Tom Barry

by Meda Ryan

  Tom visited his family in Liverpool before the war. His mother died on 5 March 1940; his father died on 28 July 1943; his sister Eileen ‘who kept her illness to herself’ died in September 1943. His sister Marjorie had already died. His sister Kitty (Kit) had malaria, and sister Gert was not well, nor was his brother John. Correspondence between Tom and his sister Gert shows that the family did not want to trouble Tom and Leslie in case entering Britain during these war years, would, as was likely, create problems for them. Gert wrote that ‘I will be glad when this year is over – it’s been wicked’. Only thirty-six, she died a month later, on 27 December. 1943. Though he wished he could be with them at this sad period of so many deaths within a short space of time, his precarious position dictated that he postpone any visit. When conditions had stabilised, shortly after the war, he went to see the remaining members of the family.[19]

  From 1932 to 1937 Leslie was occupied with the establishment of the Cork branch of the Women’s Industrial Development Association. Since she had joined the Red Cross and her election to the central council she had been intensely active and had earned a medal to add to her 1916–1922 medal. In 1945 after the war she was involved in the development of a peacetime programme. Accompanied by Maureen O’Sullivan she travelled all over Ireland setting up branches in towns and villages. As the Red Cross was founded at the start of the war, people associated it with war, ‘so we decided to initiate ideas which we felt were necessary and hoped in time they would prove their worth and perhaps be taken over by the government’. ‘We initiated the Blood Transfusion Service and the anti-Tuberculosis Scheme. In Cork we took a very big step in having every school child tested for Tuberculosis in its preliminary stages.’ Leslie initiated a project of Water Safety and Life-saving and worked tirelessly for the society. New ideas were discussed between Tom and herself: he would give his opinion on views she wished to put to a meeting, perhaps even offer an alternative.

  In 1949, 250 refugees came to Cork ‘from war-torn countries including Poland, Czechoslovakia and Finland. They were accommodated in Rockgrove Camp site near Little Island’. Leslie organised a rotary staff with women to work on morning, afternoon and evening shifts; this continued over a two-year period, until their passage from Cobh to America was arranged. Throughout the following decades Leslie was deeply involved in the care of the aged and deprived in the community. She became the first woman to obtain the position as chairman of the Irish Red Cross.

  Accompanied by Mollie Murphy, general secretary Irish Red Cross, she represented Ireland at international conferences in Toronto, Oslo, Monaco, New Delhi, Geneva, Vienna, The Hague, Athens, Istanbul, Czechoslovakia. She was a government nominee on the national health council. Much of the work was voluntary. Her concern for citizens led her to aid in the establishment of the Voluntary Health Insurance. Her idea was taken up by T. F. O’Higgins, who worked enthusiastically with her and others on this worthwhile project.

  From every country she wrote to Tom. While in Vienna at a conference she told him of the gist of the conference, then added a personal note:

  Darling ... I think so much of you, my love, I love only you ...

  All all my love, your own, Lottie.[20] [pet name]

  Being extremely capable and a wonderful organiser, her talents were in demand in many spheres. In many countries she represented Ireland in the food and health field, and was chairman of the Erinville Maternity Hospital, Cork. For her organisational ability and for her dedicated contribution to society and to the Red Cross, De Valera presented her with an honorary degree from University College, Cork, in 1966. In the early 1970s she helped with the northern refugees who came to Cork.[21]

  Tom, as general superintendent and later as dredging superintendent manager with the Cork Harbour commissioners, was involved in a large project. The harbour had to be dredged so that the channel could be opened up to larger ships, and the site around Tivoli had to be reclaimed.

  ‘There was another side to Barry; as well as being a soldier he had shrewd business acumen and contributed in no small way to the development of the port of Cork. He could be stern when the occasion called for it. He had the military background, which meant discipline, and he was always very fair. His concern was for people, seeing that they were happy in their jobs and had obtained such items as protective clothing for the workers. His relationship with the men, the union and the management was always just and fair. And when he was off duty he could sit down and have a drink with you and tell a yarn or a story as good as any man,’ Mick McCarthy recalled.[22]

  Now that the war had ended, Tom and Leslie decided to spend some days with relatives in Liverpool. They had a wonderful relaxed visit and were able to calmly go over events of the past number of years. It also gave Tom an opportunity to talk with family members, from whom he had been separated for so long. His parents had accepted Tom’s decision to do what he did, and ‘they were in their own way, proud of his achievements.’[23]‘In certain ways we were closer than many families who were together always.’[24]

  In 1946 a vacancy occurred in Cork borough constituency. On the insistence of some colleagues Barry agreed to stand as an independent candidate. Initially he was reluctant, but then he relented. The following is a summary of his election manifesto:

  Rights of Citizens: The individual politician is ‘free to support or oppose any measure on its merits and consequences’.

  Political: He was very strong on partition and wanted ‘the restoration of the lost counties’ neglected by successive governments.

  Economics: Among other challenges, legislation was required, he maintained, for ‘the abolition of ground rent scandal’ being given to ‘foreigners’.

  Social Justice: Distribution of wealth; he set out a long document on how this should be done.

  He crossed swords with Seán McEntee mainly over the Partition issue and with Michael O’Riordan over social issues.[25]Derogatory remarks made by other candidates on the controversy with Frank Aiken and also his definite stance within the IRA were unhelpful to his candidature. He did very little campaigning for this by-election. Accept the outcome – was his motto! The election was held on 15 June with the following results:

  McGrath, Patrick (Fianna Fáil) 14,230

  O’Driscoll, Michael (Fine Gael) 9,707

  O’Riordan, Michael (Socialist) 3,184

  Barry, Tom (Independent) 2,574

  The figures were those on the first preference, and after redistribution of surplus votes and the elimination of Mr O’Riordan and Mr Barry (both forfeited their deposits) Mr McGrath with strong Fianna Fáil backing was declared elected by a majority of 4,667 over Mr O’Driscoll.’[26]

  Friends say Tom was a little disappointed but not badly hurt by the results. They felt that as a politician he would have been too outspoken, too individualistic to make a success of the job. He ‘brushed it all aside very quickly’, never became a member of a political party, as party politics didn’t find favour with him; he always praised a member of a party who took a stand on any issue of principle. In later years he confessed his delight that he had remained ‘outside politics’ because people and issues were, he felt, manoeuvred to suit individuals.[27]

  Often ‘the bitterness and hates’ of the Civil War ‘were kept up between political parties, and when issues of social progress and economic progress’ were being discussed ‘politicians approached each problem from the point of view of whether the man proposing was anti-Treaty or pro-Treaty,’ he said. This was a stance, he disliked.[28]‘I’m not built for a public life’, he told history students, ‘I might make a good minister, but I’d make a very bad TD. I was in jail six times altogether.’[29]

  A circular distributed by the department of local government in 1945 directed that the ‘undesirable’ practice of local authority officers ‘making representations through public representatives concerning remuneration and duties’ should be discontinued, as it ‘may render the officer liable to disciplinary action.’ In bold capitals in the ma
rgin of the typewritten document Tom wrote: ‘WHAT ARE REPS FOR!’[30]

  Notes

  [1]Longford and P. O’Neill, pp. 313 – 317.

  [2]Tom Barry to The Commandant, The Military College, The Curragh, 8 July 1940, TB private papers. M. J. Costello (afterwards Major General), had taken the pro-Treaty side during the Civil War, organised the Irish Military College in 1926, commander of the First Southern Division during the 1939–1945 period.

  [3]Pat Buttimer, author interview 15/10/1980.

  [4]Tom Barry to The Commandant, The Military College, The Curragh, 8 July 1940 and Tom Barry to An Taoiseach, 12 July 1940, TB private papers.

  [5]Military Records, ‘A’ Series, Military Barracks, Dublin.

  [6]Liam French, author interview 12/10/1980.

  [7]Tom Barry to Nollaig Ó Gadhra, 1969, RTÉ Sound Archives.

  [8]Eamon de Valera to Tom Barry 25 August 1941, TB private papers.

  [9]Tom Barry in a long document gives his opinion, TB private papers.

  [10]Major Gen. M. J. Costello, author interview 2/2/1980.

  [11]Notes on memo Seventh Brigade on ‘Sniping’. Portion of letter copy to Mick (Costello), first and last part missing – hence date missing, TB private papers. He suggested that ‘every marksman in a platoon should be trained in sniping duties … I would put before the essentials given in the memo, those of marksmanship, determination and patience as first essentials for a good sniper.’ Furthermore, he pointed out the disadvantage of giving ‘platoons’ a ‘roving commission’.

  [12]John Browne to author, 3/10/2002.

  [13]T. Ryle Dwyer, Guests of the State, pp. 108–112.

  [14]Tom Barry to Dr T. Ryle Dwyer, 25/5/1975. I am grateful to T. Ryle Dwyer for this personal letter; see further details, Ryle Dwyer, Guests, pp. 108–119.

  [15]Eunan O’Halpin, ‘British Intelligence, the republican movement and the IRA’s German links, 1935–45’, in Ferghal McGarry, I am grateful to Eunan O’Halpin for manuscript.

  [16]Lieut Gen. M. J. Costello, author interview 2/2/1980.

  [17]Ibid., Lieut G. Costello was ‘grateful’ to Tom Barry and praised him highly; Series of An Cosantóir, January to June 1941, Tom Barry’s proofs and correspondence, TB private papers.

  [18]Tom Barry in detailed typewritten paper – It is not dated, and could perhaps have been written after the war. TB private papers.

  [19]Correspondence in TB private papers, November 1943. Both of his parents are buried in Allerton Cemetery, Liverpool , Sheila Barry Irlam, Tom Barry’s niece, to author, April 2002. Gerald Barry to author. Gerald, Tom’s cousin, is compiling ‘a family tree’ of the Barrys.

  [20]Leslie to Tom, 28 September 1965, TB private papers. There is very little personal correspondence in the collection – as some of the papers got destroyed.

  [21]Tom Barry, author interview; Leslie, author interview.

  [22]Mick McCarthy (former IRA comrade and a Harbour Board employee), author interview 13/10/1980.

  [23]Jack Doheny Lynch, author interview 12/1/1980.

  [24]Tom Barry, author interview.

  [25]Cork Examiner, 8 June 1946.

  [26] Keesing’s Contemporary Archives, (1946) Cork County Library.

  [27]Jack Doheny Lynch, author interview 12/1/1981; Cristóir de Baróid, author interview 11/1/ 1981.

  [28]Tom Barry to Nollaig Ó Gadhra, 1969, RTÉ Sound Archives.

  [29]Tom Barry, in response to an audience question after a lecture to UCG history students, 1969, courtesy of John Browne.

  [30]Dept of Local Government, 6 July 1945, TB private papers.

  21 – No ‘Distortion of History’ Call

  In July 1948 when the Bureau of Military History was structured, its director, M. McDumphy asked Barry for any material ‘within the terms of reference’. Later he acknowledged Barry’s offer of ‘documents’ on loan ‘not included’ in his book, and his willingness to co-operate with the bureau.[1]However, Barry soon changed his view of the bureau because of the scope and method and instructions of acquiring data. Concerning the secrecy of holding ‘under seal for whatever period’ material given to the bureau, Barry, in a letter to the director, noted, that if statements could remain unopened until after the ‘death of an individual’ and ‘would not be made amenable for libel or false assertions, calculated to injure other parties’, then this would be a most harmful ‘procedure’.[2] He wrote:

  The IRA like every other organisation had malicious members or men who developed a mental kink about other men and matters which had no foundation in fact. Past histories have been confused by the unearthing of such documents and I submit that the Bureau of Military History should have as its paramount duty the destruction of all records not authenticated or confirmed by immediate investigation. Nobody should have the right to submit any matter under seal for future examination. There should be an immediate investigation of every important statement made and the subject matter should only be filed after such an examination.

  As an example Barry pointed out how he had dealt in his book with ‘two reverses suffered by the West Cork IRA’ under Charlie Hurley’s leadership:

  You will admit that were I an enemy or even a lukewarm friend of Charlie’s, I could have written quite differently and conveyed the opinion that Charlie was either inefficient or negligent on those occasions. I could have done this either by innuendo or omission and it would be very difficult to pin me down to having made a false statement about one of the greatest Irish soldiers of our time. Therefore, I contend that the collectors and recorders of the bureau will influence the history of our period far more than the actual historians who will write it.[3]

  Barry wanted the director to understand that his letter was ‘not written in a carping spirit but only with a view to helping in the work of compiling an accurate and complete history.’ He suggested that ‘senior officers of divisions and brigades could best help by reading over and commenting on any important statement made by other officers.’[4]

  It became well known that the ‘compilers of this history’ posed leading questions often to help backup certain stories. Genuine IRA men who had given time, effort and often their health and ‘had been cold, wet, miserable and hungry’ on occasions were maligned by a jealous neighbour who sometimes took credit for events in which he was a non participant’.

  Barry expressed his ‘great disappointment at the removal of Major Florrie O’Donoghue from the panel of recording officers’, because ‘O’Donoghue’s knowledge of the south’s contribution to the War of Independence is unrivalled’, he wrote to the bureau director. ‘All of us down here felt that he had the all important knowledge of the characters and records’ that other bureau officers lacked. Moreover, ‘he had the merit of being neutral in our Civil War.’[5] Tom ‘appealed’ to Dr T. O’Higgins, minister of defence ‘to reconsider the decision not to continue Major F. O’Donoghue’s services’: while he accepted ‘unreservedly’ the minister’s decision, as he had ‘a post to return to’, and ‘regular army’ officers were available to undertake this work. ‘O’Donoghue knows nothing of my approach to you,’ he wrote. ‘I am only taking this action because of O’Donoghue’s exceptional qualifications … I will go so far as to state that no one in the south of Ireland has his knowledge of the pre-Truce period.’[6] The decision was not reversed and the bureau accumulated their information as planned.

  In 1969 as Tom finished a lecture to history students in University College, Galway, he told them he had one thing to say regarding the officers’ accumulation of history for the Bureau of Military History:

  You are historians, so it is important that you are aware of the facts. These officers went into districts, they met men singularly and everything a man told them they had to write it down in longhand. They couldn’t ask a very simple question. [He banged the rostrum and repeated his remark] They had to write everything down! Years later as some of them told me after they retired from the army, they knew in many cases the man wasn’t there at all!’ [He emphasise
d wasn’t there at all! Again he banged the rostrum.] They got the most extraordinary statements from fellows – and all these statements were put away. And fifty years afterwards they were to be handed over to a bunch of professional historians and so write a history from all that mix-um-gatherum. Well, if that is history!

  No other man could see what he wrote. I could be here in one company and could say John Browne ran away and he stole the firearms. It had to be taken down unquestionably … and nobody was entitled to see what was to be hidden away for all those years. Those of you who know history or who know something about history would be able to walk into a barracks and believe that!

  All, what these people collected should be taken out of their offices or whatever department it is in; there should be a match put to the whole lot of them, because if not, those who write these things will be able to justify what has been said so often lately – that the number of men who said they were in the GPO in 1916 Rising, wouldn’t fit into Croke Park.

  The problem I have with these officers is that their instructions were to write down everything. This will be written and it will be what will be called ‘the history of Ireland’. I’m very cynical always about this history … What I am saying to you as historians, that these stories that were collected are not history. [He emphasised this, and banged the rostrum again.] However, the material that was collected for the military pensions had to be verified. Most of those who verified them were honest. I got many [pension applications] for verification and if a man did not take part in an action, I could not, and would not, allow him to get a pension. [There was force, almost anger in his voice as he delivered this impromptu piece, prior to a questioning session, which ensued.][7]