journal of Fr Michael Maher, Thurles vol vi, ) l1'>('<"IUI •1th thr toJ!u•n•:: h l•h '""i lli l'llol<JU• ~- pp. 102-3, Tipperary Studies, Thurles) \ 1 l"M O.<t:n11 ol ~~r~1':.;: I! fOfl' I n l>Hf'ml'!,t• l!llt .. , ... ::·;,OJ I•: ~1•bt-t, ' \)Jo ,to:\l•1 J 1uU1.1'/H'll " • ~ I I 1 :: ~ t11:i~" at·1~~~:·:.1f.. ~ l1\!~lli•'1t, tN ,. , , ;~ ~1P .\11.. r bl Jae..,, 10115 ••• - ... .... ~ 31 IN ROYAL CASHEL Jtt:ll}:)tnf.fttl \h~ t1r,. l1'10 pr-'.O• • ,.t..,,. t"•i1J. {l,\h llUU\ h'<tbo-~J.lli,-thr:b1 m1•r )i'lNillU)l Tl1i:i ti11.- lie.-• fbtJ 111 tllf' ('.. ri1 l't.i!l 11rt1vn ,\ 11 •hti l1 CASHEL CO.RN ~I.AU.KET. PR1C&. s:u.rnt.ut,...,.c tkal 11 l bt.- a1'.r9.'t>' n11r:.:-1 pr l1f' (•• 1m1,1:_,h(.l 1n thl" Ct1 :rU') for 0Hlf o>I thn tfll ; emp i• Wba At the weekly corn mnrket on Wcd­ - ~4s 2d per barrel of 14 stone nesdav, the following we.re the quotn.tions . Jl.,.St.~lfo wnl 1ca!l1> ic,oo>J du~ 11llf,r,.ut .. '" tl1 1> lu 1.Wr ,.,, -'Bn.r)ey, 3ls. per barrel ;oats, 23s. per 111v111ktl i..i1 lhf. ,\d • ., barrel. , •, ,"I~:: .'i~f::i. "~!... ~V .~'t~t1:~,i:11::!.1:r:~. 1~~1~r!'~:·:"~'1~'~ i~· ~j~"'J,-"{ •.• .•. ... et hu\ u l" 1 ~tl1 !\l"lf".:1111>-'' · ihtt-l:ln~ llUI 111' Uu lr ,10. p. ..J bl<ll In th.• l'W.1ntl1r... TIM •ill l*Pt\IO'• thr l.t.r.r>l";; ~ual it} 11)1 t he- JllOln nil uulr,.