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.
More Detail
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.