London Company - 1916

greenketchup

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can help me, I was in Collins Barracks recently where they have a resource that let's you look up participants in the rising. There was always a story in my family about a relative in the GPO ( like most families I expect!!), anyway I found him listed on this resource as in the GPO for easter week as a member of 'London Co.'.

For my own research I've contacted the military archives, who will only release info to next if kin, I've also found him mentioned in a book where he gave a short statement on charging with the o'rahilly in Moore lane, but other than that I'm stuck! Does anyone have any ideas? I'm especially interested in any information on the London Company if anyone has any?

Appreciate any help!!!

johnny_doyle

worth looking in the Bureau of Military archives for Kimmage or Larkfield which is where several from Scotland and England were living/working prior to the Easter Rising.

Post his name up here and I'm sure there are several who can do look ups in various resources e.g. Irish Times Rebellion Handbook or to the Irish Volunteers page on Facebook.

A couple of London based Volunteers were subsequently conscripted into the British Army from Frongoch (Hugh Thornton and brothers Sean and Ernest Nunan).

The following book re the Kimmage Garrison may be of interest

http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/product.php?intProductID=937

greenketchup

johnny_doyle wrote: »

worth looking in the Bureau of Military archives for Kimmage or Larkfield which is where several from Scotland and England were living/working prior to the Easter Rising.

Post his name up here and I'm sure there are several who can do look ups in various resources e.g. Irish Times Rebellion Handbook or to the Irish Volunteers page on Facebook.

A couple of London based Volunteers were subsequently conscripted into the British Army from Frongoch (Hugh Thornton and brothers Sean and Ernest Nunan).

The following book re the Kimmage Garrison may be of interest

http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/product.php?intProductID=937

Thanks Johnny, his brother in law, Michael Mulvihill who he travelled over from London with and who was subsequently killed in the fighting was in the kimmage battalion, Austin Kennan, my relative, obviously survived. I have found listings of the members of the kimmage battalion and he's not there. As far as I can gather he wasn't captured after the surrender and I've never heard any mention of him being conscripted, so I'm not really sure what happened.

Anyway thanks for the reply!

johnny_doyle

I see there is a reference to Austin Kennan in Clair Wills book on the GPO in 1916.

Any relation to Gilbert Kennan also at the GPO and listed as from London?

Gilbert Kennan and Michael Mulvihill both appear in the list of names in Seamus Robinson's BMH witness statement

http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0156.pdf#page=12

Robinson was a member of the Kimmage Garrison (and later took part in the rescue of Sean Hogan at Knocklong amongst other things)

Historybluff

While doing research on the IRA in Britain 1919-23, I came across a mention of Austin Kennan. It's from a letter written by Seán McGrath and sent to Art O'Brien, dated 22 March 1935. (It's in the Art O'Brien Papers in the National Library of Ireland in Dublin, folder MS 8461/25.)

McGrath and O'Brien were members of the Irish Volunteers and the IRB in 1914-16. McGrath says that on Easter Saturday 1916, he, Mick Mulvihill and Austin Kennan traveled to Ireland. All carried weapons, McGrath hiding his German rifle in the folds of a travel blanket. They spent Easter Sunday sorting out the weapons. The following day, the trio were stationed at the GPO. McGrath claimed to have played only a ‘very small part’ in the fighting during Easter week, spending less than twenty-four hours in the GPO. At least four London Volunteers, including Mulvihill, were killed during the fighting. The Volunteers from Britain were known as ‘Pearse’s Own’. A woman traveled to London to raise more Volunteers, but she was not believed that a rebellion was taking place.

On the London Volunteers generally you could read:

• Joe Good, Enchanted By Dreams: Journal of a Revolutionary, ed. Maurice Good (Dingle: Brandon, 1996)
• The Bureau of Military History Witness Statements of Denis Daly, Joseph Furlong, Joe Good, Fintan Murphy, Seán Nunan and Jeremiah O'Leary.
• Ernie Nunan, ‘The Irish Volunteers in London’, in An tÓglach, vol. 1, no. 12 (1966), p. 4
• Ernie Nunan, ‘The Kimmage Garrison, 1916’, in An tÓglach, vol. 2, no. 2 (1966), p. 9
• John T. (‘Blimey’) O’Connor, ‘Some Have Come from a Land Beyond the Sea’, in An tÓglach, vol. 1, no. 12 (1966), p. 6

(An tÓglach was magazine produced in the 1960s by Old IRA men like Piaras Beaslaí. I found copies of it in the Richard Mulcahy Papers in UCD Archives.)

From reading through all these, I've concluded that around 16 men from London fought in the Rising, mostly in the area around Sackville Street. Four lost their lives: Seán Hurley, Patrick Shortis, Michael Mulvihill and Jimmy Kingston. (A fifth, Donal Sheehan, had drowned in a car accident near Killorglin, County Kerry, three days before the rebellion commenced during a journey to Caherciveen to steal a radio set from the Atlantic Wireless College so as to make contact with the German vessels carrying munitions to the rebels.)

I hope this helps.

greenketchup

Thats really interesting, thanks for that!

johnny_doyle

Historybluff wrote: »

A fifth, Donal Sheehan, had drowned in a car accident near Killorglin, County Kerry, three days before the rebellion commenced during a journey to Caherciveen to steal a radio set from the Atlantic Wireless College so as to make contact with the German vessels carrying munitions to the rebels.)

Have just been reading Townshend's book on the Easter Rising again and Joe Good just got a mention in connection with the wireless in Dublin. After his release from imprisonment, Good got himself a job at the shell munitions factory in Parkgate at some point in 1918. Given his involvement in the Rising etc, surprised that he got a job there.

2 students were expelled from the wireless college (Thomas Moore from Listowel and Jeremiah Sullivan from Cahirciveen - in Kerry's Fighting Story).
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1915/dec/21/atlantic-wireless-college-cahirciveen

The witness statement of the principal of the wireless college is online :
http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0326.pdf#page=1

Sadly, the Aud carried no radio.

RLIad

Wow, Historybluff, I'm really interested in your post, Im Martin Ernest Nunan, grandson of Ernest 'Ernie' Nunan. I will certainly be following up on what you wrote.

Greenketchup - you will find information also at Kilmainham Jail

johnny_doyle

RLIad wrote: »

Wow, really interested in your post, Im Martin Ernest Nunan, grandson of Ernest 'Ernie' Nunan. I will certainly be following up on what you wrote.

Sean Nunan appears in the witness statement of my wife's uncle Ned O'Brien; they both did some work for the Volunteers in the USA. Ned was sent over there after being wounded during the rescue of Sean Hogan at Knocklong.

Records of both Nunan's from their time in the BA after being conscripted from Frongoch are available on Ancestry.

The term Conscientious Objector gets a mention in Ernest Nunan's pension file (no 11/6151 9th Battn London Regt) but not in the file of his brother John/Sean (no 6256/323184 6th Battn London Regt). Both appear to have refused to sign attestation papers or to have had medicals; both sentenced to terms in military prisons for refusing to obey lawful orders. Both released 1917. Ernest was charged at Marylebone Police Court under Section 15 of the Reserve Forces Act

Hugh Thornton (no 32285, 65th Training Battn) similarly received a military prison sentence for refusing to obey a lawful order. He too refused to sign forms; also refused to wear khaki uniform. "Joined" 13/9/1916; discharged 21/12/1916.

I have seen the names Pat and George King as being conscripted into the British Army from Frongoch but haven't researched these 2 yet.

greenketchup

RLIad wrote: »

Wow, Historybluff, I'm really interested in your post, Im Martin Ernest Nunan, grandson of Ernest 'Ernie' Nunan. I will certainly be following up on what you wrote.

Greenketchup - you will find information also at Kilmainham Jail

Yeah I've tried that already, thanks everyone for coming back

greenketchup

RLIad wrote: »

Wow, Historybluff, I'm really interested in your post, Im Martin Ernest Nunan, grandson of Ernest 'Ernie' Nunan. I will certainly be following up on what you wrote.

Greenketchup - you will find information also at Kilmainham Jail

Yeah I've tried that already, thanks everyone for coming back

RLIad

Is Ancestry a web site? I know Séan did some work in the US but this is the first I've heard of Ernie working over there. They went down either side of the divide in the 22 civil war but remained close and with Séan's relationship to DeValera's he was given duties and named a Irish Ambassador to the US. Will pass this info to my Aunt, she will be very interested

johnny_doyle

RLIad wrote: »

Is Ancestry a web site? I know Séan did some work in the US but this is the first I've heard of Ernie working over there. They went down either side of the divide in the 22 civil war but remained close and with Séan's relationship to DeValera's he was given duties and named a Irish Ambassador to the US. Will pass this info to my Aunt, she will be very interested

don't think Ernie went to the USA. My comment was about Sean Nunan and Ned O'Brien working in the USA.

www.ancestry.co.uk is the site I use.

Historybluff

*

Citycap

Historybluff wrote: »

While doing research on the IRA in Britain 1919-23, I came across a mention of Austin Kennan. It's from a letter written by Seán McGrath and sent to Art O'Brien, dated 22 March 1935. (It's in the Art O'Brien Papers in the National Library of Ireland in Dublin, folder MS 8461/25.)

McGrath and O'Brien were members of the Irish Volunteers and the IRB in 1914-16. McGrath says that on Easter Saturday 1916, he, Mick Mulvihill and Austin Kennan traveled to Ireland. All carried weapons, McGrath hiding his German rifle in the folds of a travel blanket. They spent Easter Sunday sorting out the weapons. The following day, the trio were stationed at the GPO. McGrath claimed to have played only a ‘very small part’ in the fighting during Easter week, spending less than twenty-four hours in the GPO. At least four London Volunteers, including Mulvihill, were killed during the fighting. The Volunteers from Britain were known as ‘Pearse’s Own’. A woman traveled to London to raise more Volunteers, but she was not believed that a rebellion was taking place.

On the London Volunteers generally you could read:

• Joe Good, Enchanted By Dreams: Journal of a Revolutionary, ed. Maurice Good (Dingle: Brandon, 1996)
• The Bureau of Military History Witness Statements of Denis Daly, Joseph Furlong, Joe Good, Fintan Murphy, Seán Nunan and Jeremiah O'Leary.
• Ernie Nunan, ‘The Irish Volunteers in London’, in An tÓglach, vol. 1, no. 12 (1966), p. 4
• Ernie Nunan, ‘The Kimmage Garrison, 1916’, in An tÓglach, vol. 2, no. 2 (1966), p. 9
• John T. (‘Blimey’) O’Connor, ‘Some Have Come from a Land Beyond the Sea’, in An tÓglach, vol. 1, no. 12 (1966), p. 6

(An tÓglach was magazine produced in the 1960s by Old IRA men like Piaras Beaslaí. I found copies of it in the Richard Mulcahy Papers in UCD Archives.)

From reading through all these, I've concluded that around 16 men from London fought in the Rising, mostly in the area around Sackville Street. Four lost their lives: Seán Hurley, Patrick Shortis, Michael Mulvihill and Jimmy Kingston. (A fifth, Donal Sheehan, had drowned in a car accident near Killorglin, County Kerry, three days before the rebellion commenced during a journey to Caherciveen to steal a radio set from the Atlantic Wireless College so as to make contact with the German vessels carrying munitions to the rebels.)

I hope this helps.

I think that the London IRB men played a far greater role than 17. A read through the Bureau of Military History gives a great view of the London side of things. Moving on from 1916 it was only through reading Bureau witness statements that I learn that Collins had sent several men to London in 1920 to build up a dosier of intelligence on the British cabinet. The purpose was to have them ready for assassination if the British got too extreme in the activities back home. Fascinating stuff to read

greenketchup

Citycap wrote: »

I think that the London IRB men played a far greater role than 17. A read through the Bureau of Military History gives a great view of the London side of things. Moving on from 1916 it was only through reading Bureau witness statements that I learn that Collins had sent several men to London in 1920 to build up a dosier of intelligence on the British cabinet. The purpose was to have them ready for assassination if the British got too yextreme in the activities back home. Fascinating stuff to read

It really is, its such an amazing resource to have on line, I regularly download testaments and read them on the way to work. It's a pity they didn't stretch it to the civil war, for obvious reasons, I can see why.

Although I couldn't find anything about my relative on there, I stumbled across some real gems in there, any of the lads from the squad is an amazing read, what brave men. It's also a great way to find out what happened in your locality.

Historybluff

Citycap wrote: »

I think that the London IRB men played a far greater role than 17.

Well, I am of course open to correction but I'd say 16 is accurate enough. I estimate that around 60 men from Britain fought in the Rising. The greatest number were from Liverpool and the smallest from Manchester, with London and Glasgow in between. I haven't been able to find accurate figures for all these places as the Witness Statements often give contradictory information. While most witnesses say that around 60 men from Britain fought in the Rising, Frank Thornton say that the Liverpool contingent alone numbered 127!

Citycap wrote: »

Moving on from 1916 it was only through reading Bureau witness statements that I learn that Collins had sent several men to London in 1920 to build up a dosier of intelligence on the British cabinet. The purpose was to have them ready for assassination if the British got too extreme in the activities back home. Fascinating stuff to read

Yes, the Witness Statements are invaluable. Men were actually sent to London on a number of occasions to assassinate British cabinet members.

1. In 1918, an 11 -man squad was led by Cathal Brugha, its mission being to kill politicians in the event of the signing of the Order in Council ratifying Irish conscription. It wasn't signed.
2. In 1920, Patrick Murray, a member of the Cork Volunteers, led a three man team to London. Its mission was to assassinate a member of the British cabinet in the event of Terence MacSwiney, lord mayor of Cork and O/C of the county’s 1st Brigade, dying on hunger strike in Brixton prison. Michael Collins aborted the mission.
3. Later that year, when Crown Forces began using TDs as human shields in order to discourage attacks on their patrols in Dublin, Frank Thornton, George Fitzgerald and Dublin IRA man Seán Flood were sent to London to kidnap government MPs.
4. In March 1921, Thornton returned to London with Pa Murray and others to assassinate Major General Percival, the commander of British forces in West Cork, due to his penchant for torturing Volunteers.

Of course, while all these missions were taking place, IRA units in Britain were going about their own work, smuggling weapons and mounting arson attacks on property.

Ruairi Voltaire

Citycap wrote: »

I think that the London IRB men played a far greater role than 17. A read through the Bureau of Military History gives a great view of the London side of things. Moving on from 1916 it was only through reading Bureau witness statements that I learn that Collins had sent several men to London in 1920 to build up a dosier of intelligence on the British cabinet. The purpose was to have them ready for assassination if the British got too extreme in the activities back home. Fascinating stuff to read

There was also 'The Self-Determination League of Great Britan' during the Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War. There was also a pogrom against catholics in the north of Ireland in the aftermath, orchestrated by a certain person, that was assassinated on orders and the killings stopped.

Santa Cruz

Citycap wrote: »

I think that the London IRB men played a far greater role than 17. A read through the Bureau of Military History gives a great view of the London side of things. Moving on from 1916 it was only through reading Bureau witness statements that I learn that Collins had sent several men to London in 1920 to build up a dosier of intelligence on the British cabinet. The purpose was to have them ready for assassination if the British got too extreme in the activities back home. Fascinating stuff to read

I read that account also of one of the men sent to London. It was a very serious plan to assassinate the British Cabinet. There were a good few men sent with each one delegated to gather the movements of particular Cabinet ministers