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”