Meeting of the
Supreme Council of the IRB
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The Supreme Council of the IRB meets and issues a statement saying
the "present Peace Treaty between Ireland and Great Britain should be
signed" but goes onto say that members "who have to take public action
as representatives are given freedom of action in this matter."
(Statement is issued to centres on December 12th.)
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Collins
was President; Ó Muirthile was Secretary and O’Duffy Treasurer.
After
this meeting, Liam Lynch writes to O'Donoghue saying that he stood alone at the
Supreme Council meeting.
Hopkinson
says that of Supreme Council was 11 in favour and 4 against.
Curran
gives the following breakdown of the Supreme Council. Against the Treaty
were Liam Lynch, Harry Boland, Joe McKelvey and Charlie Daly. For the
Treaty were Collins, Richard Mulcahy, Gearoid O’Sullivan, Diarmuid O’Hegarty, Sean Ó Muirthile,
Martin Conlan, Joe Vize and
somebody whose first name was Steve. (This is four against and eight
for.) (Curran does say that the other three against joined Lynch
later.)
Townshend
says that Lynch’s fierce opposition forced the Council to adopt a neutral
stance and that Ó Muirthile note (issued on the 12th)
which gave freedom to members who were TDs to vote either way was a break in
the Brotherhood’s tradition of absolute obedience.