Written by Nicky Getgood on Monday, June 28th, 2010 ( Start discussion )
Tags: irish centre, irish heritage, michael walsh, The Collins 22 Society
Michael Collins the charismatic secret leader
I was sorry to have missed June’s Irish Heritage evening but I don’t completely miss out, as Chair Michael Walsh has written a full and insightful report on what sounded like a fantastic evening:
Fast Hard Hitting Drama
Michael Collins at Downing St
Not just drama but a dramatic documentary film, containing precious early footage of the titanic intelligence war between Michael Collins and British Intel lance in Dublin in1919/21. A even larger than normal crowd at this Birmingham Irish heritage Event, sat spellbound and gripped by the fast moving action in this historic footage.
Irish Heritage Every Month
It was brought to us by the Collins 22 Society, and presented by its UK Secretary Peter Duffy and Organiser Martin Dunne, who fielded questions and prompted deep and lively debate. This Birmingham Irish Heritage Event was held on the first Wednesday in June 2010. Heritage Group Events are held on the first Wednesday of every month and commence at 7pm upstairs at the Irish Centre, High St. Digbeth, Birmingham.
On the first Wednesday of July, that is the 7th, Birmingham Archives will be presenting their collection of very early and historic photographs of Ireland and the Irish. General public are welcome with admission and refreshments free.
Collins 22 Society
Martin Dunne,organiser Collins 22 Society, dealing with questions and debate on Collins
The gripping and fast moving historic film presented by the Collins 22 Society entitled Get Collins, aptly named as it was about the intense efforts of British Intelligence and Military get Michael Collins dead or alive. We were drawn into the efforts of Collins and the I R A to win a vicious war, with each side trying to penetrate the other for top secret information on planned moves.
The film revealed intriguing detail British efforts to identify what in today’s pop culture would be known as the “Main Man” i.e. the charismatic leader, so that they could assassinate him or strange as it may seem negotiate with him, as the opportunity presented itself. In graphic detail we were shown how one of their efforts came to grief.
Credit to Both Sides
A sergeant major named Jack Byrens retired in England and operating under the alias John Jameson, succeeded in persuaded Irish activists in the union movement in London, that he was anxious to help in the struggle for Irish Independence. I R A Officers were also persuaded that he was genuine, and subsequently a meeting was set up with Collins. At the eleventh hour it was discovered that his plan was to kill Collins on behalf the British, consequently he was apprehended and executed by the I R A.
Strangely this was a story that brings credit to both sides, a dramatisation of his execution was shown including the last words of this brave man” God Save the King”. The I R A were the only ones to have witnessed this and they could have kept it hidden, but instead they put it on record, acknowledging the act of a brave man adhering to his principles as the I R A adhered to theirs, credit due to both sides.
British Rely On IRA Analysis
Peter Duffy, Secretary Collins 22 Society presenting exciting film Get Collins
Subsequently this exciting film revealed an even stranger and greater secret, a second British Agent trying to approach Collins. This part of the great story of Collins was unknown to me and probably to most of our readers. This man Andy Cope was a secret negotiator empowered by the highest levels of the British Establishment, to make contact with the number one name on the wanted list. A man with a very high price on his head, Michael Collins.
A difficult and dangerous task, given that the previous approach had been from an assassin. A very risky mission for Cope whose life depended on the belief of the British that I R A intelligence would correctly analyse the situation, and understandably not shoot first and answer questions later.
Bloody Sunday
Collins did meet him several times, and the first steps were taken on the path to more formal negotiations, which evently led to independence for 26 out of the 32 counties. The film drew us into these historic events, by presenting a vivid picture of how before and during the approach by the British Agent Cole, British forces rampaged through Dublin and the rest of the country bringing terror by night and day.
Original Poster for Croke Park match invaded by British military
The audience watched with baited breath the “truth being stranger than fiction” episode of the “Cairo Gang”, British Agents brought in from the Middle East and hidden about Dublin, on a mission to assassinate the entire top leadership of the IRA in Dublin, thus decapitating the organisation in one simultaneous strike.
However Collins was one step ahead and uncovered the plan, then struck first sending his men out to make simultaneous raids, on the more than a dozen secret addresses of the British agents, shooting 14 of them dead, on what became known as Bloody Sunday 1920. Hours later British forces invaded Croke Park, killing several spectators and even one of the players.
Never Under Estimate the British
All war is a grim business, and regrettably sometimes it includes getting your retaliation in first. British strategy included maximum terror, secret assassination missions, and high level secret negotiations occurring at the same time. One of commentators in the film said it seemed like the right hand did not know what the left hand was doing as far as the British were concerned.
Section of enthralled crowd at Irish Heritage Event
An understandable viewpoint, but I would not be so sure. Never underestimate the British, the left hand may indeed not have known what the right was doing, but I feel sure that the directing minds at top level did. Great credit is due to Collins and his comrades in navigating their way through that labyrinth to remove 26 of the 32 counties from foreign rule. Not just any foreign rule but that of a powerful empire well practiced in the art of divide and rule.
Wednesday July 7th Next Exciting Evening
A truly memorable evening with an exciting film which must be seen again by everybody. Remember next Heritage Event first Wednesday July 7th upstairs in the Irish Centre, at 7pm, general public welcome with free admission and refreshments.
Michael Walsh
Written by Nicky Getgood on Friday, July 10th, 2009 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Birmingham Irish Club, Irish Heritage Group, michael walsh, peter duffy
‘Birmingham Irish Heritage Group Events uncover a broad sweep of Irish Heritage covering every interest and period.’ They do at that, and the last one seems to have been a gem I’m sorry to have missed. Here’s Chair Michael Walsh’s words on Peter Duffy’s talk about his colourful family history.
Amazing Personal Discovery
A personal journey by Peter Duffy uncovered a rare and amazing discovery. All was revealed by Peter Duffy in his talk at the July Event of the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group. The Heritage Event which commences at 7pm on the first Wednesday of each Month was back at its regular venue The Irish Club, High St, Deritend, Birmingham.
Peter’s journey from Birmingham was down a pathway of family history. A pathway with a difference for this one led to The Bureau of Military History in Ireland housed in Cathal Brugha Barracks in Dublin. Amongst many interesting records held are personal statements collected from people not normally being written about? These were the foot soldiers that fought at “the sharp end” in the 1916 rising and the War of Independence in Ireland. These were the men and women who followed orders and risked all and who for everyone’s mutual protection knew nothing of the bigger picture.
You could have heard a pin drop as Peter described how going through the records he discovered a statement from a relative who had been at the “very sharp end” one Sunday morning. Not just any Sunday but Sunday 21st November 1920 in Dublin, known to history as Bloody Sunday. Regrettably it was followed years later by a second Bloody Sunday, the slaughter in Derry in1972. Strangely the British media never mentioned the first Bloody Sunday when dealing with the actions of the Parachute Regiment in Derry on Bloody Sunday ’72.
Peter’s relative had just followed orders, meeting his comrades at the appointed place after dodging the security forces to raid a house in Dublin. A house unknown to any, other than the commander of the group and perhaps his second I/c. Then after posting guards to prevent surprise by Black and Tans they entered, encounter their target, an English Intelligence Agent and shot him dead. Here it is perhaps useful to remember that many people involved in the horrifying violence of war, be it the first or second world wars or Independence Wars never speak about their experiences. Again and again their relatives will speak about him as being the quiet man, and Peter always saw his relative as the quiet man.
What Peter’s “Quiet Man” did not know on that morning but would have known later was that their target house, was not the only house being raided, there was another and another in all 14 British Intelligence Officers were shot dead. This was a very special operation mounted by IRA Intelligence commanded by Michael Collins. The 14 shot dead in one swoop in different parts of the City were known to IRA Intelligence as “The Cireo Gang”.
This is because they had been secretly brought in from the Middle East, thus being unknown to the IRA. They were not stationed in army or police barracks but secretly dispersed throughout Dublin, their mission being to decapitate the IRA by assassinating their leadership in one simulations swoop. Very possibly this would have dealt a death blow to the struggle for independence, clearly at the highest level the British thought so. Somehow IRA intelligence ferreted out information from the highest level, and struck first.
Later that Sunday the British military visited Croke Park during the normal football match and killed 13 spectators and one of the players on the pitch Michael Hogan captain of Tipperary. In February 2007 the English rugby team were invited to play Ireland at Croke Park for the first time since that visit on Bloody Sunday. The British media did not mention why the Hogan stand was so named, but our speaker Peter did in fairness state that the B B C later apologised for not telling the whole truth.
An amazing discovery shared with the large crowd at the Heritage Event that the speakers relative “The Quiet Man” should have risked all in such a rare vital and well known historical event. Birmingham Irish Heritage Group Events uncover a broad sweep of Irish Heritage covering every interest and period. The public are welcome free of charge at 7pm on the first Wednesday of each month, upstairs at the Irish Club, High Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, followed by refreshments.
Michael Walsh, 9th July 2009
Written by Nicky Getgood on Monday, June 29th, 2009 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Alan Bairner, Birmingham Irish Heritage Group, birminghamirishclub, michael walsh, peter duffy, Studying Irish Sport
Michael Walsh, Chair of the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group has sent me another little write-up of their last event to whet your appetite for this Wednesday evening’s talk by Peter Duffy- The 1916 Uprising and War of Independence – A personal Journey of Discovery (action starts at 7pm in The Irish Club).
Red Hand of O’Gara
The June Event of the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group carried a title which did not do justice to the depth of the presentation given by Alan Bairner PhD. The subject “Studying Irish Sport” whilst interesting in it’s self to many, revealed much about the underlying clash of identity in North East Ireland.
Alan demonstrated much authority on the subject having spent many years there engaged in field research and lecturing. Anybody who missed this event lost the opportunity to hear a very professional speaker, who in addition had the talent to engage with the crowd. After a prolonged session of interesting questions and contributions from the floor, a halt had to be called as we had run out of time. However we do hope to have Alan back in the not to distant future.
Birmingham Irish Heritage events commence at 7 pm on the first Wednesday of each month, but this was the first to be held in a palatial listed building. Not just any listed building, but one that had been visited over a century ago, by no less a personage than Princess Helena Christian of Schleswig- Holstein. Now I would hazard a guess that Schleswig-Holstein is not a name that rings a bell with many of our readers, even those who are supporters of the Heritage Group and I readily forgive them for that.
Even if it did ring a bell at one time and they had forgotten, they are in good company. Lord Palmerston the British Politian who held high office for much of the nineteenth century, is on record as having said about the mind numbing complexities of the problem.
“Only three people understood the Schleswig-Holstein Question. The first was Albert, the Prince consort and he is dead. The second is a German professor, and he is in an asylum. And the third was myself — and I have forgotten it.”
This answer did not do any harm to Lord Palmerston, for shortly afterwards he won an election. So there is hope for Gordon Brown, and indeed for the Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen, if either of them were to comment in relation to the financial meltdown that there were only three men who had the answer to it and:
Regrettably the first man was dead. The second man has become quite mad. And the third is myself – and I have forgotten it.
However such extraordinary answers would not cut any ice with the crowd at the Heritage Group Event, if their keen questioning of this months speaker was any guide. There were questions and contributions from John MacIntyre, Patricia Naylon, Charlie Neylon, John Costello and several others whose names are regrettably unknown to me. They were several contributions from the crowd on rugby player O’Gara meeting Queen Elizabeth as part of the Lions Team.
Each received a thorough reply from Alan based on his long experience seeing first hand the feelings generated by the separate sports of opposing communities in the six counties. The debate would have gone on for much longer had we not run out of time, but likely it continued in the well appointed lounge afterwards. Those who missed this exciting event can watch it on film, on the internet at digbeth.org thanks to the support of the operator of the Digbeth is Good Blog, Nicky Getgood. Type Irish Heritage into the search box half way down the screen on the right hand side and click GO.
Regarding the headline of this report, the picture shows that O’Gara’s hands were in his pockets and the red was on the faces of the others, but much too long for a headline. Anyway why spoil a snappy headline, with a pedantic adherence to trivial facts. Is O’Gara on his way to joining the hate figure of the British media “Hand of God” Diego Maradona.
Michael Walsh 27th June 2009.
