RTÉ History Show
In 2019 the Military Archives collaborated with the RTÉ History Show on a 10-part special series on the War of Independence. As part of this collaboration the Military Archives commissioned the dramatisation of a selection of testimonies from the Bureau of Military History and the Military Service Pensions Collection. These recordings help to bring to life the words and experiences of some of the people who were alive and active during this very significant period in Irish history, and may be of particular interest to secondary school history teachers as a teaching aid to their curriculum.
As part of this series, the RTÉ History Show also recorded two episodes on location at the Military Archives. One is on the topic of the Military Archives itself and explores the important collections on the War of Independence in our custody and how we came to have them. The second covers the personal family stories from this period of the series’ host, broadcaster Myles Dungan, and his nephew, the journalist Philip Bouchier-Hayes. Both of these are also provided as a resource in this section.
RTÉ History Show Episode 10: Three Killings
Here Myles Dungan discusses the War of Independence activities of two families, the McKennas and the Clintons, from the Cavan/Meath border area near the village of Mullagh. Myles Dungan is the great-grandson of TP McKenna Snr and Sarah Clinton, the couple married in 1890 that links these two families. He is also joined by Philip Boucher-Hayes, their great-great-grandson. Much of this episode was recorded on location at the Military Archives.
RTÉ History Show Episode 8: The Military Archives
In this November 2019 programme, broadcaster Myles Dungan visits the Military Archives at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines, Dublin. The episode explores how our records were created, how they are stored, collated and shared with the public, and what they tell people about the Anglo-Irish War.
Michael Brennan, County Clare
OC East Clare Brigade IRA, 1921
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1068
Michael Brennan was one of the leading IRA men in County Clare and the leader of the East Clare Flying Column. In this extract, he discusses the lack of suitable weaponry held by his IRA unit in early 1920 and some of his activities during the War of Independence.
Frank Saurin, Intelligence
Member of the Irish Volunteers, Dublin, 1916; IRA Intelligence attached GHQ, 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #715
Frank Saurin began working for IRA GHQ Intelligence Branch in 1920, a full-time, paid position working under Michael Collins. His brief involved monitoring hotels, restaurants and other venues at which Auxiliaries or British Secret Service agents gathered, and he was instrumental in the events of 'Bloody Sunday' in 1920. In this extract, he discusses some of his activities.
Eamon Broy, DMP
IRA Intelligence Agent in British Police, Dublin Castle.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1280
Eamon 'Ned' Broy, from Rathangan in Kildare, joined the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) in 1911. In this extract, he relates his reasons for joining the DMP, his intelligence activities for the Irish Volunteers / IRA and his association with Michael Collins.
David Neligan, DMP
IRA Intelligence Agent in British police service.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #380
In 1918, David Neligan joined the Dublin Metropolitan Police 'G' Division. Unhappy with the nature of the work, he offered his services to Sinn Féin, who encouraged him to resign. Extracts from his witness statement show that in 1920, Michael Collins made contact with Neligan and he returned to the DMP as an intelligence agent for the IRA within Dublin Castle.
Charlie Dalton (1), GHQ Intelligence
Member of "The Squad" 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #434
Charlie Dalton joined the Irish Volunteers in 1917; three years later, he began working for the Intelligence section of IRA GHQ under Liam Tobin, Deputy Director of Intelligence. In this role he liaised with Michael Collins' spies inside the DMP and the Post Office. In this extract, he discusses his intelligence activities during the War of Independence and his role in 'Bloody Sunday' in 1920.
Lilly Mernin, Intelligence Agent
Shorthand typist, Dublin Castle, 1914-1922; Co-operated with IRA Intelligence.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #441
From 1914 to 1922, Lilly Mernin worked as a typist in the Dublin District Garrison Adjutant's Office at Dublin Castle. In 1918, she met Michael Collins and became an IRA intelligence agent, providing information crucial to the assassinations that took place on 'Bloody Sunday', 21 November 1920.
Eithne (Eibhlin) Lawless, Secretary to Michael Collins
Secretary to Michael Collins, 1918-1920.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #414
Eibhlin Lawless worked in the Sinn Féin Office at 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin. In this extract, she describes the kind of "gall and coolness" that kept Michael Collins alive for the duration of the War of Independence.
Seamus Finn, County Meath IRA
IRA Officer, County Meath. Second-in-Command to Sean Boylan.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #858
Seamus Finn was involved in one of the most successful IRA operations in County Meath during the War of Independence, an attack on Trim RIC barracks on 30 September 1920. In this extract, Finn discusses the event and the severe retaliation that followed, rural criminality and IRA attempts to police it.
Sean Boylan, OC Meath Brigade
Captain Irish Volunteers, Meath, 1914-1916; Senior Officer IRA, Meath Brigade, 1918 - 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1715
In this extract, Sean Boylan discusses identifying and punishing gang members terrorising parts of North Meath, men who were responsible for the death of IRA Volunteer Mark Clinton (brother of intelligence officer Pat Clinton).
Sean Farrelly, Meath Brigade
Brigade Vice-Commandant IRA, Meath, 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1734
Sean Farrelly discusses some of his activities during the War of Independence, including the use of Irish language classes as a cover for Irish Volunteers activities near Carnaross, County Meath; his role in the investigation and punishment of the Black Hand criminal gang, responsible for the death of IRA Volunteer Mark Clinton; and his own arrest by the Army and RIC.
Joe Lawless, Fingal Brigade
Member Irish Volunteers, Fingal, 1916; Officer IRA, Dublin, 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1043
We hear the story of Joe Lawless in North Dublin, who was approached in June 1920 by Sean Boylan, Commanding Officer of the Meath IRA. Lawless was asked to take part in an operation to round up the men responsible for criminal activity in the North West of Meath that had culminated in the murder of IRA Volunteer Mark Clinton.
Vinnie Byrne, The Squad
Officer IRA, Dublin; Member “The Squad” and ASU, 1919-1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #423
Vinnie Byrne was one of the so-called '12 Apostles', otherwise known as 'The Squad', a Dublin IRA assassination crew working for Michael Collins. In this extract, Leonard talks about his induction into 'The Squad'; his participation in the killing of Dublin Metropolitan Police detective John Barton; and his other activities during the War of Independence.
Cahir Davitt, Republican Courts
Judge, Dail Courts, 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #993
Cahir Davitt, son of Land League founder Michael Davitt, was a young barrister who would go on to become a Justice of the High Court in the 1950s. He was working on the Connaught circuit during the War of Independence and found that briefs were few and far between, thanks to the establishment of Republican arbitration courts to settle civil cases. In this extract, Davitt discusses the Republican Courts and his involvement in them.
Jeremiah Mee, RIC
Constable RIC, Kerry, 1919-1920; Led mutiny RIC, Listowel, 1920.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #379
Jeremiah Mee was an RIC member who led a mutiny at Listowel in County Kerry in 1920. The action was a response to their being asked to participate (along with the military) in beating their own people. In this extract, Mee discusses the reasons for the mutiny and the refusal to hand the barracks over to the British military.
The Execution of John Harrison
Sources from the Brigade Activity Report for County Leitrim, Military Service Pensions Collection.
These extracts from the Brigade Activity Report for County Leitrim examine the circumstances surrounding the execution of a local farmer from a Methodist family, John Harrison. He was killed by the IRA for suspected espionage during the War of Independence.
Nora Martin (née O'Brien), Intelligence
Testimony of Nora Martin taken from the Military Service Pension application of Ellen Carroll.
Reference MSP34REF39909.
Described as 'the most active belligerent member' of Cumann na mBan, Nora Martin was asked in 1941 to endorse the appeal of Ellen Carroll for a Military Service pension. In this testimony, she gives insight into Cumann na mBan and IRA intelligence activity in Cork during the War of Independence.
Josephine O'Donoghue, Cork Intelligence Agent
Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Josephine O'Donoghue.
Reference MSP34REF55794
Josephine O'Donoghue, née Brown, went to work in 1917 as a typist in Cork Military Barracks. In late 1919, she contacted Officers of the Cork Brigade of the IRA and offered her services as an intelligence agent. In this extract, she discusses some of her intelligence activities.
Catherine Byrne, Civilian
Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Catherine Byrne.
Reference MSP34REF59728
While not actively involved in hostilities, Catherine Byrne's Dublin home was, in effect, an arms dump and safe house during the War of Independence. She describes these activities and some of the events that happened at her house, including the arrival of the first Thompson sub-machine gun in Ireland and its examination there by Michael Collins, Emmet Dalton, Oscar Traynor and JJ O'Connell.
Nora Gavin, Civilian
Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Nora Gavin.
Reference MSP34REF55990.
During Easter Week of 1916, Nora Gavin, from Castlebar in Mayo, was dismissed from her job at the Kiltimagh Post Office because of her links with the Irish Volunteers and narrowly avoided arrest. She joined Cumann na mBan in 1916 and from 1919 she faced many serious risks, suffering mental trauma related to her experiences.
Margaret Broderick Nicholson, Cumann na mBan
Cumann na mBan, Galway, 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1682
Margaret Broderick joined Cumann na mBan in 1917. From 1918 she took part in intelligence activities, but did not shy away from more physical confrontation. In this testimony, Broderick Nicholson discusses some of her activities during the War of Independence.
Sean Hyde, Intelligence GHQ
Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Sean Hyde.
Reference MSP34REF16364
Sean Hyde from Cork was heavily involved in intelligence work in Dublin, both prior to the War of Independence and in the run up to Bloody Sunday 1920. In his application to the Military Service Pensions board, he outlined his activities from 1916-1923 and discusses his plans for the killing of RIC Assistant Commissioner William Redmond in January 1920.
Thomas Newell, Intelligence GHQ
Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Thomas Newell
Reference MSP34REF8996
Thomas Newell, also known as Sweeney Newell, served with the Irish Volunteers in Galway during the 1916 Easter Rising. In 1920 he was transferred to IRA GHQ Intelligence section to identify and combat a group within British Intelligence under the command of Eugene Igoe. While trailing some of Igoe's men he was captured, shot and imprisoned. In his Military Service Pensions application he discusses his arrest and brutal treatment by British forces.
Charles Dalton (2), Trauma
Testimonies taken from a disability pension application made under the Military Service Pension Acts on behalf of Charles Dalton by his wife Teresa.
Reference 24SP1153
This testimony indicates that Charles Dalton was left suffering from severe psychological trauma arising from his experiences during the War of Independence. It features testimony from mental health professional Dr Harry Lee Parker, assigned by the Pension Referees to examine Dalton on their behalf; future Taoiseach, then Minister for Supplies, Sean Lemass; and his former Intelligence colleague Frank Saurin.
James Paul Norton, Trauma
Unsigned statement in the Military Service Pension file of James Paul Norton relating to his complete mental breakdown as a result of his experiences during the War of Independence.
Reference MSP34REF4136
Norton was only 20 years of age when he took part in the shooting of three British intelligence officers at Morehampton Road during 'Bloody Sunday' 1920. Two of the officers died and Norton was subsequently arrested, jailed and mistreated in prison. His experiences resulted in serious psychological trauma; he spent most of the remainder of his life in mental facilities and died in Grangegorman in 1974.
Robert McNeill, Belfast Brigade, Prison Break
Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Robert McNeill.
Reference 24SP10196
In this Military Service Pension application testimony, Robert McNeill discusses the horrendous conditions and severe treatment and abuse of IRA prisoners in Dartmoor Prison in 1921 during a protest for political status. This took place after the truce of 11 July 1921.
Agnes McCarthy, Intelligence & Support
Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Agnes McCathy.
Reference MSP34REF60655
Agnes McCarthy was the sister of Cork IRA Intelligence chief Florrie O'Donoguhe and was heavily involved with the IRA during the War of Independence. In this extract, she discusses how she, her brother and a third man, Leo Murphy, worked together in a clothing shop in Cork while the two men were active with the IRA.
Nora and Kate Loughhnane, The Killing Of Patrick and Henry Loughnane
Statement on the arrest and killing by Auxiliary RIC of Patrick and Henry Loughnane, County Galway, by their mother Kate and sister Nora.
Bureau of Military History Contemporary Documents Series BMH/CD/230/03
Warning: contains graphic details