RTE History Show: Dramatised Testimonies

In 2019 the Military Archives collaborated with the RTÉ History Show on a 10-part special series on the War of Independence. As part of this collaboration the Military Archives commissioned the dramatisation of a selection of testimonies from the Bureau of Military History and the Military Service Pensions Collection. These recordings help to bring to life the words and experiences of some of the people who were alive and active during this very significant period in Irish history, and may be of particular interest to secondary school history teachers as a teaching aid to their curriculum.

As part of this series, the RTÉ History Show also recorded two episodes on location at the Military Archives. One is on the topic of the Military Archives itself and explores the important collections on the War of Independence in our custody and how we came to have them. The second covers the personal family stories from this period of the series’ host, broadcaster Myles Dungan, and his nephew, the journalist Philip Bouchier-Hayes. Both of these are also provided as a resource in this section.


RTE History Show Episode 8: The Military Archives

In this programme, broadcast Sunday 10 November 2019, Myles Dungan visits the Military Archives at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines, to find out how our records were created, how they are stored and collated, & what they tell people about the Anglo-Irish War.

RTE History Show Episode 10: Three Killings

In this programme Myles Dungan discusses the War of Independence activities of two families - the McKenna's and the Clinton's - from the Cavan / Meath boarder area around the village of Mullagh. Myles Dungan is the great-grandson of TP McKenna Snr and Sarah Clinton, the couple married in 1890 that links these two families. He is also joined my Philip Bouchier Hayes, their great-great-grandson.

Much of this episode was recorded on location at the Military Archives.


Michael Brennan - Co. Clare

OC East Clare Brigade IRA, 1921
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1068
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Michael Brennan was one of the leading IRA men in County Clare and the leader of the East Clare Flying Column. In this extract he discusses the lack of suitable weaponry held by his IRA unit during early 1920 and some of his activities during the War of Independence.

Frank Saurin - Intelligence

Member of the Irish Volunteers, Dublin, 1916; IRA Intelligence attached GHQ, 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #715
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Frank Saurin started working for IRA GHQ Intelligence Branch during August 1920, a full-time, paid position working under Michael Collins. His brief involved monitoring hotels, restaurants and any other venues that Auxiliaries or British Secret Service agents gathered. His work was instrumental in the events of 21 September 1920, 'Bloody Sunday'. In this extract, he discusses some of his activities.

Eamon Broy -DPM

IRA Intelligence Agent in British Police, Dublin Castle.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1280
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Eamon 'Ned' Broy, from Rathangan, Co. Kildare, joined the Dublin Metropolitan Police in 1911. In this extract he discusses his reasons for joining the DMP, as opposed to the Royal Irish Constabulary, his intelligence activities on behalf of the Irish Volunteers / IRA and his association with Michael Collins.

David Nelligan - DMP

IRA Intelligence Agent in British police service.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #380
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David Nelligan joined the Dublin Metropolitan Police in 1918 and worked in 'G' Division. He did not like the nature of the work and offered his services to Sinn Féin, who encouraged him to resign. In June 1920 Michael Collins made contact with Nelligan and he returned to the DMP as an intelligence agent for the IRA within Dublin Castle.

Charlie Dalton (1) - GHQ Intelligence

Member of "The Squad" 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #434
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Charlie Dalton joined the Irish Volunteers in 1917. In 1920 he was assigned to the Intelligence section of IRA GHQ under Liam Tobin, the Deputy Director of Intelligence. One of his jobs involved liaising with Michael Collins' spies within the Dublin Metropolitan Police as well as within the Post Office. In this extract he discusses his intelligence activities during the War of Independence, including his role in 'Bloody Sunday' 21 November 1920.

Lilly Mernin - Intelligence Agent

Shorthand typist, Dublin Castle, 1914 - 1922; Co-operated with IRA Intelligence.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #441
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From 1914-1922 Lilly Mernin was employed as a typist in the Dublin District Garrison Adjutants Office at Dublin Castle. In 1918 she met Michael Collins and became an intelligence agent of the IRA, providing information crucial to the assassinations that took place on 'Bloody Sunday', 21 November 1920.

Eithne (Eibhlin) Lawless - Secretary to Michael Collins

Secretary to Michael Collins, 1918 - 1920.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #414
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Eibhlin Lawless worked in the Sinn Féin Office at 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin. In this extract she describes the kind of gall and coolness that kept Michael Collins alive for the duration of the War of Independence.

Seamus Finn - County Meath IRA

IRA Officer, County Meath. Second-in-Command to Sean Boylan.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #858
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Seamus Finn was involved in one of the most successful operations of the IRA in County Meath during the War of Independence, the attack on Trim RIC barracks on 30 September 1920. In this extract, Finn discusses the attack and the severe retaliation that followed, rural criminality and IRA attempts to police it.

Sean Boylan - OC Meath Brigade

Captain Irish Volunteers, Meath, 1914 - 1916; Senior Officer IRA, Meath Brigade, 1918 - 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1715
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In this extract Boylan discusses identifying and punishing the members of a gang terrorising parts of North Meath who shot IRA Volunteer Mark Clinton, the brother of his intelligence officer Pat Clinton.

Sean Farrelly - Meath Brigade

Brigade Vice-Commandant IRA, Meath, 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1734
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In his Bureau of Military History Witness Statement, Farrelly discusses some of his activities during the War of Independence. These include the use of Irish language classes as a cover for organising the Irish Volunteers in the parishes surrounding Carnaross, County Meath, his role in the investigation and punishment of the murder by a criminal gang, known as the Black Hand, of IRA Volunteer Mark Clinton, and his own arrest by the Army and RIC.

Joe Lawless - Fingal Brigade

Member Irish Volunteers, Fingal, 1916; Officer IRA, Dublin, 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1043
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Joe Lawless, based in North Dublin, was approached in June 1920 by Sean Boylan, Commanding Officer of the Meath IRA, to take part in an operation to round up the men who had been responsible for criminal activity in the North West of Meath that had culminated in the murder of IRA Volunteer Mark Clinton.

Vinnie Byrne - The Squad

Officer IRA, Dublin; Member “The Squad” and ASU, 1919 - 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #423
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Vinnie Byrne was one of the so called '12 Apostles' - the Dublin IRA assassination 'Squad' working for Michael Collins. In this extract, Leonard talks about his induction into 'The Squad' and his participation in the killing of Dublin Metropolitan Police detective John Barton as well as his other activities during the War of Independence.

Cahir Davitt - Republican Courts

Judge, Dail Courts, 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #993
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Cahir Davitt, son of Land League founder Michael Davitt, was a young barrister who would go on to become a Justice of the High Court in the 1950s. He was working on the Connaught circuit during the War of Independence. Davitt found briefs were few and far between thanks to the establishment of Republican arbitration courts to settle civil cases. In this extract Davitt discusses the Republican Courts and his involvement.

Jeremiah Mee - RIC

Constable RIC, Kerry, 1919 -1920; Led mutiny RIC, Listowel, 1920.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #379
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Jeremiah Mee was an RIC member who led a mutiny at Listowel in 1920 in reaction to their being asked to participate along with the military in beating their own people. In this extract he discusses the reasons for the mutiny and refusal to hand the barracks over to the British military.

The Execution of John Harrison

Sources from the Brigade Activity Report for County Leitrim, Military Service Pensions Collection.

These extracts from the Brigade Activity Report for County Leitrim examines the circumstances surrounding the execution of a local farmer from a Methodist family, John Harrison, by the IRA for suspected spying during the War of Independence.

Nora Martin (Nee O'Brien) - Intelligence

Testimony of Nora Martin taken from the Military Service Pension application of Ellen Carroll.
Reference MSP34REF39909.

Described as 'the most active belligerent member' of Cumann na mBan who was in close touch with the leaders of Cork City and County, in 1941 Nora Martin was asked to endorse the appeal of Ellen Carroll for a Military Service pension. In this testimony she gives insight into Cumann na mBan and IRA intelligence activity in the Cork area during the War of Independence.

Josephine O'Donoghue - Cork Intelligence Agent

Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Josephine O'Donoghue.
Reference MSP34REF55794

O'Donoghue, then Brown, went to work in 1917 as a typist in Cork Military Barracks and in late 1919 contacted Officers of the Cork Brigade of the IRA and offered her services as an intelligence agent. In this extract she discusses some of her intelligence activities.

Catherine Byrne - Civilian

Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Catherine Byrne.
Reference MSP34REF59728

While not actively involved in hostilities, Catherine Bynre's Dublin home was, in effect, an arms dump and safe house for the duration of the War of Independence. In this testimony she describes these activities and some of the things that happened there, including how the first Thompson sub-machine gun in the country was brought to her house and examined by the likes of Michael Collins, Emmet Dalton, Oscar Traynor and JJ O'Connell.

Nora Gavin - Civilian

Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Nora Gavin.
Reference MSP34REF55990.

During Easter Week of 1916 Nora Gavin, from Castlebar, County Mayo, was dismissed from her job at the Post Office in Kiltimagh because of her associations with the Irish Volunteers, narrowly avoiding arrest. She joined Cumann na mBan in 1916 and from 1919 she incurred many serious risks, suffering mental illness from her experiences.

Margaret Broderick Nicholson - Cumann na mBan

Cumann na mBan, Galway, 1921.
Bureau of Military History Witness Statement #1682
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Margaret Broderick joined Cumann na mBan in 1917. From 1918 she took part in intelligence activities, but did not shy away from more physical confrontation. In this testimony she discusses some of her activities during the War of Independence.

Sean Hyde - Intelligence GHQ

Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Sean Hyde.
Reference MSP34REF16364

Sean Hyde from Cork was heavily involved in intelligence work in Dublin both prior to the War of Independence and in the run up to Bloody Sunday 1920. In his application to the Military Service Pensions board he outlined his activities from 1916-1923 and in particular talks about his planning for the killing of RIC Assistant Commissioner William Redmond in January 1920.

Thomas Newell - Intelligence GHQ

Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Thomas Newell.
Reference MSP34REF8996

Thomas Newell, also known as Sweeney Newell, had served with the Irish Volunteers in Galway during the 1916 Easter Rising. In 1920 he was transferred to IRA GHQ Intelligence section in order to identify and combat the group within British Intelligence under the command of Eugene Igoe. While trailing some of Igoe's men he was captured, shot and imprisoned. In his Military Service Pensions application he discusses his arrest and severe, brutal treatment at the hands of British forces.

Charles Dalton (2) - Trauma

Testimonies taken from a disability pension application made under the Military Service Pension Acts on behalf of Charles Dalton by his wife, Teresa.
Reference 24SP1153

This testimony indicates how Charles Dalton was left suffering from severe psychological trauma from his experiences during the War of Independence. Features testimony from mental health professional Dr Harry Lee Parker, assigned by the Pension Referees to examine Dalton on their behalf, future Taoiseach, then Minister for Supplies, Sean Lemass, and his former Intelligence colleague Frank Saurin.

James Paul Norton - Trauma

Unsigned statement in the Military Service Pension file of James Paul Norton relating to his complete mental breakdown as a result of his experiences during the War of Independence.
Reference MSP34REF4136

Norton was only 20 years of age when he took part in the shooting of three British intelligence officers at Morehampton Road during 'Bloody Sunday' 1920, two of whom died. He was subsequently arrested, jailed and mistreated in prison. His experiences resulted in serious psychological damage and he spent most of the remainder of his life in mental institutions and died in Grangegorman in 1974.

Robert McNeill - Belfast Brigade - Prison Break

Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Robert McNeill.
Reference 24SP10196

Robert McNeill discusses conditions and severe treatment and abuse of IRA prisoners in Dartmoor in 1921 during a protest for political status.

Agnes McCarthy - Intelligence & Support, Co.Cork

Testimony taken from the Military Service Pension application of Agnes McCathy.
Reference MSP34REF60655

Agnes McCarthy was the sister of Cork IRA Intelligence chief Florrie O'Donoguhe and was heavily involved with the IRA during the War of Independence. In this extract she discusses how she, her brother and a third man, Leo Murphy, worked together in a clothing shop in Cork while the two men were involved in the IRA.

Nora & Kate Loughhnane - The Killing Of Patrick & Henry Loughnane

Statement on the arrest and killing by Auxillary RIC of Patrick and Henry Loughnane, County Galway, by their mother Kate and sister Nora.
Bureau of Military History Contemporary Documents Series BMH/CD/230/03

Warning: contains graphic details.