Rory O'Connor's Press Conference

Introduction from Chronology

Rory O'Connor holds what was to become an infamous press conference in the HQ of de Valera’s Cumann na Poblachta in Suffolk St in Dublin.  

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O’Connor says that he represents over 80% of the army and that he was supported by 12 of the IRA’s 14 divisions and 52 of the 73 brigades.  He says that the army is “in a dilemma, having the choice of supporting its oath to the Republic or still giving allegiance to the Dáil, which, it considers, has abandoned the Republic.  The contention of the army is that the Dáil did a thing that it had no moral right to do    The Dáil, in deciding that the Irish Republic shall go into the British Empire, has committed an act of national disgrace that we won’t stand for”. He goes on to say “if a government goes wrong it must take the consequences”

When asked if he would obey President Griffith, he said he would not as he had violated his oath.  When asked if the army would forcibly prevent an election being held, O'Connor says "It will have the power to do so." He went on to say that “the holding of the Convention means that we repudiate the Dáil … We will set up an Executive which will issue orders to the I.R.A. all over the country.”  In reply to the question on whether it can be taken that we are going to have a military dictatorship, O’Connor said: "You can take it that way if you like."

The following day, O’Connor denies that there would be a military dictatorship.

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