ROINN COSANTA. BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY, 1913-21. STATEMENT BY WITNESS DOCUMENT NO. 1526 W.S. Witness Dr. Albert Thomas Dryer, Polding St., Bossley Park, New South Wales, Australia Identity. Founder Secretary, Irish Nat. Association 1915 1925. Subject. History of the Movement in Australia. for the Independence of Ireland 1915 1925. Conditions, if any, Stipulated by Witness. Nil. File No S.2250. FormB.S.M.2 OF THE INDEPENDENCE IRELAND SOURCE MATERIAL For The MVEMENT HISTORY OF THE In AUSTRALIA Compiled by: Albert Thomas Dryer Bossley Pary New South Wales Your reference S.2250. With the Compliments of The freland Emlassy of Canlerra A.C.T. TEL.WETHERILLPARK.L474 ALBERTT. DRYER POLDING STREET, BOSSLEYPARK 21st. August 1956. To/ The Director, Buro Staire Mileata 1913-21, 26 Raedh na nIartharach, BAlLE ATHA CLIATH, EIRE Per favour of the Embassy of Ireland, Canberra. CHRONOLOGY. 19l5 21st. July. Irish National Association founded in Sydney. 1916 24th. April. Easter-week Rising. 7th. March. Resolution "Home Rule" adopted House 1917 favouring by of Representatives and the Senate of the Common-wealth Parliament. 1918 28th. March. Regulations under the War Precautions Act gazetted to control Sinn Fein and to prohibit the advocacy of the dismembership of the British Empire. 1918 17th. June. Internment of seven members of the Irish National Association. 1918 28th. November. Rev. Dr. (later Monsignor) Patrick Tuomey prose-cuted for seditious utterance. l9l9 3rd. November. Irish Race Convention in Melbourne. 1920 3rd. March. Mr. OsmondThomas Grattan Esmonde deported after being prohibited from landing. 1920 13th. November. Mr. Hugh Mahon, M.P. expelled from Federal Parila-ment for disloyal utterance. 1912 26th. February. Irish Self-determination League of Australia launched in Sydney. 1923 Rev. Fr. M. O'Flannagan and Mr. J.J. O'Kelly de-ported. 1925 l6th February. Misses Kathleen Barry and Linda Kearns for Republican funds. THE INDEPENDENCEOF IRELAND. THE M0VEMENTIN AUSTRALIA. The of the Irish to ratio the non-Irish portion of the Australian popula-tion during the period under review (1913-1921) was as one to three. Since then Irish blood has been more and more dispersed and the Australian population as a whole has been diluted by the influx of just over a million migrants since 1945. a small Only relatively proportion of the migrants were of Irish origin. intil at least the Up second decade of this century Irish blood was in purer form than it subsequently became and consequently there was a more vivid consciousness of relationship to the Motherland. Prior to 1916, and for some little time after the Rising, the national policy for Ireland in Australia, as in other parts of the world, was "Home Rule." That policy had been quite warmly championed in Australia, nat. only by Irish people, but also by many of their friends. It secured the support of even some Australian governments and of non-Irish public men (as indicated in the within account). The Irish independence movement was initiated by the Irish National Asso-ciation, which was founded in Sydney on 21st. July, 1915. In the following two years branches were established in Brisbane and Melbourne. As will be apparent in the following account, "Home Rule" continued to be advocated by many until well into the year 1919 and even later. The Irish elections of December, 1918, may be said to have hastened the ultimate disin-tegration of the "Home Rule" policy in Australia, as elsewhere. The names of the various Irish organisations in Australia during the period under consideration may here be listed:- Sydney: The Irish National Association, founded 1915; still (1956) in existence, was the only Irish organisation Sydney with the exception of Cumann na mBan set up as a ladies' auxiliary to the Irish Nation-al Association in 1919 by Mr. Liam MacGuinness. It was active until about 1921; and The Irish Self-determination League set up in Sydney and in other Australian centres by Miss Kathryn Hughes on 26th. February, 1921. Meetings were called in a large number of cities and towns. It did not survive for more than a year or so. Melbourne: The Irish National Association, founded by Messrs. Francis J. Mzz MacKeown and Maurice Dalton on 14th. September, 1917. It did not survive after 1920. (It has been revived this year 1956). Young Ireland Society set up at the end of 1916 (exact date not now ascertainable) to promote ideals of Irish-Ireland and independence. It also did nat survive after 1920. The United Irish League, a constitutional organisation which had been in existence for years. It exhibited active hostility to the ideal of independence and ceased to function when that ideal was vindicated. St. Patrick's Society, which was largely a social organisation, endeavoured also to foster Irish culture. (No information is available re-garding the date of its foundation or its duration, but it has not func-tioned for many years). The Gaelic League, founded by Mr. Francis J. MacKeown in April, 1912. It carried on for only a relatively brief period. The Shamrock Club. This was a small club mainly of a social character. The Celtic Club was in existence for many years prior to 1916. It was constitutionalist in character and during the critical period failed to associate itself with the separatist movement. It had its own premises with a liquor licence. Its membership was Pairly extensive. It still flourishes. At the instigation of Dr. Thomas J. Kiernan, during his am-bassadorship in Australia, it is supporting financially the establishment of a Chair of Gaelic Studies in Melbourne. The Irish-Ireland League of Victoria. The multiplicity of Irish organisations in Melbourne led to disunity. This League represented an at-tempt to rectify the position. It comprised the following organisations:- St. Patrick's Society, Irish National Association, Young Ireland Society, Shamrock Club, Hibernian A.C.B. Society, Irish National Foresters, Catholic Young Men's Society, Australian Catholic Federation and the Catholic Workers. It was not successful. (Brisoane. (The Movement 2). Brisbane The Irish National Association. This was established by Messrs. George McKitterick, T. Fitzgerald and W.J. Fegan on10thSeptember 1916. Its objects were identical with those of the Sydney branch. It ceased to operate after the death of Mr. Fitzgerald about 1921. The Queensland Irish Association is the. counterpart in Bris-bane of the Celtic Club in Melbourne. Adelaide. The Irish National Society was founded in 1918. There is no in-formation to indicate the period of its existence. In its first annual report (30th June. 1919) it stated "The Society has completed its first year of existence. It came into being as the result of onslaughts made upon the freedom of Irishmen and their descendants in the Commonwealth. We are pleased that the Irish section of the citizens of South Australia were not subjected to such fanatical treatthent as was meted out to the mebers of their race in the othet States." Throughout the whole period of the war a rigorous cenship was exercised and it was directod as rabidly against Ireland as against England's overt and active enemy, Germany. In 1916, when a Gaelic sports carnival was held in Sydney on 2nd. August, 1916, the handbill issued said: "Piease contribute to the Irish Relief Fund initiated by the Irish National Association for the re-lief of those who so gallantly fought freedom's fight in Ireland recently." The Censor thereupon issued a peremptory warning with a threat of prosecution for any repetition of such an offence. After the internment of the seven members of the Association on 17th June, 1918, the Victorian Censor interdicted any press reference to the inci-dent and forbade any public criticism of the Government's action. About 1917 (exact date uncertain) Senator Pearce, minister for Defence, censored a photo-play, "Ireland a Nation," on the ground that "it was not wise to resurrect the times of Robert Emmet in these days of stress, as it might cause disaffection among His Majesty's subjects.". The anti-Irish animis Was manifest as ear1y as 14th. January, 1916, when the "Sydney Morning Herald" said: At the close of the play, in response to recalls, he (Mr. Gerald Griffin) sang "The Wearing of the Green," which in present circumstances was scardely tactful." During the pariod under review (exact date not known), Rev. Fr. J.A. Roche, a Sydney priest, was fined 5 at Auckland New Zealand, for saying that the Germans were better civilised than the English In Dacember 1918, Rev. Dr. P. Tuomey was fined 30 in Sydney for ad-vocating independence for Ireland. (Details later in this recoid). In December, 1917, Mr. William J. Fegan, of Brisbane, was arrested and interned. in Darlingurst Gaol, Sydney, after he had been found guilty of "a seditious utterance" in a letter, addressed to the press. He was released on 19th. December, 1918. In June, 1918, Mr. Michael Kiely, of Warrnambool, Victoria, was also ar-rested rested and interned in Darlinghurst Gaol, Sydney. He was in a state of ill-health and had, been holidaying in Tasmania. He was denounced by one, John Luck, a hotel-keeper in a northern Tasmanian town where Mr. Kiely was tempor-arily quartered. He stated that the only pretext that could have been employed against him was that he had warmly defended Archbishop Mannix. Other incidents, which are referred to. in greater detail later on in this account and which are illustrative of the temper. of the times were the internments on l7th June, 1918, the deportation of Mr. OsmondThomas Grattan Esmonde on 3rd. March, 1920, the expulsion of Mr. Hugh Mahon from the Federal Parliament on 13th. November, 1920 and the deportation of Rev.