Tipperary Studies
3rd Tipperary Brigade (South)
Seamus Babington, Carrick on Suir, Brigade Engineer, (W.S 1595), ASU
Dan Breen, Tipp SR and Dublin, Quartermaster, (W.S 1739, W.S 1763)
Edmund Crowe, Lattin, Glenbane Company, Irish Volunteers 1914, Lattin Company, 4th Battalion 1918- (W.S 599)
Maurice Crowe, Rathkea, I.R.B Tipperary, 1913-; Irish Volunteers Tipperary 1913-; Adjutant, 4th Battalion, 1918- , (W.S 517)
Tadhg Crowe, Solohead, Quartermaster, 4th Battalion, (W.S 1658), ASU
Richard Dalton, Clonmel, 2nd Flying Column; Quartermaster, 5th Battalion, (W.S 1116), ASU
Michael Davern, Cashel, Acting O/C. Company and Battalion; O/C Police (Brigade), (W.S 1348)
Jerome Davin, Rosegreen, Commandant, 1st Battalion, (W.S 1350)
Frank Drohan, Clonmel, Center Co. Tipperary I.R.B; Commandant Clonmel Battalion Irish Volunteers, (W.S 702)
Tadhg Dwyer, Dundrum, Commandant, 3rd Battalion, (W.S 1356)
Phil Fitzgerald, Rossmore, Adjutant, 3rd Battalion, I.R.B Centre (Rossmore),
(W.S 1262)
Michael Fitzpatrick, Tipperary, Quartermaster, 2nd Southern Division, (W.S 1433), ASU
Sean Fitzpatrick, Tipperary, Adjutant to Column; Divisional Liaison Officer,
(W.S 1259)
Padraig Ua Floinn, Fethard, Captain Fethard Company Irish Volunteers, (W.S 1221)
Jeremiah Frewen, Tipperary, ‘B’ Company Tipperary Irish Volunteers, 1917- ; Intelligence Officer and Assistant Brigade Q.M, (W.S 930)
Edward Glendon, Grangemockler, Adjutant ‘C’ Company 8th Battalion; Adjutant 8th Battalion, (W.S 1127)
Edmond Grogan, Cashel, Vice-Commandant Second Battalion, (W.S 1281)
Thomas Halpin, Tipp SR, Lieutenant (O/C) ‘A’ Company Irish Volunteers, Clonmel, 1916 (W.S 742)
Patrick Keane, Cashel, 2nd Battalion, (W.S 1300), ASU
James Keating, Fethard, Vice-Commandant, 1st Battalion (W.S 1220)
Andrew Kennedy, Tipperary SR, Member of No.1 Flying Column, (W.S 963), ASU
James Kilmartin, Monard and Tipp SR, Member of Irish Volunteers, Solohead 1917-; second in Command, No.1 Flying Column, (W.S 881),ASU
Edmond McGrath, Cahir, Secretary of Sinn Fein; Commandant, 6th Battalion,
(W.S 1393)
Maurice A. McGrath, Clogheen, Adjutant, 6th Battalion, Adjutant, No.2 Flying Column, (W.S 1701), ASU
Paul Merrigan, Shronell, Battalion Transport Officer, 4th Battalion, (W.S 1667), see THJ 2005
Paul Mulcahy, Cashel, Captain (Dualla) Company, 2nd Battalion, (W.S 1434), ASU
Philip Murphy, Carrick on Suir, Member of Irish Volunteers, (W.S 1197)
William Myles, Thurles, Tipp SR, Member of I.R.B, Clonmel; Volunteers, Clonmel; Vice/Comdt, Clonmel Battalion, (W.S 795)
John Nagle, New Inn, Vice/Comdt, 6th Battalion; Vice O/C No.2 Flying Column, (W.S 1394), ASU
Sean O’Carroll, Cahir, Quartermaster, 6th Battalion 1917-1921, (W.S 1702)
Thomas O’Carroll, Drangan, Adjutant, 7th Battalion, (W.S 1243)
William O’Donnell, Dualla, Cashel, O/C ‘A’ Company 2nd Battalion, (W.S 1304)
Denis J. O’Driscoll, Carrick on Suir, Vice/Comdt, Charleville Battalion; Captain ‘A’ Coy, 8th Battalion, (W.S 1159)
Eamon O’Duibhir, Ballagh, County Centre, I.R.B; Assistant Brigade Quartermaster, (W.S 1403, W.S 1474), see THJ 1991, 2000
Patrick H. O’Dwyer, Hollyford, Captain C. Company, 3rd Battalion, (W.S 1432)
James O’Flynn, Fethard, Assistant Adjutant, (W.S 1249)
William O’Flynn, Fethard, Captain Fethard Sluagh Fianna Eireann; Comdt. 1st Battalion, (W.S 1235)
John O’Keeffe, Carrick on Suir, O/C Carrick on Suir Coy. Irish Volunteers; Comdt. 8th Battalion, (W.S 1168)
Seamus Robinson, Tipp SR, O/C; O/C, 2nd Southern Division, I.R.A; Member of Volunteer Executive; Member of Bureau of Military History, (W.S 0156, W.S 1721, W.S 1722)
John C. Ryan, Annacarty, Dundrum, Quartermaster, 3rd Battalion, Irish Volunteers, (W.S 1450)
Patrick Ryan, Fethard, Captain, ‘B’ Company, 1st Battalion, (W.S 1380)
Thomas Ryan, Tipp SR, Vice/Comdt and Acting O/C 5th/6th Battalion; Member of No.2 Flying Column; (W.S 783), ASU, see THJ 1991/92/93
John Sharkey, Clonmel, Battalion I.O. 4th Battalion; Acting Brigade I.O. 1921,
(W.S 1100) see THJ 1994, 1998
Thomas Sheehan, Carrick on Suir, Quartermaster ‘D’ Company, 8th Battalion,
(W.S 1177)
Timothy Tierney, Fethard, Cashel, Captain ‘F’ Company 2nd Battalion; Lieutenant ‘A’ Company 2nd Battalion, (W.S 1227)
Peter Tobin, Grangemockler, Carrick on Suir, Member No.1 Flying Column; O/C. 8th Battalion, (W.S 1223), ASU
Sean E. Walshe, Fethard, Commandant, 7th Battalion, (W.S 1363)
Reflecting its relative importance, there are far more witness statements about the 3rd Brigade, so that there is excellent coverage of all parts of South Tipperary.
Writing as “Padraig Toibin” Fr Colmcille Ó Conbhuidhe (a native of Clonmel) gave extensive coverage to this period. In the Nationalist, starting in the issue of 2 November 1957 and concluding on 8 March 1958, all aspects of the struggle are discussed. This material is available in a file in Tipperary Studies.
2 Nov 1957 1916
9 Nov 1957 Clonmel and 1916
16 Nov 1957 Formation of the Brigade
23 Nov 1957 Conscription Crisis
30 Nov 1957 Soloheadbeg Ambush
7 Dec 1957 Knocklong Rescue
14 Dec 1957 Attack on Lord French
21 Dec 1957 Black & Tans
28 Dec 1957 Attacks on RIC Barracks
4 Jan 1958 Drangan, Rearcross and Clerihan Attacks
11 Jan 1958 Death of Sean Treacy
18 Jan 1958 Lacy’s Flying Column
25 Jan 1958 “The Toll of the Terror”
1 Feb 1958 The Trial and Death of Sean Allen
8 Feb 1958 The Truce
15 Feb 1958 Cumann na mBan
22 Feb 1958 The Prisoners
8 March 1958 Life in English Gaols
Any one of these articles, supported by the Bureau of Military History records, would provide sources for an interesting essay. Fr Colmcille also contributed relevant articles on the 50th anniversaries to the Capuchin Annual.
Martin O’Dwyer’s Tipperary’s Sons & Daughters (Cashel, 2001) and especially A Pictorial History of Tipperary 1916-23 (Cashel, 2004) are worth looking at but are not adequate stand-alone sources.
Dan Breen is certainly the best documented of the 3rd Brigade leaders – an autobiography (ghosted), biography (Ambrose), two long statements to the Bureau of Military History and an unrepentant interview shortly before his death (THJ 1998). Not surprisingly, most of the other witness statements refer to Breen. Seamus Robinson, who led the Brigade, clearly had many unresolved issues with Breen by the 1950s and this is reflected in his witness statements (three in number). A student with a taste for history might find it of interest to look at how time and personalities changed how events were interpreted and Breen’s career lends itself to this. In one of his witness statements, he is categorical that the purpose of the Soloheadbeg Ambush was to kill the policemen. This is not expressed in his autobiography.
With regard to all 3rd Brigade sources, Sean Treacy is the shining light, the lost leader and while not in command of the Brigade, was seen as the dominant figure. There is a biography (Ryan). An essay about Treacy’s role as an organiser and motivator is easily sourced from the witness statements. As ever, under no circumstances should a student attempt a “life and times” style essay.
Tipperary Historical Journal has published an amount of material on this Brigade (see Finding Tipperary for references.)
For students from any part of the county, the Soloheadbeg Ambush is an ideal topic, so long as the topic is not the Soloheadbeg Ambush – meaning that the exercise should never be just to tell the story of the ambush. Any one of the following aspects would work:
- The role of Treacy
- The role of Breen
- Why the Tipperary Volunteers were so reactive
- The relationship between the Volunteers and Sinn Fein
- Public opinion and how it changed
- The lead up to the ambush
In any good essay (Higher) the “hands up” and “bang-bang” aspect should be no more than a paragraph or so.
last updated on: Tuesday, 03-Aug-2010 15:37:59 IST