Thomas Bernardine Barry (1 July 1897 – 2 July 1980), better known as Tom Barry, was a prominent
guerrilla leader in the
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief th ...
(IRA) during the
Irish War of Independence and the
Irish Civil War. He is best remembered for orchestrating the
Kilmichael ambush
The Kilmichael Ambush ( ga, Luíochán Chill Mhichíl) was an ambush near the village of Kilmichael in County Cork on 28 November 1920 carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence. Thirty-six local IRA v ...
, in which him and his column wiped out a 18 man patrol of
Auxiliaries
Auxiliaries are support personnel that assist the military or police but are organised differently from regular forces. Auxiliary may be military volunteers undertaking support functions or performing certain duties such as garrison troops, ...
, killing sixteen men.
Born in
County Kerry, Barry was the son of a former
Royal Irish Constabulary
The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...
constable. In 1915, at the age of seventeen, he joined the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
and would go on to see action as a gunner in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Despite expressing some British patriotism during his early years, Barry's views slowly began to change towards
Irish republicanism
Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate.
The develop ...
. In his memoir, Barry stated that this started shortly after he heard about the
Easter Rising in 1916, though records show that after the war he made two unsuccessful attempts at joining the
British Civil Service
His Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as His Majesty's Civil Service, the Home Civil Service, or colloquially as the Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy or secretariat of Crown employees that supports His Majesty's Government, which ...
. In July 1920, he joined the IRA's
3rd Cork Brigade. Using his experience from his time in the British Army, he was able to train up he men in the flying column so it could become an effective fighting unit. Barry then became the column's overall commander and would lead the Brigade in a number of successful attacks against British forces, including the ambushes at Kilmichael and
Crossbarry
Crossbarry () is a small village on the R589 regional road in Innishannon parish, County Cork, Ireland. It is about 20 km southwest of the city of Cork. The River Owenabue flows through the village. The West Cork Railway once ran through ...
.
Barry was amongst the republicans that opposed the
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty ( ga , An Conradh Angla-Éireannach), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the ...
. Following the outbreak of the civil war, Barry was briefly imprisoned by the new
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between ...
but managed to escape and go on to command Anti-Treaty forces in the southern regions of Ireland. When it became clear that victory could not be achieved, Barry proposed that the Anti-Treaty IRA should lay down their arms, which led to frequent clashes with
Liam Lynch. Barry still continued to apart of the IRA after the civil war and served briefly as its commander-in-chief in 1937, during which he devised a proposed plan for an IRA offensive into
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
and opened contacts with
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. After leaving the IRA, Barry would write ''
Guerrilla Days in Ireland'', a memoir about his service in World War I and in Ireland.
Early life
Thomas Barry was born in
Killorglin
Killorglin () is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. As of the 2016 CSO census, the town's population was 2,199. Killorglin is on the Ring of Kerry tourist route, and annual events include the August Puck Fair festival, which starts with the crow ...
,
County Kerry. He was the son of a
Royal Irish Constabulary
The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...
policeman Thomas Barry and Margaret Donovan. Four years later, Thomas Barry Senior resigned and opened a business in his hometown of
Rosscarbery
Rosscarbery () is a village and census town in County Cork, Ireland. The village is on a shallow estuary, which opens onto Rosscarbery Bay. Rosscarbery is in the Cork South-West (Dáil Éireann) constituency, which has three seats.
History
The ...
,
County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...
. Barry was first educated at Ardagh Boys' National School before later attending
Mungret College
Mungret College was a Jesuit apostolic school and a lay secondary school near Limerick, Ireland. Located on the western outskirts of the modern-day suburban town of Raheen, it was operational from 1882 until 1974 when it closed as a school for ...
in
County Limerick
"Remember Limerick"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Provinces of Ireland, Province
, subd ...
from 25 August 1911 to 12 September 1912.
The reason for his short stay is indicated by a reference from the school register of the Apostolic School, Mungret College: "Went–Home (ran away) without knowledge of superiors – no vocation".
World War I
In 1915, during
Ireland's involvement in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he enlisted in the
Royal Field Artillery at
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
and became a soldier in the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
.
Barry enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery on 30 June 1915 and was sent to the military depot at
Athlone for basic training.
After six months he was posted to the Mesopotamian front (modern
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
) on 21 January 1916.
He fought from January 1916 in
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...
(then part of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
). On 1 March, he was raised to the rank of corporal. In April, while his brigade was attempting to break the Turkish
Siege of Kut
The siege of Kut Al Amara (7 December 1915 – 29 April 1916), also known as the first battle of Kut, was the besieging of an 8,000 strong British Army garrison in the town of Kut, south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. In 1915, its population ...
, Barry first heard of the
Easter Rising, which he describes in his memoir as "a rude awakening". Perhaps, in reaction to the British response to the Rising, Barry dropped his rank at his own request on 26 May and reverted to his original rank of gunner, which he would hold until the end of the war.
From January 1917 until March 1918, he saw further action south of Kut, where his unit suffered heavy casualties, and also at
Fallujah,
Samarra and
Baquba
Baqubah ( ar, بَعْقُوبَة; BGN: Ba‘qūbah; also spelled Baquba and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraq's Diyala Governorate. The city is located some to the northeast of Baghdad, on the Diyala River. In 2003 it had an estimated populatio ...
.
In May 1918, his division was moved to the
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
front for the campaign in Palestine. Barry, however, remained in Egypt from June 1918 until February 1919, when he was shipped back to Ireland.
Barry had some minor disciplinary issues in the Army, being punished on a number of occasions for being late for parade and disrespectful to NCOs.
Nevertheless, when officially discharged from the army on 7 April 1919 Barry was described as a sober, good, hardworking man.
War of Independence
On his return to
Bandon in County Cork, Barry first began to study Law and Business Affairs, while at the same time maintaining friendship with local ex-servicemen's organisations and building connections to the Irish
republican movement. Initially Barry seemed proud of his wartime British Army service and hoisted a Union flag at Bandon on the first anniversary of the war's end in November 1919. For this reason he was distrusted by some local republicans, particularly
Tom Hales.
In fact Barry acted as secretary to the Bandon Branch of the ex-servicemen's association, which was headed by local unionist the
Earl of Bandon
Earl of Bandon was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for Francis Bernard, 1st Viscount Bandon. He had already been created Baron Bandon, of Bandon Bridge in the County of Cork, in 1793, Viscount Bandon, of Bandon Bridge ...
, from mid-1919 until mid-1920.
He also applied to join the British Civil Service and for a posting to India, but seems to have failed the relevant exams.
Barry claimed in his Military Pension Application in 1940 that he had been infiltrating the ex-servicemen's organisation on orders from IRA Intelligence officer Sean Buckley and was secretly enrolled in the IRA from August 1919.
However, it was only in July 1920 that he formally applied join the
3rd (West) Cork Brigade of the
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief th ...
(IRA), which was then engaged in the
Irish War of Independence (1919–1921).
[Bunburry, Turtle: p.273] A number of events have been cited as influencing his decision to join the IRA. One was his failure to secure employment after the war. Another was the death of fellow ex-serviceman John Bourke, a veteran of the
Royal Munster Fusiliers
The Royal Munster Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1922. It traced its origins to the East India Company's Bengal European Regiment raised in 1652, which later became the 101st Regiment of Foot (Royal Beng ...
, who was bayoneted to death in a riot between Irish veterans and British troops; Barry acted as a
guard of honour at Bourke's funeral.
A possible third reason was the brutal beating of IRA members
Tom Hales and Patrick Harte, both of whom were from Bandon, by officers of the
Essex Regiment
The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...
during an interrogation on July 1920.
Before being accepted into the IRA, he was first interviewed by IRA officers Ted O'Sullivan and
Charlie Hurley
Charles John Hurley (born 4 October 1936) is an Irish former footballer who played mainly in the Center Back position. Hurley is best known for his long career at Sunderland, where he was named the Black Cats' "Player of the Century" by th ...
, in order to vet him.
Having overcome the suspicion he could be a spy, and helped by the fact that Tom Hales had been arrested and replaced as Brigade commander by Charlie Hurley, by late summer he was acting as their brigade training officer. Barry was initially highly valued by the IRA for his military experience and his ability to train their own raw volunteers.
At this time the IRA's guerrilla tactics were taking shape and small groups of dedicated guerrillas were being organised and trained. Barry participated in four training camps and two attacks on British forces in the autumn of 1920 – the Fanlobus ambush on 9 October and the
Tooreen Ambush on 22 October, at the latter of which he commanded a section. He also tried, with Charlie Hurley, to assassinate a number of local police and judicial officials.
However, Barry soon came to command the West Cork Brigade's flying column and definitively made his name as a guerrilla commander at the
Kilmichael Ambush
The Kilmichael Ambush ( ga, Luíochán Chill Mhichíl) was an ambush near the village of Kilmichael in County Cork on 28 November 1920 carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence. Thirty-six local IRA v ...
on 28 November 1920. This was a turning point of the war, when a company of 18
Auxiliaries
Auxiliaries are support personnel that assist the military or police but are organised differently from regular forces. Auxiliary may be military volunteers undertaking support functions or performing certain duties such as garrison troops, ...
was wiped out at the cost three IRA killed. The British alleged that Barry's men had killed wounded and surrendering Auxiliaries and mutilated their corpses. This was a charge that Barry always denied, claiming that he had ordered that no prisoners be taken after the Auxiliaries faked a surrender resulting in the death of some of his men.
Barry was hospitalised for a time after the Kilmichael action and martial law was proclaimed in County Cork and across much of the province of
Munster in response. However, in December the column regrouped, attacking a number of police and military barracks in the West Cork region. In one such instance in February 1921, Barry's column attempted to launch an attack on the RIC Barracks in Rosscarbery, billeting at
Burgatia House, which was owned by a Loyalist family, to avoid detection. However, a contingent of Black and Tans was sent out arrest them after being tipped off by a postman. After a brief firefight, Barry and his men were able to push them back and escape. The column, which was around 30–40 strong, dispersed shortly afterwards into smaller units and subsequently lost 11 men killed. Three men died in the
Upton Train Ambush and eight more died in various incidents and encounters with British forces.
In March 1921, Barry mobilised his largest guerrilla force of 104 men, divided into seven sections, and at the
Crossbarry Ambush broke out of an encirclement of 1,200 strong British force from the
Essex Regiment
The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...
. At least ten British soldiers were killed in the action, along with three IRA volunteers including Brigade commander Charlie Hurley.
In total, British forces numbered over 12,500 men in County Cork during the conflict, while Barry's men numbered no more than 310. Eventually, Barry's tactics made West Cork ungovernable for the British authorities except by military means. In the late spring and early summer of 1921, British forces mounted large sweeps of the West Cork area, complete with aerial surveillance and armoured vehicles, forcing Barry's column to spend much of its time "on the run" in mountainous terrain to avoid them. While they did avoid being encircled, they were able to mount only one more major attack, which was on Rosscarbery police barracks in late March 1921.
Barry's ability as a guerrilla commander was widely acknowledged in the IRA, and in the early summer of 1921 he was summoned to Dublin to meet with IRA leader
Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to:
* Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician
* Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...
and President of the Irish Republic
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of govern ...
. He also participated in the formation of the IRA's First Southern Division, of which he was made Deputy Commander.
Barry openly admitted in his memoir to taking a hard line with people he believed were collaborators with the British forces. He stated that his unit executed 16 civilians accused of informing in the first six months of 1921. While he acknowledged that nine of the 16 killings were Protestants, who were a minority in West Cork, he maintained that they were killed for no other reason than for their aid to British forces. He maintained, "The majority of the West Cork Protestants lived at peace throughout the entire struggle and were not interfered with by the IRA". Barry also stated that his unit burned the houses of local loyalists in retaliation for burning of republicans' homes by British forces and carried out reprisal killings of captured and off-duty British soldiers in response to the execution of IRA men.
The war in rural Cork was abruptly ended with a truce negotiated to come into effect on 11 July 1921. At this time the West Cork flying column was, with other IRA units, in a training camp in the mountains along the Cork/Kerry border. Barry recalled his initial reaction as "dazed and uncertain of the future" but relief that the "days of fear were ended, at least for a time". He claimed that his unit had killed over 100 British troops and wounded another 93 during the conflict.
Barry later wrote of the period:
Civil War
During the truce period, Barry married
Leslie Mary Price, who was herself a republican activist. Barry opposed the
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty ( ga , An Conradh Angla-Éireannach), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the ...
of 6 December 1921 because he felt it gave up the
Irish Republic
The Irish Republic ( ga, Poblacht na hÉireann or ) was an unrecognised revolutionary state that declared its independence from the United Kingdom in January 1919. The Republic claimed jurisdiction over the whole island of Ireland, but by ...
and accepted the partition of Ireland. In March 1922, he participated in an IRA convention which disavowed the authority of the Dáil to approve the Treaty and was elected on to the
anti-Treaty IRA
The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty ( ga , An Conradh Angla-Éireannach), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the ...
's executive. In March 1922, he and his men occupied barracks in
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
in defiance of the new
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between ...
government, and it looked as if fighting would break out until
Liam Lynch IRA Chief of Staff arrived and defused the situation.
[Meda Ryan, Tom Barry IRA Freedom Fighter, p. 154] In May 1922, Barry along with
Rory O'Connor and
Ernie O'Malley
Ernest Bernard Malley ( ga, Earnán Ó Máille; 26 May 1897 – 25 March 1957) was an IRA officer during the Irish War of Independence. Subsequently, he became assistant chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War. O'Malley ...
seized a convoy of arms intended for the new Free State police force and drove it to the anti-Treaty IRA headquarter in the
Four Courts
The Four Courts ( ga, Na Ceithre Cúirteanna) is Ireland's most prominent courts building, located on Inns Quay in Dublin. The Four Courts is the principal seat of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Dublin Circui ...
in Dublin.
On 28 June 1922, the
Irish Civil War formally broke out between Pro- and Anti-treaty factions when Free State forces opened fire on the Four Courts. Barry was in Cork at the time, but made his way to Dublin when the fighting started. He was captured while trying to get into the Four Courts and was imprisoned by the
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between ...
in
Mountjoy Gaol
Mountjoy Prison ( ga, Príosún Mhuinseo), founded as Mountjoy Gaol and nicknamed ''The Joy'', is a medium security men's prison located in Phibsborough in the centre of Dublin, Ireland.
The current prison Governor is Edward Mullins.
History
...
after the
Battle of Dublin in July 1922. Barry had voiced the opinion that, at the start of the civil war, while the Republican side was stronger, it should have taken over Dublin and the major cities and forced a new confrontation with the British. In September of that year, however, he escaped from an
internment camp at
Gormanston in County Meath and travelled south, to take command of the anti-Treaty IRA Second Southern Division. Barry returned to his previous role of guerrilla commander, leading a column of around 200 men based in West Cork. In mid-December 1922, he led his men in the capture of a string of towns across the province of Munster, including
Carrick on Suir
Carrick-on-Suir () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It lies on both banks of the River Suir. The part on the north bank of the Suir lies in the civil parish of "Carrick", in the historical barony of Iffa and Offa East. The part on the so ...
, and towns in Kilkenny, namely
Thomastown
Thomastown (), historically known as Grennan, is a town in County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. It is a market town along a stretch of the River Nore which is known for its salmon and trout, with a number o ...
and
Mullinavat
Mullinavat () is a town in south County Kilkenny, Ireland. Its main industries are tourism and agriculture. It has a renowned sporting history, particularly in hurling. The town's name in Irish translates as 'The Mill of the Stick' which, accor ...
, killing two
Irish National Army
The National Army, sometimes unofficially referred to as the Free State army or the Regulars, was the army of the Irish Free State from January 1922 until October 1924. Its role in this period was defined by its service in the Irish Civil War, ...
soldiers and taking prisoner the Free State garrisons there, amounting to over 110 men, and seizing their arms. However, due to a shortage of men and equipment, he was unable to hold these places, evacuating them before National Army reinforcements arrived. Withdrawing to the rugged country on the Cork/Kerry border, his column and Kerry IRA units (a total of about 65 men) mounted an assault on
Millstreet
Millstreet () is a town in north County Cork, Ireland, with a population of 1,555 (as of 2016).
Millstreet is within the civil parish of Drishane, and within a Poor Law Union also called Millstreet. The Millstreet Union encompasses the civil ...
early in 1923, failing to take the town, but killing two Free State soldiers and taking 39 prisoner.
However, as 1923 went on, Barry found his column increasingly weakened by casualties and arrests. By February 1923, Barry increasingly argued with Liam Lynch, the Republican commander in chief, that the war should be brought to an end, as there was no hope of victory. Barry proposed to a meeting of the IRA Executive on 23–26 March that a ceasefire should be called, but he was defeated by six votes to five. After the death of Lynch in a Free State attack on 10 April, the anti-treaty campaign was halted on 30 April, then called off when
Frank Aiken
Francis Thomas Aiken (13 February 1898 – 18 May 1983) was an Irish revolutionary and politician. He was chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA at the end of the Irish Civil War. Aiken later served as Tánaiste from 1965 to 1969 and Minister ...
issued an order on 24 May to "dump arms". One author claims that Barry tried to act as intermediary with the pro-Treaty
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB; ) was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland between 1858 and 1924.McGee, p. 15. Its counterpart in the United States ...
to end the war and for a time had a letter from the Free State authorities granting him 'immunity from arrest'. This caused him to fall out with other members of the IRA Army Council. For his part, Barry stated that rumours, some spread by Republicans, about his negotiating for peace or compromise with the Free State were "absolutely false".
Nevertheless, the Free State government never formally acknowledged the end of the civil war marked by the republicans' ceasefire and dump arms order. Barry had to remain on the run until a general amnesty was declared in November 1924.
The Third Cork IRA Brigade, of which Barry commanded the Active Service Unit or flying column, lost 34 men killed in the war against the British and another 21 anti-Treatyites killed in the civil war. This made a total of 55, excluding pro-Treaty volunteers who died in the civil war but whom Barry did not record in his memoir.
Subsequent IRA career
According to historian Brian Hanley, Tom Barry left the IRA shortly after the Executive had narrowly defeated his proposal (of March 1923) to hand over its arms to prevent further bloodshed between nationalists. In his letter of 11 July 1923 to the Army Executive, Barry resigned as a member of that body, the Army Council and an IRA officer. He offered his services if, at some future date, arms should be taken up again in the struggle to make Ireland an independent country. Barry's biographer
Meda Ryan
Meda Ryan is an Irish historian.
She has written extensively on the Irish revolution of 1916-23. Among her books are ''The Tom Barry Story'' (1982)- later updated and revised as ''Tom Barry, IRA Freedom Fighter'' in 2003 - ''The Day Michael Coll ...
disputes this evidence, claiming that Barry only resigned from the IRA leadership in 1923, but remained a rank and file member before reassuming a leadership role in 1932.
He served as general superintendent of
Cork Harbour
Cork Harbour () is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area" (after Port Ja ...
Commission from 1927 to 1965. He initially proposed cooperation of the IRA and
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...
, the party led by erstwhile republican leader Éamon de Valera, especially against the
Blueshirts
The Army Comrades Association (ACA), later the National Guard, then Young Ireland and finally League of Youth, but best known by the nickname the Blueshirts ( ga, Na Léinte Gorma), was a paramilitary organisation in the Irish Free State, founded ...
, a militant movement born out of Pro-treaty civil war veterans. However, De Valera banned both the IRA and the Blueshirts, and Barry was imprisoned from May to December 1934 for arms possession. In March 1936, Barry was involved in the shooting dead of
Vice-Admiral Henry Somerville. Four men burst into Somerville's family home at
Castletownshend
Castletownshend (, literally "town of the castle") is a village about south-east of Skibbereen, in County Cork, Ireland. The village developed around a small 17th-century castle built by Richard Townsend, whose descendants still reside there.
...
, Cork and fired a revolver. Somerville was targeted for recruiting local men to join the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
.
In 1937, he succeeded
Seán MacBride
Seán MacBride (26 January 1904 – 15 January 1988) was an Irish Clann na Poblachta politician who served as Minister for External Affairs from 1948 to 1951, Leader of Clann na Poblachta from 1946 to 1965 and Chief of Staff of the IRA from 19 ...
as
chief of staff. Barry made preparations for a planned IRA offensive in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, but the plan was ultimately cancelled days before it was set to commence as a result of leaks and the infiltration of the IRA by the
Royal Ulster Constabulary. Barry would assert in later life that he opposed both the 1930s bombing campaign in England and IRA contacts with
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. In fact, in January 1937 he had taken a trip to Germany seeking German support, which was assured to him subject to the condition that the IRA limit its actions to British military installations once war was declared. Financing was to be arranged through the ''
Clann na Gael'' in the United States. The Army Convention in April 1938 adopted
Seán Russell
Seán Russell (13 October 1893 – 14 August 1940) was an Irish republican who participated in the Easter Rising of 1916, held senior positions in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War, and was Ch ...
's
S-Plan
The S-Plan or Sabotage Campaign or England Campaign was a campaign of bombing and sabotage against the civil, economic and military infrastructure of the United Kingdom from 1939 to 1940, conducted by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). ...
instead. Barry resigned as chief of staff as a result, but remained in contact with German agents at least to February 1939.
Irish Army career
In 1940, Barry was made responsible for Intelligence in the
Irish Army
The Irish Army, known simply as the Army ( ga, an tArm), is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. The A ...
's Southern Command, a position he held, with the rank of Commandant, for the duration of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
(see
The Emergency). In 1941, he was denounced by the IRA for writing for ''
An Cosantóir
''An Cosantóir'' (; meaning "The Defender") is the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces. It was originally established in December 1940 by Colonel Michael Joe Costello as a means of disseminating training material among the Local Sec ...
'', the Irish Army's official magazine. In 1942, following the
fall of Singapore
The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire o ...
to the
Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
, Barry purportedly sent a telegram to the British commander
Arthur Percival
Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival, (26 December 1887 – 31 January 1966) was a senior British Army officer. He saw service in the First World War and built a successful military career during the interwar period but is most noted fo ...
, who was his opponent during the war of independence, "congratulating" him on the defence.
Later life
He was an unsuccessful candidate at the
1946 Cork Borough by-election, running as an
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
and finishing last out of the four candidates with 8.7% of the
first preference votes
In certain ranked-voting systems, a first-preference vote (or first preference, 1st preference, or primary vote) is the individual voter's first choice amongst (possibly) many. In certain ranked systems such as Instant-Runoff Voting or Single T ...
.
On 10 July 1966, Barry attended the unveiling of the monument to the Kilmichael ambush along with other surviving participants, forming a
guard of honour during the ceremony.
Barry took a militant line on the
Northern Ireland conflict
The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an ...
post 1969, arguing in 1971 that peaceful means would never achieve Irish unity and supporting armed action there.
[Michael Hopkinson]
Tom Barry, Dictionary of Irish Biography
However, he remained opposed to IRA bombings which led to civilian deaths and by 1977, appeared to have grown disillusioned with the IRA campaign, stating, "the men who were carrying out the recent killings... could not be called IRA".
He refused in that year to lend his support to
Provisional IRA
The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, fa ...
hunger strikers in
Portlaoise Prison
Portlaoise Prison ( ga, Príosún Phort Laoise) is a maximum security prison in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland. Until 1929 it was called the Maryborough Gaol. It should not be confused with the Midlands Prison, which is a newer, medium secur ...
.
He was against the tactics of the Provisional IRA's campaign, particularly their use of
car bombs against civilians, though he did defend attacks on British soldiers on active duty in Northern Ireland. In a 1976 interview with
''The Sunday Independent'', Barry said,
Memoir
In 1949, Barry published his memoirs of the Irish War of Independence, ''
Guerilla Days in Ireland''. It describes his Brigade's activities, such as the ambushes at Kilmichael and Crossbarry, as well as numerous other less known actions which were directed against the British Army,
Black and Tans
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...
, the Auxiliary Division and the Royal Irish Constabulary.
Death
Barry died on 2 July 1980 at a hospital in Cork.
He is buried in
St. Finbarr's Cemetery
St. Finbarr's Cemetery () in Cork, Ireland, is the city's largest and one of the oldest cemeteries in Ireland which is still in use. Located on the Glasheen Road, it was first opened in the 1860s. The entrance gateway was erected circa 1865, and ...
, Cork.
In popular culture
*
Bobby Sands
Robert Gerard Sands ( ga, Roibeárd Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh; 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was a member (and leader in the Maze prison) of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison M ...
wrote a poem about Barry after his death, entitled ''Tom Barry''. It was published posthumously in the collection ''Prison Poems''.
*In 2011, Barry's memoirs were adapted into a four man stage play of the same name. Written and directed by Neil Pearson, the play follows Barry's service during the First World War and War of Independence.
See also
*
Dan Breen
Daniel Breen (11 August 1894 – 27 December 1969) was a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. In later years he was a Fianna Fáil politician.
Background
Breen was born in Grang ...
*
Seán Hogan
Seán Hogan (13 May 1901 – 24 December 1968) was one of the leaders of the 3rd Tipperary Brigade of the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence.
Early life
Hogan was born on 13 May 1901, the elder child of Matthew Hogan of Green ...
*
Seán Mac Eoin
Seán Mac Eoin (30 September 1893 – 7 July 1973) was an Irish Fine Gael politician and soldier who served as Minister for Defence briefly in 1951 and from 1954 to 1957, Minister for Justice from 1948 to 1951, and Chief of Staff of the Def ...
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* Brian Hanley: ''The IRA. 1926–1936'', Dublin (Four Courts Press), 2002.
Turtle Bunbury: ''The Glorious Madness, Tales of The Irish and The Great War'',
Gunner Tom Barry and the Siege of Kut; pp. 259–273, Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 12 (2014)
External links
'War of Words' over battle
The Kilmichael ambush controversy
62 minute talk to the 1916–1921 Club by Meda Ryan, author of 'Tom Barry: IRA Freedom Fighter'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, Tom
1897 births
1980 deaths
Military personnel from County Kerry
People from Killorglin
Irish soldiers in the British Army
Irish people of World War I
British Army personnel of World War I
Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) members
Irish Republican Army (1922–1969) members
People of the Irish Civil War (Anti-Treaty side)
Irish Army generals
Guerrilla warfare theorists
People from Rosscarbery
Royal Field Artillery soldiers