Charles McGuinness
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Charles John 'Nomad' McGuinness (6 March 1893 – 7 December 1947) was an Irish adventurer supposed to have been involved with a myriad of acts of patriotism and nomadic impulses. Due to a habitual trait of embellishing his own life story mixed with his genuine wanderlust and actual achievements, discerning what is and is not accurate about McGuinness' life has been a challenge for historians. In a 1934 autobiography, McGuinness summarised himself as an "Irish Sailor, Soldier, Pearl-fisher, Pirate, Gun-runner, Rum-runner, Rebel and Antarctic Explorer". Writing for the Irish Independent, Irish historian Breandán Mac Suibhne remarked that "bush-fighter, big-game hunter, hobo, jail-breaker, radio broadcaster, set-maker in Hollywood, construction worker on Long Island, journalist, author of children's literature and internee" could also be reasonably added to that list. Primarily a sailor over the course of his life, McGuinness served in several militaries over the course of his life. During 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 ...
, McGuinness aided 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 ...
by running guns from Germany across the sea. Thereafter McGuinness variously spent time living and working in the United States and Soviet Russia, briefly involved himself in the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
, before return to Ireland for the World War II period. In 1942 he was found guilty while serving as part of the Irish Naval Service of attempting to collaborate with Germany. He is believed to have drown at sea in 1947.


Early life

Charles John "Nomad" McGuinness was born 6 March 1893. He was raised in Lower Road, Derry, Ireland. His mother, Margaret Hernand was of Spanish descent, and his father, John McGuinness, was a ship captain born in the United States. Margaret died when Charles was young. Charles had two brothers, Hugh and John McGuinness. Hugh was a headmaster of St. Eugene's in
Rosemount, Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
, and John was a teacher as well. In 1908, at the age of 15, McGuinness went to sea on the schooner ''Vixen'', the start of a trip which would take him away from home for several years. His first world trip was in 1909 on the ship ''Cedarbark''. It went from
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
to
Iquique Iquique () is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert. It has a population of 191, ...
in Chile and then on to New York. In 1910, he arrived in Sydney on ''The Pilgrim''. ''The Pilgrim'' ended up shipwrecked off of the coast of
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...
in 1910 and McGuinness was left stranded on a lifeboat for two weeks until rescued. He subsequently remained in the Tahiti region for a year, working as a as a pearl fisher. McGuinness would claim later in life that between 1913 and 1914, he visited the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, South and West Africa, Mexico, West Indies, Brazil, China, Japan & S. Africa before attempting to start gold mining in Australia. None of this can be verified. However, by 1914 McGuinness does seem to have made his way to Canada, where he was a beggar until joining the Canadian militia.


Military career


World War 1

McGuinness' time in the Canadian militia was brief. By August 1914 he had joined 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 ...
where he served as part of Admiral
Reginald Bacon Admiral Sir Reginald Hugh Spencer Bacon, (6 September 1863 – 9 June 1947) was an officer in the Royal Navy noted for his technical abilities. He was described by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jacky Fisher, as the man "acknowledged to be the ...
's Dover patrol off the coast of
Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
. However, McGuinness deserted in 1916 upon learning of the Easter Rising. Unable to find a way back to Ireland, McGuinness joined the South African Army and fought in the East African campaign. In 1916 McGuinness was captured by the German
Schutztruppe (, Protection Force) was the official name of the colonial troops in the African territories of the German colonial empire from the late 19th century to 1918. Similar to other colonial armies, the consisted of volunteer European commissioned ...
of Colonel
Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck (20 March 1870 – 9 March 1964), also called the Lion of Africa (german: Löwe von Afrika), was a general in the Imperial German Army and the commander of its forces in the German East Africa campaign. For four ye ...
, but waslater able to escape them. McGuinness claimef in his autobiography to have been the sole survivor of a shipwreck in
Delagoa Bay Maputo Bay ( pt, Baía de Maputo), formerly also known as Delagoa Bay from ''Baía da Lagoa'' in Portuguese, is an inlet of the Indian Ocean on the coast of Mozambique, between 25° 40' and 26° 20' S, with a length from north to south of over 90&n ...
near
Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
in November 1917. As the story goes, he was aboard the S.S. Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese steamer, when the shipwrecked and sank at the mouth of shark-infested waters.


Irish War of Independence

McGuinness finally returned to Derry in 1920, and upon arrival threw himself into the ongoing War of Irish Independence. Although McGuinness was viewed as an eccentric, having brought a monkey back from Africa to Derry, he was made the commander of the 3rd Battalion 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 ...
's (IRA) Northern Capacity, and in that capacity, he assisted in the escape of
Frank Carty Francis Joseph Carty (3 April 1897 – 10 September 1942) was a leader of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the Irish War of Independence, and a long-serving Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD). Early life He was born on 3 April 1897 in Clooncunn ...
, the commander of the Sligo IRA, from
Derry Gaol Derry Gaol, also known as Londonderry Gaol, refers to one of several gaols (prisons) constructed consecutively in Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Derry Gaol is notable as a place of incarceration for Irish Republican Army (IRA) m ...
in February 1921. Following a failed bank raid in the
Glenties Glenties () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is situated where two glens meet, north-west of the Bluestack Mountains, near the confluence of two rivers. Glenties is the largest centre of population in the parish of Iniskeel. Glenties has ...
in
County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...
, McGuinness was captured by British forces in June 1921 and charged with the murder of Inspector Robert Johnson in Glasgow, Scotland which had occurred the previous month. However, McGuinness was able to escape from
Ebrington Barracks Ebrington Barracks was a military installation on the east bank of the River Foyle in Derry, Northern Ireland. History The present barracks, named after Hugh Fortescue, Viscount Ebrington (later Earl Fortescue), were built on the site in 184 ...
before any serious case could be brought against him. His guards thought he was too weak to escape so they paid little attention to him. A local Derry priest, Friar Coyles, claimed that McGuinness escaped by being smuggled out in a coffin


Gun-running with ''Anita''

In December 1920, McGuinness was made captain of a ship by the name the "Anita" and sent to the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is ...
, where he purchased a large number of firearms. However, on the day the crew were due to depart, McGuinness was observed by the port authorities paying the crew in large notes, which aroused their suspicions. The German police arrested McGuinness and the rest of the crew. McGuinness was brought to trial, but Robert Briscoe was able to arrange and paid for a good lawyer on McGuinness' behalf. Before a sympathetic German court, McGuinness' gun-running against the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
was deemed to be a minor offence and he was charged a token fine of 2,000
Deutschmark The Deutsche Mark (; English: ''German mark''), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" (), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later the unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it was ...
s. After passing sentence, the German judge wished McGuinness, "better luck next time". The incident caused an uproar back in the United Kingdom. While
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 ...
officially denied all knowledge of McGuinness or his gun-running; some sources credit Collins himself with ordering McGuinness to Germany, if nothing else, to get the eccentric McGuinness "out of the way". In July 1921, McGuinness was again sent to Weimar Germany by
Liam Mellows William Joseph Mellows ( ga, Liam Ó Maoilíosa, 25 May 1892 – 8 December 1922) was an Irish republican and Sinn Féin politician. Born in England to an English father and Irish mother, he grew up in Ashton-under-Lyne before moving to Irelan ...
to purchase more weapons.


Gun-running with ''Frieda''

In November 1921, McGuinness jokingly claimed to have established the first-ever "Irish navy" after he successfully purchased a
tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...
named "Frieda" in
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
, Germany with funds supplied by Robert Briscoe, which he again used to run guns. Crewed by German sailors and laden full of
Gewehr 98 The Gewehr 98 (abbreviated G98, Gew 98, or M98) is a German bolt-action rifle made by Mauser, firing cartridges from a five-round internal clip-loaded magazine. It was the German service rifle from 1898 to 1935, when it was replaced by the Kar ...
rifles, and Mauser C96 pistols, the Frieda originally sailed for
Helvick Helvick or Helvick Head (, non, Hellavík) is a headland on the southern end of Dungarvan Harbour, Ireland; it is the eastern tip of the Ring Peninsula. Formed of Old Red Sandstone, it is the easternmost protrusion of a ridge that begins ne ...
, County Waterford but, as the ship was nine days late on its rendezvous due to bad weather, there was noone there to greet it, and the ship was forced by fog to offload near
Waterford City "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
. McGuinness went ashore himself and was able to bring back a group of IRA men led by Vincent White, Lord Mayor of Waterford, to unload the cargo. The men toasted then the successful operation with a round of German schnapps. Although the Frieda had delivered one of the biggest supplies of weapons yet to the IRA, none of them would ever be used against the British, as a ceasefire between the Irish and the British had been called in June 1921 and a peace treaty would soon be signed.


Irish Civil War

Following the signing of 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 ...
and the ensuing Irish Civil War, McGuinness supported and supplied 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 ...
but did not take part directly in any further fighting, feeling that the Anti-Treaty IRA was militarily incompetent. Sources differ on what became of the Frieda following her successful gun-running in November 1921, but what is not disputed is that McGuinness and Robert Briscoe continued to work together. Together, they secured funding to purchase a motorised schooner named ''Hanna'' and once again ran guns from Germany to Ireland. Using the experience of the Frieda and Waterford as a template, McGuinness successfully brought his cargo to Helvick, County Waterford on 2 April 1922 to deliver what was reportedly "the largest military shipment ever to reach the IRA". Estimates of the size of the arms shipment vary - a cargo of 300 guns and 20,000 rounds of ammunition or 1500 rifles, 2000 pistols and 1.7 million rounds of ammunition. Unfortunately for the Anti-Treaty forces, they were never able to make use of the shipment, as just one month after the landing Anti-Treaty IRA Chief of Staff issued a ceasefire order, bringing an end to the Civil War. The arms brought abroad by the Hanna would be seized by the National Army.


1920s

Following the end of 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 ...
, McGuinness did not end his restless ways. In 1922 he claimed to have been arrested in Berlin for conspiring with Bulgarian revolutionaries and released on the condition that he leave Germany. In 1923, McGuinness immigrated to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
where he took up work as a building contractor. McGuinness claimed that in 1926 he had gone to China to serve in Chiang Kai-Shek's forces for a time.


Antarctic explorer

In 1928 McGuinness joined the crew of Admiral
Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer and explorer. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, p ...
, who was undertaking an expedition to the Antarctic. McGuinness served as a navigation officer as part of the successful endeavour. Upon their return to New York City in 1929, McGuinness presented the Irish-American
Mayor of New York The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...
Jimmy Walker James John Walker (June 19, 1881November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Beau James, was mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932. A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine. He was forced t ...
with an
Irish flag The national flag of Ireland ( ga, bratach na hÉireann), frequently referred to in Ireland as 'the tricolour' () and elsewhere as the Irish tricolour is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white and orange. The proportions of t ...
that McGuinness alleged had been flown over the
South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipod ...
. A claim by McGuinness to have received a congressional medal from the secretary of the navy in 1930 is not generally considered credible.


1930s


Rum-runner

In the midst of the now ongoing Great Depression as well Prohibition in the United States, McGuinness turned back to the life of smuggling cargo between countries, when in 1930 he began smuggling rum from Canada into the United States. However, his fortunes were quickly dashed when his ship and its cargo were impounded in the summer of 1931.


Working in Soviet Russia

For two years in 1932, McGuinness claimed to have gone to
Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
to experience a communist-run country, where he worked as a harbour master in the port city of
Murmansk Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') ...
.


Spanish Civil War

In late 1936, McGuinness arrived in Spain to fight in the International Brigades on behalf of the Republican side in the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
. However, his time spent fighting seems to have been brief and he soon deserted following disagreements with the authorities. Upon his return to Ireland in 1937, McGuinness wrote a series of articles for the Irish Independent entitled "I fought with the Reds".


1940s


Collaborating with Germany

By 1942, McGuinness had converted his considerable maritime experience into becoming a
chief petty officer A chief petty officer (CPO) is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards. Canada "Chief petty officer" refers to two ranks in the Royal Canadian Navy. A chief petty officer 2nd class (CPO2) (''premier maître de deuxi ...
with the Irish Naval Service at their base in
Haulbowline Haulbowline ( ga, Inis Sionnach; non, Ál-boling) is an island in Cork Harbour off the coast of Ireland. The world's first yacht club was founded on Haulbowline in 1720. The western side of the island is the main naval base and headquarters f ...
,
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 ...
. It was that same year that McGuinness sent offers by phone and by letter to the
German Foreign Office , logo = DEgov-AA-Logo en.svg , logo_width = 260 px , image = Auswaertiges Amt Berlin Eingang.jpg , picture_width = 300px , image_caption = Entrance to the Foreign Office building , headquarters = Werderscher Mark ...
legation in Dublin, offering to give them information about Irish shipping. McGuinness was caught by Irish Directorate of Military Intelligence under Colonel
Dan Bryan Colonel Dan Bryan (1900–1985) was an officer in the Irish Army and Director of Military Intelligence G2 (the Irish Army's intelligence section) during World War II, known in neutral Ireland as " The Emergency", who "masterminded the most so ...
. At his court-martial, McGuinness was found guilty of
espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
and sentenced to seven years in prison. However, he was released towards the end of " The Emergency", in 1945. On 27 May 1947, the '' Irish Independent'' and ''
Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' noted that McGuinness, alongside several other Irish republicans, was one of the mourners at the funeral of German Abwehr
spymaster A spymaster is the person that leads a spy ring, or a secret service (such as an intelligence agency). Historical spymasters See also *List of American spies *List of British spies * List of German spies *List of fictional spymasters This ...
Hermann Goertz.


Death (?)

McGuinness is believed to have died on 4 December 1947 when he drowned alongside four other crew members of the schooner ''Isaalt'' that he was piloting off on Ballymoney Strand near
Gorey Gorey () is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland. It is beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the ''Gorey Guardian''. As a growi ...
in County Wexford. Two members of the crew survived, managing to swim ashore; the ship was a mere 100 metres from land. However, members of McGuinness' family expressed doubt over the years. A nephew claimed to have encountered McGuinness on the
London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The ...
in 1955. Upon their glazes meeting, McGuinness is reported to have smiled and said four simple words: "You never saw me".


Literary works


Sailor of Fortune (Nomad)

McGuinness' first book was published as "''Sailor of Fortune''" in the United States and published as "''Nomad''" in the United Kingdom. This eighteen chapter book, published in 1935 is an autobiography of McGuinness' and his travels. The memoir details his life in the army as well as his various adventures which include shipwrecks and imprisonment. McGuinness' publisher, Methuen Publishing, was sued by
John William Nixon John William Nixon, MBE (1880 – 11 May 1949), was a unionist politician and police leader in Northern Ireland who was alleged to be responsible for several sectarian atrocities, including the McMahon killings and the Arnon Street killings. ...
on account of the book. In ''Sailor of Fortune/Nomad'', McGuinness makes reference to a thinly disguised Nixon and implies that Nixon was the former RUC detective inspector who, in 1922, led a gang in Belfast who carried out the
McMahon killings The McMahon killings or the McMahon murders occurred on 24 March 1922 when six Catholic civilians were shot dead at the home of the McMahon family in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A group of police officers broke into their house at night and sho ...
. In March 1935, Nixon, by then Member of Parliament in Northern Ireland, received £1,250 in damages.


Behind the Red Curtain

"Behind the Red Curtain", published in the United Kingdom in 1936 is a chronicle of McGuinness' time in Russia where he worked as a harbour master for the Port of
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. The usage of the "curtain" metaphor in the title may be one of the most primitive reference applied to the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
.


Irish Independent Spanish Civil War feature articles

McGuinness wrote a six-piece article featured in the Irish Independent Newspaper in 1937. The introduction titled, "True Story That Will Thrill You," depicts McGuinness's account of his adventures at the time of the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
. The first piece, entitled "Adventures in War-Torn Spain," continues his account of this period. The second piece is entitled "Foul War on Religion." The third piece is called "Massacre in A Cemetery." The fourth piece is called "Under Fire by the Enemy." The fifth piece is called "Among those about to Die." These featured articles depict Charles "Nomad" McGuinness's adventures at the time of the Spanish Civil War. His articles mainly focus on the destruction, death, and corruption related to the war in Spain.


Personal life

McGuinness had three wives in his lifetime. His first wife, Klara Zuckerkandel (referred to as "Claire" in Ireland) was German, whom he married in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
then moved to New York where they had their son, Patrick Joseph. Little is known about his second wife, other than her burial in the City cemetery. His third wife was buried in Donegal.


Tattoos

As a sailor for much of his life, McGuinness engaged in the maritime culture of tattooing his body. According to Robert Briscoe, "from the soles of his feet to his neck, he was a picture gallery, with everything from mermaids to alligators". In addition to statements that almost his entire body was tattooed, a number of sources allege that McGuinness had the
Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
tattooed to the soles of his feet so that he would forever be 'trampling on "the butcher's apron'".


References


External links


Charles ‘Nomad’ McGuinness
by John McGuffin & Joseph Mulheron. Irish Resistance Books,

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGuinness, Charles 1893 births 1947 deaths International Brigades personnel Irish Naval Service personnel Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) members Irish Republican Army (1922–1969) members Irish collaborators with Nazi Germany Irish republicans Irish spies Male non-fiction writers from Northern Ireland Military personnel from Derry (city) Royal Navy personnel of World War I South African Army personnel Writers from Derry (city)