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WRITTEN AND DRAWN BY

GERRY HUNTCOLOURED BY

MATTHEW GRIFFIN

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To my mother, Molly Gallagher, who lived through it all especially the Black and Tan presence; a special thanks to Michael Carroll for

all his help re Knocklong.

G.H.

Dedicated to my grandfather, Joseph Griffin, who I never got to meet, but whom the characters in this book knew well, and his own

quiet role in shaping the history of our country.

M.G.

First published 2012 by The O’Brien Press Ltd

12 Terenure Road East, Rathgar, Dublin 6, Ireland.

Tel: +353 1 4923333; Fax: +353 1 4922777

Email: books@obrien.ie; Website: www.obrien.ie

ISBN: 978-1-84717-260-0

Copyright for text and illustration © Gerry Hunt

Copyright for colouring and design © Matthew Griffin

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced

or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical

including photocopying, recording or in any information storage and

retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this title is available from The British Library

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Printed and bound by GraphyCEMS The paper used in this book is produced using pulp from managed forests

The O’Brien Press receives assistance from

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AFTER THE EASTER WEEK REBELLION IN DUBLIN 1916, THE CAPTURED IRISH

VOLUNTEERS WERE HELD TOGETHER IN FRONGOCH INTERNMENT CAMP IN NORTH

WALES. THE VOLUNTEERS HAD THE STATUS OF PRISONERS OF WAR; WITHIN

THE CAMP THEY SAW THEMSELVES AS AN ARMY. BRENNAN-WHITMORE WAS THEIR

CAMP ADJUTANT AND OPERATED A MILITARY ACADEMY.

Look to the front, men.

Remember now, ye are soldiers.

Left! Left!

We have neither the arms nor the manpower to face them in

open battle, but we will have the intelligence to fight a

guerrilla war.

AFTER MORNING INSPECTION THE VOLUNTEERS WERE LEFT TO THEMSELVES AND BRENNAN-WHITMORE INSTALLED A STRICT ROUTINE OF MARCHES, DRILLS AND CLASSES ON

TACTICS AND STRATEGY. FRONGOCH WAS A TIME TO REINFORCE THEIR IDEALS AND TO PLAN FOR THE NEXT PHASE IN THE FIGHT FOR TOTAL INDEPENDENCE. IT BECAME KNOWN AS

‘THE UNIVERSITY OF REVOLUTION’.

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As a military campaign Easter Week was a complete shambles. This time we do things differently. We use

spies, counter intelligence, and we must be ruthless at all times.

Absolutely, Michael.

A HARD CORE EMERGED INCLUDING MICHAEL COLLINS, DICK MULCAHY, TERENCE MACSWINEY, HENRY DIXON,

THOMAS MCCURTAIN, SEAN T. O’KELLY, JOE O’REILLY, SEAN HALES, OSCAR TRAYNOR AND GERRY BOLAND. FRONGOCH HAD STRENGTHENED THEIR RESOLVE TO CONTINUE THE

WAR, BUT WITH DIFFERENT TACTICS.

THE PRISONERS WERE RELEASED FROM FRONGOCH ON THE 22-23 OF DECEMBER,

1916 AND RETURNED TO IRELAND INTENT ON CONTINUING THE WAR AGAINST THE

BRITISH – THIS TIME IT WAS COLLINS WHO WOULD EMERGE AS THE MILITARY GENIUS.

FRONGOCH RAILWAY STATION

First thing will be to get De Valera out of prison, he’ll

lead the campaign.

Oh yes, Dev’s the one we need.

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The next consignment of gelignite for

Soloheadbeg is due to arrive at the end

of this month.

We can expect an escort of at least six. We will need to contact

more volunteers, Dan.

Tim Crowe, Pat O’Dwyer, Mick Ryan, Pat McCormack and Jack O’Meara, they’re the boys who

can show Dublin that the south is more than ready to keep it going. Yes lads, we’ll show them a fight

to the finish, oh yes.

Dan, I’ll contact the others and fill them in.

Right, and Sean, take it easy. Ye

can socialise after.

So where do we meet and what time?

We know the place of ambush so we each go

there separately.

We don’t know what day the consignment is

passing so we go early in the morning and wait as

long as we have to.

IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING THE RISING THERE WERE MANY IN IRELAND WHO WERE DETERMINED TO GET ON WITH THE WAR AGAINST THE BRITISH FORCES. BY 1919, GROUPS AROUND THE

COUNTRY WERE KEEN TO ACT WITH OR WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS FROM DUBLIN. NONE MORE SO THAN SEAN TREACY AND DAN BREEN.

PLANS WERE LAID BY BREEN, TREACY, SEAN HOGAN AND SEAMUS ROBINSON FOR THE FIRST ATTACK IN

THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.

TIPPERARY, 1919

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21 JANUARY 1919

COUNCIL EMPLOYEES PATRICK FLYNN AND JAMES GODFREY WERE DRIVING A HORSE-DRAWN CART-

LOAD OF GELIGNITE GUARDED BY POLICEMEN JAMES MCDONNELL AND PATRICK O’CONNELL TO

SOLOHEADBEG QUARRY.

I hear a cart coming. It’s got

to be them.

OK lads. Now we don’t kill unless we

have to.

We won’t start a war without killing.

WAITING IN AMBUSH WERE SEAN TREACY, DAN BREEN, SEAN HOGAN AND SEAMUS ROBINSON AND OTHERS.

THEY EXPECTED AN ESCORT OF AT LEAST SIX.

Ambush, far side of the road, yes.

HALT! PUT YOUR HANDS UPNOW!

THEY TOOK THE ARMS AND LEFT THE SCENE, WITH DAN BREEN DRIVING THE HORSE AND CART

AND LEAVING THE TWO DEAD POLICEMEN.

Please, we’re only council workers tryin’

t’make a livin’.

Don’t worry. We won’t hurt ye, ye don’t know

us, right?

OK. We’ve got all that’s here. So

let’s move quickly.

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They’re both dead and we are the only witnesses.

This is awful for us.

THIS AMBUSH AND KILLING OF THE TWO RIC MEN, WHO WERE BOTH IRISH CATHOLICS, IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED

AS BEING THE FIRST ACT OF AGGRESSION BY THE VOLUNTEERS IN THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.

They were all wearin’ masks, right? So we did

not recognise any of them, ya hear me?

But the one who spoke to us was Dan Breen.

I’d know him anywhere. And McDonnell and O’Connell

were friends of ours. We’ve worked a good deal with

both of them.

Maybe, but ye heard what Dan Breen said. He said ‘Ye don’t know us’ and

that’s what we say, nothing else.

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Let there be no doubt in anyone’s mind. The shooting dead of those two local policemen

was murder, pure and simple.

To lie in wait for two policemen, going about their lawful duties, and shoot them down in cold blood

is an act of murder.

THE KILLING OF THE TWO POLICEMEN, WHO WERE BOTH IRISH CATHOLICS, WAS

CONDEMNED IN ALL THE CHURCHES IN THE AREA ON THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY.

DE VALERA.PRESIDENT.

ARTHUR GRIFFITH.HOME AFFAIRS.

CONSTANCE MARKIEVICZLABOUR.

WILLIAM COSGROVE.LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

MICHAEL COLLINS.FINANCE.

DICK MULCAHY.CHIEF OF STAFF.

JOHN MACNEILL.INDUSTRY.

CATHAL BRUGHA.DEFENCE.

COUNT PLUNKETT.FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

ON THE SAME DATE AS THE SOLOHEADBEG AMBUSH, DÁIL EIREANN HELD ITS FIRST MEETING, PRESIDED OVER BY CATHAL BRUGHA, IN DE VALERA’S ABSENCE. THE MINISTERS WERE NOMINATED. MICHAEL COLLINS WAS NOT

PRESENT AS HE AND HARRY BOLAND WERE AT THE TIME IN ENGLAND PLOTTING DE VALERA’S ESCAPE FROM LINCOLN PRISON.

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DE VALERA HAD MADE A WAX MOULD OF THE PRISON CHAPLAIN’S MASTER KEY,

WHICH WAS SMUGGLED TO DUBLIN.

COLLINS AND HARRY BOLAND ARRIVED IN LINCOLN GAOL AT THE TIME AGREED.

A REPLICA WAS MADE BY GERRY BOLAND; THIS WAS BAKED INTO A CAKE AND SENT TO DE VALERA. MICHAEL COLLINS ALSO HAD A COPY MADE.

DE VALERA, SEAN MCGARRY AND SEAN MCELROY WERE TO MAKE THE ESCAPE BID. THE AGREED ESCAPE DOOR, TIME AND ROUTE WERE

CONVEYED TO COLLINS.

APART FROM WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE KEY, THERE ARE NO OTHER SETBACKS AND THE THREE PRISONERS ARE ON

THEIR WAY.

THE THREE ESCAPEES WERE QUICKLY TRANSFERRED TO A SAFE HOUSE IN MANCHESTER AND FROM THERE, IN DUE COURSE, SMUGGLED BACK TO DUBLIN WHERE

COLLINS QUICKLY SET UP TWO MORE ESCAPES FROM MOUNTJOY GAOL.

I know which door. It’s to the

left and the first down from the

corner.

Pssst, Dev. I broke the bloody key.

It’s stuck in the lock!

Is it out now?

Yes, it is. You open

it with your key.

We’ve done it, lads. Now

freedom and back home to the oul’ sod.

Good lads, so far so good. Now, let’s get ye to a safe

house well away from here, right?

Oh yes, Mick. We have so much to do, so we need to

be moving.

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Mr Barton, we want you to study this file carefully.

Can ye see me? I can hardly see ye at all. So what now? Do I jump?

Can ye catch me?

Don’t you worry, Rob. We have it under control. You

just jump on three and we’ll catch you.

Hold tight now, lads. Here he comes!

Well, Rob, we did it. It’s good to see you.

So, we better go.

Thanks, Mick. Boy, it’s great to

be out at last.

Ready, lads?

DICK MULCAHY, POSING AS A CLERK FOR ROBERT BARTON’S SOLICITOR, VISITED BARTON IN PRISON AND MANAGED TO PASS HIM A SAW. BARTON, WITH THE HELP OF SOME PRISON

WARDENS ACTING FOR COLLINS, MADE IT TO THE OUTER PRISON WALL AND AS A SIGNAL HE THREW

A BAR OF SOAP ACROSS.

HAVING GIVEN THE AGREED SIGNAL,

ROBERT BARTON WAITS.

THE ROPE LAD-DER IS THROWN OVER THE WALL.

SOON AFTER, USING THE SAME METHOD, PIARAS

BEASLAÍ, J.J. WALSH, PADDY FLEMING AND

THOMAS MALONE IN A GROUP OF TWENTY-FIVE VOLUNTEERS WERE ALL

SET FREE FROM THE ‘JOY.

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Eamon, we want you to lead the next campaign against

the British.

No, Mick. My place is in the

States talking independence

to the Irish.

I want to get recognition of the Irish Republic over

in Washington and to raise money there.

You have a point, I suppose. You do that

and I’ll do what I think is best for here.

You know what I’m after, Ned, any

information you think relevant.

Yes, I know what you want. A lot of

stuff comes in.

LILY MERIN AND NANCY O’BRIEN,

TYPISTS, DUBLIN CASTLE.

COLLINS HAD BROKEN DE VALERA OUT OF GAOL THINKING HE WOULD LEAD THE WAR AGAINST THE BRITISH. BUT DEV WAS

ONLY INTERESTED IN A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN FOR INDEPENDENCE AND WANTED TO PROMOTE IT IN AMERICA

AMONG THE 25 MILLION IRISH OVER THERE.

DAVID NELIGAN, DUBLIN CASTLE

NOW THAT COLLINS WAS IN CHARGE OF THE CAMPAIGN IN IRELAND, HE QUICKLY WENT ABOUT

SETTING UP A COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE NETWORK USING ALL TYPES FROM POLICEMEN TO TYPISTS TO HOTEL PORTERS, THE PRINCIPAL BEING NED BROY,

DUBLIN MILITARY POLICE (DMP).

JOE KAVANAGH AND PATRICK MACNAMARA. ALL WERE TO

PROVE VITAL TO COLLINS IN WHAT WAS TO FOLLOW.

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You and your committee will examine how things are done there and will report

back here with your recommendations.

This is extremely urgent so we’ll expect your full report in

one month.

It’s very tight, but be sure we’ll do our very best.

‘A complete overhaul at the top’, it says. That is drastic. Still, if

that’s what is required then we must see to it immediately. And

you say ‘a team of civil servants from Whitehall’.

Sir Neville, we’re counting on you. Give the blighters hell.

Yes, Prime Minister. We’ll certainly make things

hot for the IRA.

He’s gone and selected McCready and I wasn’t even

consulted.

THE PM IMMEDIATELY APPOINTED SIR NEVILLE MCCREADY AS GOC, SIR HENRY TUDOR AS POLICE ADVISOR, SIR

HAMAR GREENWOOD AS CHIEF SECRETARY, AND SIR JOHN ANDERSON, JOINT UNDER SECRETARY. SURPRISINGLY,

LORD FRENCH REMAINED IN HIS POSITION AS VICEROY.

CHURCHILL WHO HAD WANTED FIELD MARSHAL ROBERTS AS GOC AND WAS ANNOYED TO LEARN THAT

LLOYD GEORGE HAD APPOINTED MCCREADY.

IN DUBLIN CASTLE, LORD FRENCH, AS VICEROY, WAS PROVING SUCH A DISASTER THAT SIR

WARREN FISHER WAS ASKED BY BRITISH PRIME MINISTER LLOYD GEORGE TO EXAMINE THE

WORKING OF THOSE IN CHARGE THERE.

IN EXACTLY ONE MONTH, SIR WARREN FISHER DELIVERED HIS REPORT TO LLOYD GEORGE

WHO WAS SHOCKED AT ITS FINDINGS THAT THE PLACE WAS FULL OF LEAKS.