Decoding the IRA

by Tom Mahon

  54 This document is dated 23 May 1926 and signed by the chief of staff; given Cooney’s departure for America by late May it was likely written by Twomey; CS to Staff Captain W, 26 May 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/47 (172).

  55 Brian Hanley writes that the information on Turley’s torture was found in letters he wrote to his family while banished to Britain, and that these were uncovered in a police raid on the family home in 1945. Hanley also quotes another Belfast IRA veteran of the period referring to the battalion’s use of ‘brutal methods’ to discipline members; Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 48–9 and 225; Coogan, The IRA, pp. 175–6; MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 845; also personal communication from Brian Hanley, 29 April 2008.

  56 Captain W to CS, 20 May 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/47 (173–6).

  57 Communications log book, no date [circa September 1926], in MTUCDA P69/ 195.

  58 Captain W to CS, 4 May [1926], in MTUCDA P69/44 (8–9).

  59 O’Connor, E., Reds and the Green: Ireland, Russia and the Communist Internationals 1919–43 (UCD Press, Dublin, 2004), p. 229 and a photograph of Tommy Watters, between pages 84 and 85.

  60 Communications log book, no date [circa September 1926], in MTUCDA P69/ 195.

  61 This document is dated 23 May 1926 and signed by the chief of staff. Given Cooney’s departure for America by late May it was likely written by Twomey; when this paragraph was decrypted, the chief of staff’s spelling of An Phoblacht was ‘An Poblact’. CS to Staff Captain W, 26 May 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/47 (172).

  62 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 179.

  63 CS to S Capt. W, 16 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (19).

  64 Note that Jones uses American spelling in this despatch. Six counties, a term for the six out of the nine counties of Ulster which constituted the state of Northern Ireland. JB or Jones to Mr Browne [Twomey], 21 October 1926, in MTUCDA P69/183 (183).

  65 S [Smith] to Mr Jones, 10 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/183 (173–4).

  CHAPTER 5: INTELLIGENCE

  1 McMahon, P., ‘British Intelligence and the Anglo-Irish truce, July–December 1921’, IHS, Vol. xxxv, No. 140 (November 2007).

  2 Hopkinson, M., The Irish War of Independence (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 2002), p. 69.

  3 Hopkinson, The Irish War of Independence, p. 88

  4 O’Halpin, E., Defending Ireland: The Irish Free State and its Enemies since 1922 (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000), pp. 3–4.

  5 Ibid., pp. 11–14.

  6 Ibid., p. 55.

  7 Ibid., p. 65.

  8 MacEoin, U., The IRA in the Twilight Years, 1923–1948, p. 118.

  9 MacEoin, U., Survivors (Argenta Publications, Dublin, 1987), p. 458.

  10 Adjt Dundalk batt to DI, 23 Aug. 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/196 (105).

  11 Intelligence officer Dublin 1 brigade to DI, 27 October 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/ (37–9).

  12 IO Dublin brigade to DI, 23 July [1927], in MTUCDA, P69/196 (142–3) and IO Dublin brigade to DI, 26 July 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/196 (135–6).

  13 From OC Cork 1 brigade, 20 [March] 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/48 (199).

  14 IO Dublin brigade to DI, 27 October 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/196 (37–9).

  15 Hopkinson, The Irish War of Independence, pp. 26, 117, 122.

  16 CS to OC Tipperary brigade, 4 December 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA, P 69/47 (40); Moss Twomey was in Mountjoy prison on this date, therefore the author is uncertain.

  17 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 146; O’Halpin, Defending Ireland, p. 67.

  18 Debtors who have made no payments, 10 September 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/48 (301).

  19 Griffith, K. and O’Grady, T. Ireland’s Unfinished Revolution (Roberts Rinehardt, Colorado, 1999), pp. 337–9.

  20 IO Dublin brigade to DI, 27 July [1927], in MTUCDA, P69/196 (133–4).

  21 IO Dublin brigade to DI, 27 Oct 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/196 (37–9).

  22 IO Dublin brigade to DI, 12 Dec 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/196 (19).

  23 J to DI, 13 December 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/196 (18).

  24 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 840; DI to MP, 17 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (55).

  25 Hanley, B. The IRA, 1926–1936 (Four Courts Press, Dublin, 2002), p. 48. MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 125.

  26 Griffith and O’Grady, Ireland’s Unfinished Revolution, pp. 338–41; MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, pp. 35, 146. O’Halpin, Defending Ireland, p. 67; Irish Times, 23 August 1977.

  27 Irish Times, 23 August 1977.

  28 Andrews, C. S., Dublin Made Me (Mercier Press, Dublin and Cork, 1979), pp. 193–5; Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 114, 246. ‘J O’Neill’ to CS, 28 July 1927, in MTUCDA P69/49 (8).

  29 S MacS to CS, 23 April 1926, in MTUCDA, P69/44 (96–100).

  30 CS to OC Cork 1 brigade, 28 April 1926, in MTUCDA, P69/44 (93–4).

  31 To CS from S/Commdt for DI, 25 May 1926, in MTUCDA, P69/12 (47).

  32 Brigade adjutant Mayo to DI, 23 December 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA, P69/193 (47–8).

  33 MacEoin, Survivors, pp. 471–3.

  34 S O’S to J Jones, 8 May 1926, in MTUCDA, P69/197 (163), S O’S to DI, 17 May 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/197 (160–1).

  35 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 46.

  36 OC Kildare batt to CS, 29 November 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/50 (6).

  37 CS to OC Kildare batt, 5 December 1927, in MTUCDA, P69/50 (5).

  38 CS to DI, 4 May 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/44 (62–3).

  39 MacEoin, Survivors, p. 122.

  40 Staff commandant for DI, to IO Dublin brigade, 23 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (96).

  41 Dublin brigade IO to DI, 2 September 1927, in MTUCDA P69/196 (86–7).

  42 AG to adjutant Cork 2 brigade, 1 February 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/171 (15).

  43 CO Offaly to DI, 21 October 1927, in MTUCDA P69/196 (26).

  44 Adjt Cork 1 brigade to DI, 26 December 1927, in MTUCDA P69/196 (14).

  45 This paragraph concerning Sergeant Leen of the gardaí was very difficult to decipher due to the poor quality of the original document and to errors made in the original encryption by Connie Neenan. In our copy it was difficult to make out the original letters in cipher. James Gillogly and I are very grateful to Seamus Helferty for reviewing the original and sending us clarification on the cipher text.

  The uncorrected decryption is as follows: ‘get in touch with sergt leen civic guards bardon county conk [sic] he is in superintendents office he is fed up gitn imperial wan[-?c?o?] and is going to clear out possibly emigrate. he is anxious to give information to us mention martin howard of iistowel now in new york sent iou also about a letter he sent to martin offering to assist i saw the letter.

  James Gillogly wrote that: the N in ‘conk’ comes from the N in group RNIFP, line 2 group 4. The G in ‘gitn’ (which obviously should be ‘with’) and the W in ‘wan-‘ are both from line 2 group 10, NIGWN, which is clear enough. The N in ‘gitn’ and the [-C?O?] letter in ‘wanc[-c?o?]’ are the first and second letters of line 3 group 3 NCCSE. The latter looks more like a C to me because of the serif on top. The clear G in ‘gitn’ is right above the W in ‘wan-‘, so I think what has happened is that the W and G were interchanged on the worksheet, making ‘witn’ and ‘gan-‘. The N of ‘witn’ is right below the H in ‘office he is’, and again could have been a transcription error. Bottom line: I think it should read ‘Imperial gang’, and the difficulty comes from the coder not getting enough sleep!

  ‘Mention martin howard’: The next word becomes ‘ofiistowel’. The ‘of’ must introduce his residence, but ‘iistowel’ doesn’t trigger any connections with me, therefore likely ‘Listowel’.–We have seen the L on this typewriter offset to the right before. The first I comes from NIORI, the second from UTINO (end of line 2), the S from the last letter of IFSIS, line 2 group 6, the T from OOMNT (line 1 group 1), the O from HOYLT (line 1 group 6), the W from WOSER (line 1 group 4), the E from WEROR (line 2 group 2), and the L from TIALK (line 2 group 4).
>
  An Timthire to Mr Smith, 20 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (48–51).

  46 S MacS to CS, 23 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (96-100).

  47 DI to IO Waterford, 27 May 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/196 (163).

  48 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 99–100.

  49 CS to DI, 14 May 192[6], in MTUCDA P69/12 (59).

  50 DI to adjt. Tipperary brigade, 16 November 1927, in MTUCDA P69/197 (66). MacEoin, Survivors, pp. 471–3.

  51 To George, 2 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (75).

  52 To An Timthire from chairman, 18 March 1927, in MTUCDA P69/183 (77–8).

  53 Irish Independent, 19 November 1927.

  54 DI to adjt. Claremorris brigade, 21 June 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/196 (168).

  55 Adjt. Claremorris brigade to DI, 27 June 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/196 (167).

  56 Lawlor, Seán MacBride, That Day’s Struggle, pp. 124–5.

  57 Irish Times, 6 December 1927.

  58 MacEoin, Survivors, p. 188.

  59 S/Capt to Mr Campbell, 21 July 1927, in MTUCDA P69/196 (149).

  60 IO Dublin brigade to DI, 7 September 1927, in MTUCDA P69/196 (85).

  61 DI to Mick P, 10 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (66); to George G, 10 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (63).

  62 To DI from D, 23 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/41 (10).

  63 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 145.

  64 D to DI, [1]6 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/41 (14); D to DI, 16 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/41 (13); CS to D, 4 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/41 (4).

  65 DI to George G, 7 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/193 (29); DI to D, 14 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/193 (6).

  66 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 192–3.

  67 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 122; MacEoin, Survivors, pp. 564–5.

  68 MacEoin, Survivors, p. 565.

  69 Irish World, 15 January 1927; Irish Times, 11 December 1926.

  70 Cronin, S., The McGarrity Papers (Anvil Books, Tralee, 1972), p. 146; An Phoblacht, 24 December 1926.

  71 To Mick Price from Twomey, 17 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (7).

  72 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 130.

  73 DI to George G, 7 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/193 (29).

  74 D to DI, 16 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/41 (13).

  75 CS to D, 28 January 1924 [1927].

  76 Irish World, 15 January 1927.

  77 To George from Twomey, 2 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (75).

  78 CS to D, 4 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/41 (4).

  79 MacEoin, Survivors, p. 377.

  80 Ibid., p. 565. MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 149.

  81 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 196–7.

  82 MacEoin, Survivors, p. 375.

  83 Andrews, Dublin Made Me, p. 223.

  84 MacEoin, Survivors, p. 369.

  85 Ibid., p. 375.

  86 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 128; An Phoblacht, 17 December 1926.

  87 Irish World, 15 January 1927.

  88 Mick P to DI, 16 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (59).

  89 DI to MP, 17 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (55).

  90 Irish World, 15 January 1927.

  91 Twomey to Mick, 17 December 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (7).

  92 DI to D, 14 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/193 (6).

  93 D to DI, [1]6 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/41 (14).

  94 CS to D, 28 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/41 (9).

  95 D to CS, 30 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/no number, grouped with file 41.

  96 CS to D, 4 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/41 (4).

  97 CS to George, 2 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (75).

  98 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 141; Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 196–7; Irish Times, 8 November 1927.

  99 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, pp. 279–80; Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 196–7.

  100 S O’S to J J, 8 May 1926 [?], in MTUCDA P69/197 (163).

  101 S O’S to DI, 17 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/197 (160–1).

  102 S O’S to DI, 17 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/197 (160–1).

  103 From J J, 1 December 1927, in MTUCDA P69/197 (60).

  104 Connacht Tribune, 17 May 1924.

  105 MacEoin, The IRA in the Twilight Years, p. 125.

  106 Irish Independent, 23 April 1926.

  107 Ibid.

  108 S O’S to DI, 17 May 1927, in MTUCDA P69/197 (160–1).

  109 Irish Independent, 23 April 1926; An Phoblacht, 19 February 1926.

  110 O’Connor, E., Reds and the Green: Ireland, Russia and the Communist Internationals 1919–43 (UCD Press, Dublin, 2004), pp. 105,109.

  111 Letter received by Mrs Despard, 16 March 1926, in MTUCDA P69/193 (124).

  112 MD to Mr Brown, 15 January 1927, in MTUCDA P69/132–3.

  113 Neenan to Twomey, 1933, in MTUCDA P69/135 (51).

  114 Mac Con Uladh, D., Jack Keogh – Ballinasloe IRA (www.Ballinasloe.org, 2005–2007).

  115 Connacht Tribune, 12 May 1945.

  CHAPTER 6: THE IRA IN BRITAIN

  1 Hart, P., The IRA at War 1916–1923 (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003), p. 145.

  2 Ibid., pp. 142–59.

  3 Lawlor, C, Sean MacBride, That Day’s Struggle.

  4 Murray in the O’Malley notebooks, UCDA, P17b/88.

  5 Ibid.

  6 MacEoin, U., The IRA in the Twilight Years, 1923–1948, p. 116.

  7 O’Malley, C. and Dolan, A., ‘No Surrender here!’ The Civil War Papers of Ernie O’Malley 1922–1924 (Lilliput Press, Dublin, 2007).

  8 AG, report on Britain, 17 November 1924, in MTUCDA P69/44 (366–9).

  9 General W. Krivitsky’s MI5 file; CAB 126/250 from the National Archives, Kew.

  10 CS to OC. Britain, 16 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (182).

  11 Hart, The IRA at War, pp. 174–5.

  12 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, pp. 170–1.

  13 March 1926, in MTUCDA P69/12 (61).

  14 ‘E’, Memorandum to members of Army Council on our future policy in Britain, 21 February 1926, in MTUCDA P69/183 (65–6).

  15 Hanley, The IRA, 1926–1936, p. 171.

  16 CS to OC No 2 Area, 14 October 1923 [1926], in MTUCDA P69/47 (98).

  17 Memorandum to members of Army Council on our future policy in Britain, 21 February 1926, in MTUCDA P69/181 (65).

  18 Minutes of meeting of the Army Executive, 27 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (104–5).

  19 OC. Britain to CS, 19 March 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (262).

  20 OC. Britain to CS, 27 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/44 (78).

  21 OC. Britain to CS, 27 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/44 (78).

  22 CS to OC. Britain, 3 May 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (73–4).

  23 Taylor, R., ‘The General Strike’, Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, ESRC website: www.esrc.ac.uk, reviewed 28 February 2008.

  24 Irish Times, 4 May 1926.

  25 CS to OC. Britain, 23 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (183). In this discussion of the general strike of 1926 Moss Twomey, rather than Andy Cooney, is credited as being the author of letters signed ‘chief of staff’. Based on evidence discussed in Chapter 2 it seems likely that Twomey took over the role of chief of staff in April 1926.

  26 OC. Britain to CS, 27 April 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (79).

  27 Encyclopaedia Britannica, United Kingdom, ‘The Baldwin era and General Strike’; Wikipedia, ‘UK General Strike of 1926’, reviewed 21 May 2007; Taylor, ‘The General Strike’, www.esrc.ac.uk, reviewed 28 February 2008; Cunliffe, B., Bartlett, R., et al, The Penguin Atlas of British and Irish History (Penguin Books, London, 2001), pp. 236–8.

  28 CS to OC. Britain, 3 May 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (72).

  29 CS to OC. Britain, 5 May 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (29).

  30 CS to ‘Mr Davis’, 6 May 1926, in MTUCDA P69/44 (26).

  31 Irish Times, 11 May 1926.

  32 Irish Times, 10 May 1926; Encyclopaedia Britannica, United Kingdom, ‘Th
e Baldwin era and General Strike’; Wikipedia, ‘UK General Strike of 1926’, reviewed 21 May 2007.

  33 Hart, The IRA at War, pp. 158–9.

  34 DI to IO’s All Units, 12 April 1923 (the year may actually be 1926), in MTUCDA P69/12 (64–5).

  35 CS to OC Cork 1 brigade, 20 September [probably 1926], in MTUCDA P69/41 (26).

  36 JJ to ‘A Cara’, 1 December 1927, in MTUCDA P69/197 (60).

  37 CS to adjt. North Mayo, 26 October 1923 [1926] in P69/39 (107).

  38 CS to HS, 24 February 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (297–8).

  39 New York Times, 8 September 1938. Time, 19 September 1938.

  40 CS to HS, 2 March 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (272–3).

  41 The street address is given as Coverdale Street, but this probably should have been Coverdale Crescent; HS to CS, 14 March 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (246).

  42 ‘Eyewitness in Manchester’, from www.manchesteronline.co.uk website, reviewed 1 March 2008; McGee, O., The IRB: The Irish Republican Brotherhood from the Land League to Sinn Féin (Four Courts Press, Dublin, 2005), pp. 36–7.

  43 Adjt to AG, 5 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (56).

  44 CS to HS, 14 October 1926, in MTUCDA P69/47 (76).

  45 QMG to CS, 18 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/41 (18).

  46 HS to CS, 1 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/41 (30).

  47 QMG to CS, 18 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/41 (18).

  48 HS to CS, 10 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/41 (28).

  49 QMG to CS, 18 November 1926, in MTUCDA P69/41 (18).

  50 CS to HS, 18 February 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (300).

  51 HS to CS, 25 February 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (293–4).

  52 CS to HS, 2 March 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (272–3).

  53 HS to CS, 5 March 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (260–1); In this letter HS wrote that he ‘may be able to get a friend to assist in this matter’, i.e. repacking the explosives from their original casks; HS to CS, 14 March 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (246); HS to CS, 18 March 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (210).

  54 Unsigned to HS, 21 March 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (209).

  55 CS to HS, 6 April 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (143).

  56 CS to ‘Dear Sir’, 16 June 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (3).

  57 HS to MD, 20 June 1924 [1927], in MTUCDA P69/48 (2).

  58 MD to HS, 23 June 1927, in MTUCDA P69/48 (1).