Tom Cullen (c.1891 - 20 June 1926) was an Irish republican active in the

Irish revolutionary period The revolutionary period in Irish history was the period in the 1910s and early 1920s when Irish nationalist opinion shifted from the Home Rule-supporting Irish Parliamentary Party to the republican Sinn Féin movement. There were several w ...

Biography

During the Irish War of Independence he was one of those who worked very closely with

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 was known as one of his "best intelligence men."Neligan, David (1968), ''The Spy in the Castle'', MacGibbon & Kee, London, pg 64, SBN 261.62060.6 He was assistant director of intelligence (also known as 2nd deputy director of intelligence) which meant he was third-highest ranked in the intelligence department of the IRA. He was also the quartermaster general. On the same day as the

Bloody Sunday (1920) Bloody Sunday ( ga, Domhnach na Fola) was a day of violence in Dublin on 21 November 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. More than 30 people were killed or fatally wounded. The day began with an Irish Republican Army (IRA) operation ...

massacre he was one of the gunman involved in the shooting of 18 suspected members of the

Cairo gang The Cairo Gang was a group of British intelligence agents who were sent to Dublin during the Irish War of Independence to conduct intelligence operations against prominent members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) with, according to Irish intel ...

. Irish Historian Tim Pat Coogan says Cullen and two others completed the intelligence team which broke the

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin. Until 1922 it was the s ...

spy system. He sided with the Pro-Treaty forces during the Irish Civil War and joined the

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, ...

, rising to the rank of

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. When the Irish Republican Army Organisation (IRAO) was founded, Cullen was elected organiser. During Collins’ funeral he led the procession carrying his coffin to

Glasnevin Cemetery Glasnevin Cemetery ( ga, Reilig Ghlas Naíon) is a large cemetery in Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland which opened in 1832. It holds the graves and memorials of several notable figures, and has a museum. Location The cemetery is located in Glasne ...

Death

He died from

asphyxia Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that ca ...

due to accidental drowning (according to his death certificate), on 20 June 1926https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1926/04996/4363421.pdf and was buried in Rathnew cemetery. Up until the mid 1960s, veterans from Dublin and Wicklow held an annual commemoration in his honor.

Bibliography

Fear Not the Storm: The Story of Tom Cullen, an Irish Revolutionary by Cathal Liam

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cullen, Tom (Irish republican) Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) members People of the Irish War of Independence People from County Wicklow 1926 deaths Year of birth uncertain