Author: theirishatwar

#OnThisDay 1935 Gobnait Ní Bhruadair died. Born Albinia Broderick, daughter of the Anglo-Irish aristocrat Viscount of Midleton.

At 42, Albinia, a staunch unionist (her brother lead the Irish Unionists campaign against Home Rule), moved to Ireland & changed completely.

She joined Cumann na mBan & Sinn Féin, changed her name to Gobnait (after a 6th century saint), supported the Rising, helped the Volunteers, had her house raised by Black and Tans, sided against the Treaty, was shot & imprisoned by Free Staters, went on hunger strike and survived. She also set up a hospital in Kerry but it closed after funding ran dry.

An incredible lady who cannot be summarised in this post.

#OnThisDay 1922 Michael Collins (X in pic) accepted the handover of Dublin Castle on behalf of the Provisional Government.

Reportedly, ‘His Majesty’s last Viceroy in Ireland the Lord Lieutenant, Lord Fitzalan said
‘You are seven minutes late, Mr.Collins’. 

The Irish leader is said to have responded acidly, 

‘We’ve been waiting over seven hundred years, you can have the seven minutes.’’

I can’t tell if the “You’re seven minutes late” line was actually said or if it’s just from the super factual Michael Collins movie.

#OnThisDay 1988 Seán MacBride, son of Maud Gonne & Major John MacBride died. MacBride joined the Volunteers as a teenager. He became Chief of Staff of the IRA in 1936 & later a TD. MacBride lead Amnesty International & was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974.

#OnThisDay 1923 Four men were executed by the Free State for illegal possession of arms in Roscrea, Tipperary. They were:

Frederick Burke

Patrick Russell

Martin O’Shea

Patrick McNamara

A fifth man, James Lillis was executed in Carlow.

Pic below shows one of the tricolour draped coffins driven through Roscrea.

#OnThisDay 1921 British troops imposed a curfew around Capel St, Church St &North King St in Dublin city centre, allowing nobody in or out.House-to-house searches were made but no significant persons or arms dumps were found. Tanks were used to break in doors.