Second Anti-Treaty IRA Convention

Introduction from Chronology

The anti-Treaty Army Convention reconvenes in Dublin. 

The Convention adopts a constitution (given as Appendix 8 in O’Donoghue (1986)).  The convention votes narrowly against setting up a military dictatorship but opposes any election on the Treaty in the near future. 

More Detail

A new Executive is elected with the following 16 members Liam Lynch (Cork); Frank Barrett (Clare); Liam Deasy (Cork); Tom Hales (Cork); Tom Maguire (Mayo); Joseph McKelvey (Tyrone); Liam Mellows (Galway); Rory O'Connor (Dublin); Peadar O'Donnell (Donegal); Florrie O'Donoghue (Cork); Sean O'Hegarty (Cork); Ernie O'Malley (Dublin); Seamus Robinson (Tipperary); Joe O'Connor (Dublin); Sean Moylan (Cork) and PJ Ruttledge (Mayo).  (Macardle says that Michael Kilroy was a member rather than Tom Maguire – see Apr-09-22/1.  Neeson says Maguire was a member but he also says that Stan Dardise was a member which would have made it a 17-man Executive.)

When the Executive meets, it makes Liam Lynch Chief-of-Staff and appointed an Army Council of seven (including McKelvey, deputy C-o-S; O’Donoghue, Adj-Gen; O’Malley, Dir of Organisation; Joseph Griffin, Dir of Intelligence; Liam Mellows, QMG; Rory O’Connor, Dir of Engineering; Seumas O’Donovan, Dir of Chemicals and Sean Russell, Dir of Munitions).   Barry's Hotel was made HQ.

O’Donoghue says “the Executive never fused into an effective unit … it never had a common mind or a common policy”

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