A recent visit to west Cork reminded me of the severity and brutality of the struggle in Munster during the war for independence/‘The Tan War’ (1918-21) when the Flying Columns led by Tom Barry took on the might of the British empire. When I visited the homestead of Michael Collins in Woodfield, a few miles west of the town of Clonakilty, I was reminded that British soldiers in the Essex regiment under Percival burned down Collins home-place on April 16th 1921 – just because….
Michael’s brother Johnny lived there. Some months previously he received this message from the Brits:
“You murderer, Take notice that in the event of anything happening to any of the crown forces, your life and property becomes forfeited. There is no guarantee that you are not going to suffer the penalty of death, you cannot expect otherwise as your brother has murdered, burned and robbed respectable and innocent people. So make your peace with God. God Save the King.”
Sound familiar?
In Cork city I was reminded of how two Lord Mayors died as a result of British brutality and obduracy. Mayor Tomas Mac Curtain was shot dead in his home by the RIC on 20 March1920. Terence MacSwiney succeeded him as Mayor and was arrested and taken to England for imprisonment without charge. He died in Brixton jail on 25 October 1920 after 74 days on hunger strike. There were many more murders and burnings carried out by the Crown forces –not just in Cork but throughout the whole island of Ireland. When I hear the likes of Harris and Edwards defending the British Empire’s cruel and inhuman activities in Ireland, I realise just how perverse and warped these commentators are and how evil are those big money people who allow them so much space in their gutter press. They refer to the IRA but they have got the whole thing out of perspective. They do not ever consider the context. They are politically motivated because they have no morality. Let us look at the context.
The British Empire extended across the world as a result of their policy of confiscation, mass murder and brutality. Over many centuries the British had conquered all the provinces of the small island of Ireland and by 1800 were able to enact the Act of Union giving them complete political and economic control of the island ofIreland. One result of that was the horrific genocide between 1845 and 1850 when millions of people were starved to death while food was being exported to England. There were sporadic and courageous attempts at resistance by the United Irishmen, the Young Irelanders and the Fenians. Another brave attempt was made in 1916 which met with the same cruel response from the Brits with the execution of the leaders and the imprisonment of many of those involved in the Rebellion. In the wake of the British barbaric response men and women organised in small groups to make the British feel uncomfortable in this their nearest colony. Sad to say, there were always locals who supported the Brits.
In the years following the execution of the 1916 leaders, that Empire faced a serious challenge from a highly motivated well organised group of revolutionaries in theprovince of Munster. For years afterwards, that revolt inspired many anti- imperialists around the world to rise up against the murdering imperialists. It was a people’s uprising and it was led by the legendary Tom Barry. The most infamous battalion of British soldiers were those known as the Black and Tans who wreaked havoc inCork city and county, burning and murdering all before them. These thugs were active in other parts of the country as well. They burned the village of Balbriggan to the ground in September 1920. Many of these were criminals in England enlisted for a few shillings a week to do as much damage as they could in Ireland and so put manners on the Irish.
The British auxiliaries and the Black and Tans suffered a severe defeat at Kilmichael, West Cork in November 1920 and in Crossbarry on 18 March 1921. That was the beginning of the end of the British Empire. We will never forget those great and courageous people like Tom Barry and Sean Hales and Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney who said enough was enough.
Not forgetting Liam Lynch
Liam Lynch was not based in West Cork. He commanded Cork No 2 Brigade based in North Cork.
Magical place West Cork. We do not forget the heroes All
Definitely-not forgetting Liam Lynch. Thank you Fra.
Níl a bhuíochas ort a chara 🙂
Joe
It baffles me how a man of God can so admire men of violence like Lynch, responsible for so many deaths. including that of Sean McGarry’s young son in a house burning.
I wish you had taken the opportunity on Jude’s blog to engage with commenters as I would genuinely like to know how you rationalise such things.
Too late now it seems.
Just as a matter of interest Gio, what’s your take,(in the context of this article) on the actions of the British in West Cork and in Ireland in general?
And as a teacher might say, please put as much effort in to answering this question as you do into commenting or others’ contributions to Judes’s Blog.
Gerard
The British through the centuries have treated Ireland poorly often brutally and like all powerful nations have only had their own interests at heart.
The plantation and the famine are only the most obvious examples of the wrongs against the Irish people
It is impossible to know of course what Ireland would have been like without British interference but that is irrelevant now.
No doubt like the Romans they brought some benefits at times too.
It is interesting to debate the history but I am more interested in how we move on from it.
I don’t think the British genuinely have a strong desire to maintain any control in Ireland, certainly the British people are tired of us, although some of those in power may naturally not want to give up any strategic sphere of influence.
Ceding the North could clearly have implications for the Union and that will worry them, but I think when 50%+1 eventually arrives they will not try to prevent unification despite the fears of some here.
That is my broad take on it for what it is worth.
Gio, as you seem to agree, the British came here with arms and power and might to subjugate the Irish people and some would say they even attempted, several times to completely wipe us of the face of the earth, (Cromwell and the starvation to name but two). So my question is, why then do you jump all over those native Irish who would take up arms to confront such a brute and to drive the invader from our land?
Gerard
My question in this instance was specific to Joe as a man of God and how he could admire such violent men including Lynch and McGuinness responsible for killing so many.
It is hardly Christ-like behaviour I would think.
In general my ‘jumping all over’ people as you put it is aimed at those who support the recent actions of the PIRA and their efforts to drive the invader from our land.
My basis for questioning their support is that I don’t believe it was a just or proportionate response to the situation at the time i.e. the late sixties.
Killing Irish people including civilians, including children, never struck me as a good way to get the ‘Brits Out’.
That does not negate the history of of Ireland and the British part in it.
This is the man who refused to condemn the Ennsikillen massacre
Thanks very much for that Joe. Googled it and read up on each engagement on an Irish history site makes you very proud that their were such great Irishmen.
Brave Republican men and women indeed to stand up to the bullying British Imperialists.
The British even appoint chaplins to their”men of violence”.
Just as a matter of interest Gio, what’s your take,(in the context of this article) on the actions of the British in West Cork and in Ireland in general?
And as a teacher might say, please put as much effort in to answering this question as you do into commenting or others’ contributions to Judes’s Blog.