The IRA in Manchester (1919-23) New Sources and Insight Sam McGrath (Military Service Pensions Collection) Outline 1. Introduction 2. Historical Background 3. Irish Vols. (1913-19) 4. IRA formed (Jan 1919–Nov 1920) 5. Armed Campaign (Nov 1920– Apr 1921) 6. Raid, Arrests & Trial (Apr 1921– July 1921) 7. Truce Period & Civil War (July 1921–May 1923) 8. Conclusion MSPC • 300,000 files / 80,000 individuals • Military Service Pensions Acts - 1916 Rising, War of Independence, Civil War - Na Fianna Éireann, Cumann na mBan, Irish Citizen Army, Irish Vols, Hibernian Rifles, IRA, Nat. Army • Army Pensions Acts - Wounds/disability/disease - Dependents of those killed • Medal files. 47,500. Database online. Physical files in Military Archives • Nominal/Membership rolls & Brigade Activity Reports - Scanned & online Historical Background • United Englishmen (1790s) • Peterloo massacre (1819) • Anti-Irish violence (1830s- 1850s) • Chartism (1830s-1850s) • Fenian campaign & Manchester Martyrs (1867) • Dynamite campaign (1880s) • United Irish League (1890s) • Manchester Martyrs memorial unveiled (1898) Historical Background • James Connolly speaking tour (1901-02) • ‘Oisin’ Gaelic League branch estd. (1904) • Sinn Féin cumann estd. at Richardson St by Pat. O’Donoghue & James Barrett (1908) • Visit of Edward O’Meagher Condon (1909) • IRB activity. Matt Lawless (Head Centre) Irish Vols (1913-19) • Larkin & Connolly speak in MCR during Dublin Lock Out (1913) • Irish Vols. estd. Drilled at St. Wilfred’s, Hulme (late 1913) • Split (Aug 1914). c. 22 remained. Drilled in Derbyshire Hills • MCR unit at O’Donovan Rossa funeral, Dublin (Aug 1915) • Gunrunning in lead up to Rising Manchester Vols. - Easter Week Name DOB Born 1916 WOI CW Place/DO Ref. D Redmond 1893 Ireland. Moved to MCR Yes G Coy, 1 Batt, DB No Dublin; MSP34REF1983 Cox aged 13 1956 Gilbert 1892 Reddish, Stockport, MCR Yes No. 1 Coy, MCR Batt. No Dublin; MSP34REF41334 Lynch 1969 Liam Parr 1891 Dublin. Moved to MCR Yes B Coy, 4 Batt, DB No MCR; DP9542 aged 19 1934 Larry 1894 MCR Yes Gunrunning, USA Nat. Dublin; DP6862 Ryan Army 1924 George 1894 MCR Gunrunning B Coy, 4 Batt, DB No Dublin; MD8660 Spain no fight 1970s St. Bridget’s Branch Cumann na mBan Estd. 1916 Margaret Sexton (President) Miss Mallon (Branch Kathleen Talty Captain) (Branch Captain) Johanna Mary Healy Alice Burns Peg Buckley Moloney Cumann na mBan activity (1916-19) • Fundraising (dances, collections, concerts etc.) • Delivering food, cigarettes etc. to prisoners in Knutsford, Wakefield & Frongoch • Procuring & storing arms • Transporting arms & dispatches to Dublin • Political work Winifred Feeney (1935) Wetherby prison escape ( May 1917) “…I was interned with eight others in Wetherby, Yorkshire under DORA Regulations … We were regularly visited by members of Manchester Cumann na mBan ... and they were of great assistance in improving our conditions and in opening, and maintaining, communications with Ireland with the other centres of internment. Without their assistance we could not have escaped. Miss Talty met me at Manchester station on the day of our escape, kept me and others under cover, got our tickets and saw us safely away to Holyhead” Michael Colivet re: Kathleen Talty (1942) Arms Work (1916-19) Procured from: Delivered in Dublin to: • Ex soldiers • Joe Gleeson, 10A Aungier St & 47 Grove • Serving soldiers at Ardwick Green Park, Rathmines (Territorial Regiment HQ) & Heaton • Maurice Collins, tobacco shop, Parnell St Park (Pals Battalion HQ) • Thomas Farrell, Ballsbridge Fire Station • Commercial Travellers • Joseph O’Reilly, Wicklow Hotel • Pawn Shops Re: Gilbert Lynch (1938) Lincoln Prison escape (3 Feb 1919) Escaped Outside prison Aided plan Éamon de Valera Harry Boland Kathleen Talty (MD765) (MD909) (MSP34REF50666) Sean McGarry Michael Collins Mary Healy (24SP5125) (DP23755) (MSP34REF19467) Sean Milroy Pat. O’Donoghue Peg Buckley (MSP34REF20970) (MSP34REF42054) Mary Healy [1936] Liam McMahon Kathleen Talty (1942) (MSP34REF63889) Fintan Murphy (MSP34REF11815) Frank Kelly (MSP34REF22698 Groundwork (1919) • No. 1 Coy formed early 1919 • No. 2 Coy formed by Joseph Flood & Sean Kinnane (JP Kinnane) • Drilling, lectures, fundraising & gunrunning Matt Lawless (1938) Strangeways Prison escape (25 Oct 1919) Escaped Outside Outside prison prison (MCR) (Dublin) Austin Stack Rory O’Connor James Murphy (DP6664) (MSP34REF18115) Pierce Beasley Peadar Clancy James McGallogly (24SP295) (1D412) (1D321) Pat. McCarthy Owen P. Cullen James O’Sullivan (1D170) (24SP15) (MSP34REF57011) DP Walshe Chris. O’Malley Matt Lawless (MSP34REF17287) (24SP1552) (MSP34REF56118) Con. Connolly Pat. O’Meara (MSP34REF16217) Sean Doran Pat. O’Donoghue Richard Hurley Matt Lawless (1938) (MSP34REF16401) Na Fianna Éireann • Formed 1919 by Thomas Geraghty (MD45735) • Drilled in Oisin Hall (Gaelic League), Gaythorn • Members: John Daly; Sean Gunning; Stephen Gunning; Daniel McNichol; P. O’Dowd; Brian O’Reilly; Sean O’Reilly • Active until April 1921 • IRA financially supported by Irish business owners e.g. Thomas Faughnan (17 grocery shops) • May 1920 – Hugh Lee, Pat. Lee, George Clancy & others subscribe £150 to purchase a Ford touring car Gilbert Lynch (1938) Sabotage of Crossley Sec., Stockport branch, tenders in Manchester Independent Labour Party by left-wing factory workers in 1919/20 Liverpool dockers strike (April-May 1920) “(Gilbert Lynch) was stationed at Stockport at the time but as soon as the strike was called on, he immediately travelled to Liverpool (and) was appointed to the Strike Executive Committee and worked night and day … This strike paralysed the port of Liverpool … especially amongst the Cross Chanel boats and the deep water boats as we were able to bring out 5015 coal heavers out of a total of 5024. Gilbert Lynch’s help and advice was more valuable than we can ever give credit for”. Michael O’Leary, Liverpool IRA (1938) Arms Work (1919-21) Matt. Cribbin; Richard Hurley; Matt. Lawless; Liam McMahon; Thomas Morgan; Tadhg Murphy; Sean Wickham Contacts: Arms raids: Arms dumps: • London, Midland & • Territorial HQ, Sale • Mrs. McGlynn, 32 Tipping Scottish (LMS) railway (Nov 1920) – Failure St employee. 25-30 new • Britsh army hut, • Mrs. Kingston, 10 Grove St .45 Webley revolvers Levenshulme (Aug • Mary O’Higgins , 12 being transported to 1920) – Success Rutland St India. • Golf Club (Dec 1920) - • School, High Broughton • Factory tool fitter Success? • Convent, Cheetham Hill named Sheehan. • Catholic Boy Scouts, St. Rd Thompson machine- Patrick’s Hall, Rochdale • McDonnell’s nursing gun. (1920/21) – Success? home, Chorlton Rd No. 3 Coy (Rochdale) Ned Ruane (Coy. Capt.) of Strade John Ludden of Breaffy John Brennan of Swinford Pat. Carney of Bohola James J. Walsh (Co. Capt.) Frank Heeran Martin Ludden Johanna Moloney (née O’Donnell) Manchester Battalion IRA (1919 - April 1921) Battalion Intel. Battalion Commandant Officer/Quartermaster Pat. O’Donoghue Liam McMahon No. 3 Coy (Rochdale) No. 1 Coy No. 2 Coy (Erskine St) James J. Pat. O’Donoghue Charles Harding Walsh/Ned Ruane Manchester IRA members (49 MSP applications) 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Active IRA membership? No. 1 Coy - 28 (nominal roll) + 3 = 31 No. 2 Coy - 22 (nominal roll) + 11 = 33 No. 3 Coy (Rochdale) = c. 5-10 Others = c. 20.25 TOTAL - 100 “… the statement sent into the Pension Board is most inaccurate … why did they leave out a number of names from No. 1 Coy … why say No. 2 Coy faded out … they seem to only remember names of arrested men and a few in Ireland now … they never mentioned the Rochdale Coy … If any man wishes to dispute any statement I sent to the pensions board, I am quite willing to meet him face to face. They will find me alive and not dead as stated!” – Matt Lawless (1939) Addresses of 31 men (purple) & 13 women (green) in Manchester & surrounding area in c. 1921 Four Irish/Gaelic League halls shown in blue • Name • Addresses • Lead File • Ref. • Coy/Branch Cumann na mBan grows Cumann na mBan Manchester to four (1920/21) branches B Coy A Coy C Coy D Coy (St. Bridget’s (Banba Hall) (Erskine St Branch) (Oisin Branch) Branch) Gaelic League Hall, Gaelic League Hall, Irish Hall, 58 53 Trumpet St, Every St, Ancoats Erskine St, Hulme Gaythorn Risks & relations with neighbours “(I) took parcels of arms and ammunition from fellows off the American boats … My home at 9 Ladybarn Ave. was … used as a storing place … (I) had to distribute same to other houses on several occasions – taking the risk of carrying large suitcases along crowded thoroughfares and on street cars … My house was raided on one occasion by four detectives – some small guns … hidden there were not discovered … (My) neighbours (became) very hostile to us after this event” Peg Buckley (1935) Groundwork (late 1920) • Aug 1920 - Rory O’Connor appointed O/C Britain • Oct 1920 - Stuart Street Power Station, Bradford & Clayton Vale Pumping Station identified as targets • Plans discovered in Dublin Garry Holohan re: John McGallogly (1935) Terence MacSwiney • Died on hunger strike, Brixton Prison (25 Oct 1920) • Mock funeral attended by tens of thousands in MCR. IRA provide armed guard of honour (31 Oct) • Graffiti campaign (early Nov) Armed Campaign begins (Nov 1920) 06 Nov 1920 • Burning of Grand Stand, Hyde Rd, Manchester City FC • Wooden stand, offices & dressing rooms destroyed “In connection with the raid on the Grand Thomas Morgan 1939/1940 Stand – Paddy McHugh, [Charles] Harding, [Joseph] Flood (OC) and myself went in across the gate and set the stand on fire” “The first time we were mobilised, nothing at all was done ... The second time I was mobilised about 11 o’clock at night, given two bottles of paraffin oil and told to go and burn the place that I had never seen before in the centre of the city. It was a concrete building about five storey’s high … I was to do that at 6 o’clock in the morning … We went there at 6 o’clock and there was no means of entry into the place unless we blew the door open, so nothing was done on that occasion.” John McGallogly (1937) Armed Campaign (early 1921) 2 Jan 1921 18 March 1921 • Baxendale’s Warehouse, Millar • Planned operation to shoot King St.