Thomas Hales (5 March 1892 – 29 April 1966) was an
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 tha ...
(IRA)
volunteer
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
and politician from West Cork.
Early years and childhood
Thomas Hales was born at Knocknacurra,
Ballinadee
Ballinadee () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It lies in the parish of Courceys, approximately 12 km by road west of Kinsale and 9 km south east of Bandon. Ballinadee is on the banks of the River Pound, which flows into the River ...
, near
Bandon on a family farm owned by his father, Robert Hales, an activist in the
Irish Land War
The Land War ( ga, Cogadh na Talún) was a period of agrarian agitation in rural Ireland (then wholly part of the United Kingdom) that began in 1879. It may refer specifically to the first and most intense period of agitation between 1879 and 18 ...
and a reputed member of the
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 ...
(IRB) and his wife, Margaret ( Fitzgerald),
Hales was the sixth of nine children (five sons and four daughters). He was educated at Ballinadee national school and Warner's Lane school, Bandon. After leaving school he worked at Harte's timber yard, Bandon.
[
]
Irish War of Independence
Tom Hales joined the Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers ( ga, Óglaigh na hÉireann), sometimes called the Irish Volunteer Force or Irish Volunteer Army, was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists and republicans. It was ostensibly formed in respons ...
in 1913. He was a part of a group of volunteers who planned to rise up in Cork during the 1916 Easter Rising
The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...
, however they received last minute orders to stand down. By May 1916 Tom Hales and his brothers, Seán
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...
, Bob, and William, were fighting with the IRA
Ira or IRA may refer to:
*Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name
*Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name
*Iran, UNDP code IRA
Law
*Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...
in west Cork during the Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...
.[
Tom Hales was involved with the Irish Volunteer movement from its inception in November 1913. Elected a delegate at the Volunteer national convention in the Abbey Theatre in 1915, he was among the majority who voted for the election of the national executive.][
Hale was mobilised during Easter Rising and sent a number of dispatches to Cork requesting further instructions. Ultimately, however, there was no uprising in Cork to match that in Dublin. The Volunteers gave up their arms and were later arrested. ]Terence MacSwiney
Terence James MacSwiney (; ga, Toirdhealbhach Mac Suibhne; 28 March 1879 – 25 October 1920) was an Irish playwright, author and politician. He was elected as Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork during the Irish War of Independence in 1920. He ...
was arrested in Hales' home on 3 May 1916 and Hales himself escaped and went on the run. He stated that he was listed as 'wanted' in the ''Hue and Cry'' police gazette.
In 1918, Hales took part in a raid on a British gunboat and held 25 armed 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 ...
(RIC) members prisoner at Snugmore Castle. Hales took part in a decoy in assisting his elder brother, Seán, to escape after his arrest in connection with the German Plot. He was elected commandant of the 1st (Bandon) battalion (1917–19), and commander of Cork 3rd brigade, IRA, in January 1919.[
In December 1919, he took part in an ambush against the RIC at Kilbrittain and Bandon and was involved in the manufacgture of ]gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...
for IRA munitions. By this point he was the commander of the Third Cork Brigade of the IRA. On July 1920, Hales along with Harte was arrested by soldiers 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. ...
. The pair were taken to a nearby military barracks, where they were severely beaten while being interrogated by officers of the regiment. However, neither Hales nor Harte gave up any information, and were eventually sent to a military hospital to recuperate. Hales was tried and was eventually sentenced to two years' penal servitude, which he served in Pentonville
Pentonville is an area on the northern fringe of Central London, in the London Borough of Islington. It is located north-northeast of Charing Cross on the Inner Ring Road. Pentonville developed in the northwestern edge of the ancient parish o ...
and Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite which forms the uplands dates from the Carboniferous ...
prisons in England. He was commander of the Irish prisoners at Pentonville, but was released following a general amnesty after 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 ...
in December 1921.[ According to Tom Barry, Harte suffered brain damage and went insane before dying in ]Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. It is the oldest of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth Hospital near Liverpool and Rampton Secure ...
.
A fifth Hales brother, Donal, settled in Genoa from 1913, was appointed Irish Consular and Commercial Agent for Italy in February 1919. In this capacity he played a leading propaganda role; several letters from 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 ...
to Donal Hales still exist which were used by Hales to promote international awareness of the Irish conflict in Italian publications. Donal oversaw a failed attempt to import a substantial amount of weapons and ammunition (captured Austrian stock from the World War I) from Genoa in the spring of 1921, through the person of Gabriele D'Annunzio.
Irish Civil War, against brother
During the Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...
, Tom and Seán Hales fought on opposite sides, with Tom fighting against 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 ...
with 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 ...
while Seán joined the newly formed National Army of 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 th ...
.[
Tom Hales was elected to the anti-Treaty IRA executive in March 1922, but resigned in June over a proposal to prevent the Free State's first general election in June 1922. He resumed his old rank during the civil war as commander of Cork 3 Brigade. While he and his brother, Seán, ended up on opposite sides of the war, the brothers never openly criticised one another, for their rival political stances.][
During the Civil War in July 1922 Tom Hales took part in the raid and capture of Skibbereen Barracks and Ballineen by anti-Treaty forces. He was also involved in a skirmish with Free State troops at ]Newcestown
Newcestown () is a small village located 35 km from the city of Cork in the western part of County Cork, Ireland. It is a village with a church, a school, a pub and GAA club. Newcestown is part of the Dáil constituency of Cork North-West ...
. Hales was arrested in November 1922 and imprisoned first in Cork and then at the Curragh. He was released in December 1923 having taken part in a hunger strike for 14 days. Hales mentions in his application for a military pension that he was a member of the Supreme Council of the IRB at this time.
In December 1922, his brother, Seán
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...
, was assassinated by the anti-Treaty IRA in Dublin, in reprisal for the Free State government's execution of IRA prisoners.
Fianna Fáil and later politics
Hales was elected to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...
as a 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 Christian- ...
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...
(TD) for the Cork West constituency at the 1933 general election. Hales resigned from Fianna Fáil in June 1936 stated he could not support their policy on interning IRA members.[ He failed to retain his seat as an independent candidate at the 1937 general election.] He also unsuccessfully contested the 1944 general election as an independent candidate and the 1948 general election as a candidate for Clann na Poblachta
Clann na Poblachta (; "Family/Children of the Republic") was an Irish republican political party founded in 1946 by Seán MacBride, a former Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army.
Foundation
Clann na Poblachta was officially launched o ...
, he got 2,287 (7.93%) votes.
Hales made his living as farmer. A member of the Mallow area board of the beet growers' association from 1934 to 1942, he was also connected with other farming organisations. He married Ann Lehane from Tirelton, Macroom, on 30 April 1927; they had five children, Hales died in 1966, aged 74.[
]
References
Sources
*Peter Hart, ''The I.R.A.& its enemies, violence and community in Cork 1916-1923'', Oxford University Press, (1998), pages 187–201, "The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Family".
*Donal Hales, ''Witness Statement'', Bureau of Military History (Dublin)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hales, Tom
1892 births
1966 deaths
Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) members
Irish Republican Army (1922–1969) members
Members of the 8th Dáil
Politicians from County Cork
People of the Irish Civil War (Anti-Treaty side)
Clann na Poblachta politicians
Fianna Fáil TDs
Independent politicians in Ireland
People of the Irish War of Independence
Place of death missing