IRELAND AND THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR
Biographical articles and notes on Republican volunteers.
Updated 20th Jan. 2005
Kit Conway - hero of JaramaBy Sean Ua Cearnaigh in the Irish Democrat Feb, 1987.
Added to the website Jan 18th 2005 after the author gave his permission, CC. Thanks to Sean for his permission to republish this piece. Should anyone else have memories of Conway please contact me. Copyright rests with Sean.
"Two excellent books, published within the last few years, have done much to recall the memory of the 59 Irishmen who died in defence of the Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The books in question are Michael O'Riordan's Connolly Column, and Sean Cronin's biography of Frank Ryan. Reading both one is instantly impressed by the courage and dedication of Ryan's men. Perhaps the most heroic of them all was Kit Conway, Tipperaryman, veteran of the Black and Tan struggle and the Civil War." < H2 > JACK White
"Jack White of Ballymena"
By T.J. McElligott, Ballymena Guardian, 3 August 1989, p. 8
"WHEN THE General Election of 1945 was announced, a retired officer of the British Army, then living in his family's ancestral home at Whitehall, Broughshane, offered to stand as a Socialist Republican candidate in Mid Antrim.
His announcement was, to say the least, scarcely expected in the heartland of loyalist Ulster but Jack White was never a man to tread water in politics or religion, in love or friendship. He did not just have strong views on everything and anything, he had views which might be considered extreme on most matters."
Added January 22nd 2005, CC Tony Birtill interviewed Liverpool Irishman Frank Deegan,
who, half a century ago, fought in the Spanish Civil War. Added Jan 20th 2005 Here are several reports of the public unveiling of the memorial to 11
Waterford volunteers for the Spanish Republic. The memorial was launched
on July 9th. Here are several reports. Importantly, I have also included
the initial financial appeal, as money is still needed.
Waterford
News & Star 16th July 2004: - City salutes its Spanish Civil War
heroes
The
Boxing Parson
Resource Spring edition, 1988. This was a Church
of Ireland magazine. With this article on the life of Reverend R.
M. Hilliard, we begin a series of reflections on the lives of prominent
Christians from Irish history who did not shy away from the challenge
of living out the revolutionary political commitment which the gospel
requires.
By Stephen Hilliard
It is now over 50 years since Robert Martin Hilliard, known as the
Boxing Parson, died fighting fascism in Spain; yet he still refuses
to lie down, and interest in this colourful character, far from waning,
is steadily increasing with the passage of time. Belfast
police report of Socialist meeting on SCW About 400 persons were present and the proceedings which commenced at
7.45 p.m. and terminated at 9-30 p.m. passed over quietly."
Extracts
from the Memoirs of Eoin MacNamee
He was a republican activist, including a period in London during the
1930's. A copy of these memoirs is held in the NI Political Collection,
Linen Hall Library, Belfast. Brief notes on Charlie Donnelly and Jack
White.
This selection is based on translations from the book about an Irish language
paper, An t-Eirneach. These notes are based on a few individuals
and their connections to the Spanish Civil War. I'm using bold just to
highlight names connected with Spain. Thanks to Terry McB for his translation
of the articles. Interesting people mentionmed are F Ryan, E McGrotty
and Eugene Downing.
The attitude of this magazine, whose readership was mainly language activists
and republicans was that 'these young men were badly needed in their own
country, and it is certain that most of their friends thought that their
friends who had gone to fight in the international brigade "were mad"
and that the whole campaign was nonsense. Other friends said that the
likes of Ryan was badly needed in Ireland and that his departure was a
blow for the Irish language and republican movements.'
Added to this site,9th August 2004
Connolly Column Fifteenth International
Brigade Several
articles and letters by Eugene
Downing Eugene
has written one piece on the siege of Connolly House, here is another
article by an historian on the same events. - The
Storming of Connolly House Brian
Hanley in History Ireland Volume 7 (2), Summer 1999, p5-7 Manus O'Riordan has again produced more marvellous research
on an Irish volunteer, Anti-fascists
from Ireland Updated Spring 2004 Irish and Jewish Volunteers in the SCW By Joe Monks, a veteran of the
International Brigades Portrait
of an Irish Anti-Fascist Frank Edwards
By Manus O'Riordan © belongs to the
author, 1983. Added 15th Aug. 2000 Some details of Brian Goold Verschoyle who went to Spain
Ideals indecently
buried. In 1937, Bob Doyle left his native Dublin to fight on
the republican side in the Spanish civil war. Obituaries "Death of Hugh Hunter" in Unity,
newspaper of the northern Region of the CPI, 20th May 1972 Added
20th August 2004 Obit for Peter O'Connor. There
was also an obituary and related pieces written about Peter O'Connor
in Unity, the Northern Ireland paper of the CPI during June-July
1993 Obituary for Harry Fisher an American
veteran by Manus O’Riordan, 2004. This has interesting material,
including references to John Power and Andrew Flanagan. Reviews
- new book on F Ryan Frank Ryan - patriot or collaborator? Review 3
A more hostile review by Robert Stradling has also been added. "
Indeed, the booklet is a demolition job which leaves hardly one aspect
of Ryan's reputation intact" Read
more here. This article was reproduced from KSL No 14, March 1998. The KSL is the
Bulletin of the Kate Sharpley Library, an anarchist library. You can contact
them at KSL, BM Hurricane, London, WC1N 3XX
(not relevant to Spain, but they give an indication of his developing political opinions.
Where Casement would
have stood To-day
By CAPTAIN J. R. WHITE Being the substance of an address delivered to
the Roger Casement Sinn Fein Club on the 20th Anniversary of Casement's
death
Written by J R White Published Martin Lester, Ltd, Dublin 1919.
Ciaran Crossey: Note 9th May 2000: I have not edited this piece, not out
of deference, but because I am trying to allow people to read what White
did write. The style will appear strange to readers today, but that happens
with a lot of political documents. A selection of
general material on Irish involvement, i.e. D Bell's university thesis, Material on
Nationalist/Franco's Volunteers If you want to contact me, feel free, cpcrossey@hotmail.com
I look forward to any comments, questions or corrections. Brothers in Arms
Waterford Memorial to IB volunteers unvieled 9th July 2004
The wheel turns full circle
On Friday evening last in front of The Mall, Waterford, a
piece of history was written into the social fabric of Waterford. It
concerned the unveiling of a monument to the 11 Waterford volunteers who
fought in defence of the Spanish Republic in the XVth International Brigade
1936-’38.
Launch
of Public Subscription Appeal
Launch of Public Subscription Appeal at Waterford City Hall Thursday
March 25 at 7.30 p.m. for a Memorial to the Waterford Volunteers who
fought in defence of the Spanish Republic.
Spanish
Civil War veterans meet again
“You
are history – you are legend”
by Ken Keable. [This article is reprinted from the
Irish Democrat. Essentially the same piece appeared in An Phoblacht,
22th July 2004]
RM
Hilliard, died Spain Feb. 1937
Added to this site, August 5th 2004
Bill Scott was speaking at a showing
of the film, Battle of Madrid
"SUBJECT: Northern Ireland Socialist Party Lecture and Film Show
I beg to report that under the auspices of the Northern and Socialist
Party the film entitled ''Defence of Madrid" was shown in the ILP Hall,
48 York Street, Belfast, on Sunday night, l8th April, 1937. Prior to
the film show a short lecture was given by Lieut. William Scott, late
of the International Column in Spain, who described conditions during
his stay there.
in Labour Hall, York St., On Sunday, 18/4/37 City of Belfast.
DETECTIVE DEPARTMENT, (Crime Special Branch)
Royal Ulster Constabulary,
Chichester Street.
19th April, 1937
Head Constable C.S. Branch.
Read the rest of the report by J Mooney, Constable 3924!!
Added
to this site, August 5th 2004
A few small extracts
Michael O'Riordan addressed Irish LP conference
Spanish Anti-Fascist War 1936-1939
Sunday, September 30, 2001
One of the last International Brigadiers from Ireland, Eugene
died on July 27th 2003.
These articles and 3 obituaries were mainly added, August 2003.
this time it's a collection of biographical articles on Mick Lehane.
Added 17th Nov. 2001 © Manus O'Riordan
This is a substantial list of those who went
out to Spain on the Republican side.
Initially drawn on several books it has been added to by our research.
by Manus
O'Riordan © belongs to the author, 1987.
Added 28th July 2000
and ended up dying in the Stalinist Gulags.Eugene Egan in Fortnight June 1993
Link fixed, Jan. 17th 2005
Obituaries for a number
of volunteers on the republican side of the SCW
Maurice
Levitas, who died February 14th 2001. He was
one of the last handful of Irish survivors of the International Brigade
residing in either Ireland or Britain.
I recently found another one, by
Ken Keable in Saothar, No. 24, 1997-8. Apologies for the
delay.
Joe Monks, Paddy
McAllister, Ewart Milne
and three for Eugene Downing, one by Manus
O'Riordan, the second from Oisín
Breatnach which was carried on Indymedia, July 31st 2003
Manus wrote a further one that appeared in Saothar,
the journal of the Irish Labour History Society No. 28, 2003.
Fearghal McGarry: Frank Ryan, Historical Association of Ireland:
Life and Times Series, 2002, EUR9.00
Review 1 Reviewed
by Manus O’Riordan, Head of Research, SIPTU for History
Ireland, Spring 2003
Review 2 Also
by Manus O'Riordan, Published in the Fall 2003 issue of Irish
Literary Supplement - A Review of Irish Books (Boston)
A rebel in Barcelona: Jack White's first Spanish impressions
I came out to Barcelona as administrator of the second British Red Cross
Unit. Two nurses and myself came on in advance to find a site for the
hospital of the Unit somewhere on the Teruel front. Read
the rest of this article here......
Two old pamphlets by White
The Significance of Sinn Fein- Psychological, Political,
and Economic
Note by J White:
This paper was written about Christmas, 1918, shortly after Sinn Fein’s
triumph in the recent election. The letter of the prophecy that the British
Government would not hesitate to suppress by force a rival assembly in
Dublin has been falsified by events. The accuracy of several other forecasts,
however, is already manifest. Read the
rest of this article here......
links to other (non-Irish, but interesting) documents,
etc.