June 1923

Jun-01-23/1

After strike-breaking goods convoys, protected by the Free State army, are attacked in Waterford, the local commander, Paddy Paul, called in re-enforcements. (See May-14-23/1 above.) 

On this day, 250 troops from the pro-Treaty Special Infantry Corps, under Colonel Patrick Dalton (which had been set up by the Free State government to, inter alia, break strikes – see Mar-1923/2) arrived in Waterford.  More arrived the following week and it soon had over 600 men deployed, mostly in west Waterford.

An on-going war of attrition ensued between the strikers and the Special Infantry Corps.  Acts of arson, intimidation and assault were common on both sides.  The Special Infantry Corps imposed curfews and something akin to martial law.  The farmers formed their own vigilante groups which, among other actions, intimidated any of their own members who looked to settle with the strikers.  The WFA would not negotiate with the ITGWU and were intent on smashing the union. See Dec-08-23/1.

(A report by the Free State army on July 28th said that the strike had a “political push” behind it.)

 

McCarthy (2015), pgs 123-125; Kissane (2005), pg 162

June-06-23/1

The cabinet of the Free State Government has special meeting on the northern situation with particular reference to the Boundary Commission.  Kevin O’Shiel puts forward maximalist and minimalist claims which should be put before the Commission.

See Jun-09-23/1.

 

Phoenix (1994), pgs 288-289

June-06-23/2

Old IRA leader, Liam Tobin (see Jan-1923/4), sends letter to Cosgrave requesting a meeting with him and Mulcahy.  They say they want to discuss how to keep “to the forefront the ideals and objects for which the late Commander-in-Chief [Collins] gave his life” i.e. acceptance of Treaty as ‘stepping-stone’ to Republic.  They also wanted to discuss grievances as to their treatment in the Free State army. 

This letter gives rise to discussions between Cosgrave, Mulcahy and Attorney-General Kennedy as to how to treat this situation.  Valiulis says that Mulcahy was reluctant to meet them but Cosgrave’s main concern was to that Old IRA may put up candidates in the forthcoming elections (August) and split the Cumann na nGaedheal vote.

See Jun-10-23/1.

 

Valiulis (1985), pg 36

June-06-23/3

Anti-Treaty man, Captain Joseph Healy from Ballina, Co. Mayo is shot dead by a Free State patrol when trying to escape from a house in Stone Park, Claremorris.

 

Price (2012), pg 257

Jun-07-23/1

The Cork Examiner reports the accidental death of Free State Sergeant McCabe when he was shot in Killorglin, Co. Kerry.

 

Doyle (2008), pg 310

Jun-09-23/1

Cosgrave writes to Baldwin saying that his government would be soon ready to present its case to the Boundary Commission.  However, Baldwin goes for a policy of indefinite postponement.  There was no discussion of the Boundary Commission at the British cabinet between May 30th 1923 and January 22nd 1924.

See Jun-27-23/1.

 

Matthews (2004), pgs 114-115

Jun-1920/1

Free State government introduces new Public Safety Bill in the Dáil in which powers to intern and seize land and stock are continued for another six months.  It is heavily criticised by Labour. 

See Jul-02-23/1.

 

Macardle (1999), pg 862

Jun-10-23/1

A meeting takes place between Cosgrave, O’Higgins, MacNeill, Mulcahy, MacMahon and O’Murthuile about the IRB. 

There is conflicting testimony about what transpired at this meeting (and it became controversial after the army mutiny in March 1924).  Mulcahy and O’Murthuile said that the primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss a proposal from Tom Barry to revive the IRB as a way of healing civil war wounds and Mulcahy wanted to revive the IRB so that (a) it would not fall into anti-Treaty hands and (b) be a mechanism for getting anti-Treaty IRA men to destroy their arms. 

O’Higgins subsequently said that he vigorously opposed the reorganisation of the IRB but Mulcahy claimed that the other three ministers “did see at least some reason for the position and did not forbid it”.

See Jun-25-23/1.

 

Valiulis (1985), pgs 101-105

Jun-10-23/2

Dr Francis Ferran, anti-Treaty TD for Sligo-Mayo East (and originally from Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry) dies in custody in the Curragh. 

The same day, Tom Maguire, anti-Treaty leader from Mayo escapes from Custume Barracks, Athlone.

 

Price (2012), pg 264-265 & 267; Grant (2018), pg 139

Jun-12-23/1

Free State soldier, Private Henderson, is arrested for a bank robbery on Capel St, Dublin.

 

Dorney (2017), pg 261

Jun-13-23/1

Two anti-Treaty prisoners attempt to escape from Kilkenny Jail using a ‘rope’ made out of bedsheets.  However, they are spotted by sentries who shot at them.  One of the two prisoners, James Morrissey, is fatally wounded.

 

Walsh (2018), pg 243

Jun-22-23/1

After an incident on June 2nd, General Paddy O’Daly and two other Free State officers are accused of manhandling two daughters (Flossie and Jessie McCarthy) of local doctor, Dr Randall McCarthy at their home in Inchlough, Kenmare, Co. Kerry.  The two women were seized from their house in the middle of the night, flogged with belts and had motor oil or grease rubbed in their hair.  Ferriter quotes Regan as saying “there was also the implicit suggestion of a sexual assault”.

There is a Free State army enquiry. One officer is found guilty but the other two, including O’Daly, are declared innocent.  Mulcahy argued that there was not enough evidence to warrant a court martial but he was strongly criticised by O’Higgins and others (including Judge Advocate General Cahir Davitt).  O’Daly and the two other officers are forced to resign.

Ernst Blythe says “I did not agree with O’Higgins in feeling particularly revolted at what seems to be merely a case of a couple of tarts getting a few lashes that did them no harm”.  He went onto say that O’Higgins was “almost hysterical about the affair” and suggested that this was because it was “a crime perpetrated against O’Higgins’ own caste”.  (O’Higgins’ father was a doctor.)

 

Hopkinson (1988), pg 264; Dorney (2017), pgs 261-262; Ferriter (2021), pg 106

Jun-25-23/1

Meeting between Cosgrave and Mulcahy and Old IRA representatives (Tobin, Dalton, Thornton and O’Malley). 

More Detail

See Nov-09-23/1.

 

Valiulis (1985), pgs 37-39

Jun-27-23/1

Writing to Stanley Baldwin, Cosgrave says “The statesmen on both sides who negotiated the Treaty … believed they were closing the long struggle between the two countries and that they were putting their hand to something great and constructive from which a new relationship of friendship between the countries would emerge”. 

He went on to complain about “a campaign of hate against the Free State, its people and its Government, which has been carried out with renewed vigour for some past time by a group in England” and said that there was “on foot in England a very deliberate and very malignant conspiracy to create once again a state of hostility between the two countries”. 

Cosgrave was referring to a group of southern loyalists, NI unionists and Die-Hard Conservatives.  (This group was led by ultra-Die-Hard Colonel John Gretton, MP and the editor of the Morning Post, Howell Arthur Gwynne.) They had set up their own ‘intelligent network’ in the Free State and produced alarmist reports saying such things as that the Cosgrave government was in league with the anti-Treaty faction and was going to declare a republic and attack NI.  This group also tried to obstruct the Free State government in its efforts to raise a crucial loan in the City of London.

See Jul-20-23/1.

 

Kissane (2005), pg 28; McMahon (2008), pgs 185-189

Jun-1923/2

The Dáil passes the first Army Pension Act.  This is followed by the Military Service Pension Acts.  These acts award pensions to those who took part in “active service” between 1916 and 1923.  They excluded those who took the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War and members of Cumman na mBan.  (A subsequent Act in 1934 included these two categories.)

These, and subsequent acts, also allowed for pension applications for widows, parents and dependent siblings of people who were killed in the 1916-1923 period.

By 1957, some 82,000 people had applied under the 1924 and 1934 Acts but only 15,700 had been successful.  By 1960, just over 18,000 pensions had been awarded and was costing the government £500,000 (£11.6m in 2021 terms).

 

Ferriter (2021), pgs 129-130

Jun-1923/3

A commissioner is appointed to run Leitrim County Council by the Department of Local Government due to maladministration, dissent and deteriorating rate collection.

 

McGarty (2020), pg 105

Jun-1923/4

 Anti-Treaty prisoner Daniel Downey from Dundalk dies in the Curragh camp hospital.

 

Durney (2011), pg 162

 

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