Meeting between Cosgrave and
Mulcahy and Old IRA representatives
Introduction from
Chronology
Meeting between Cosgrave and Mulcahy and Old IRA representatives
(Tobin, Dalton, Thornton and O’Malley).
More Detail
The Old IRA group, after
re-iterating their attachment to the Treaty as ‘stepping-stone’ to the Republic
position, attack GHQ’s hostility to them since Collins’ death; the employment
and promotion of ex-British Army soldiers in the Free State army and they
condemn the re-organisation of the IRB within the Free State army by GHQ
officers. They demand the setting up of an inquiry to investigate the
retention and demobilization of officers.
Cosgrave is taken aback by these
demands and Mulcahy leaves the room. Nevertheless, under pressure from
Joe McGrath (Minister of Industry and Commerce who had set himself up as
mediator between the Old IRA and the Government) and perhaps Cosgrave, Mulcahy
holds a series of meetings with the Old IRA during July and August.
Writing to the Old IRA on July 27th
, Mulcahy said he wanted to keep open communication with men who had done so
much for Ireland because (referring to the break-up of the army before the
Civil War) he had seen the damage brought about by isolation and misunderstanding.
However, at another time, he says that the meetings were “distasteful to him
and that the correspondence with the Tobin group was not profitable in any
way”. He seems to have been playing for time until (a) the August
elections were over and (b) the demobilization and professionalisation of the
army were well under way.