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History Today Article - Female spies in War of Independence

  • 05-08-2018 10:18am
    #1
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,768 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    FYI: in this month's History Today magazine (paywall for digital access), there is an interesting article on how women formed a crucial part of this war by gathering information and forwarding it to Collins' spy network. eg Lily Mernin who worked in Dublin castle.


Comments

  • #2
    Ascendant
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 196 ✭✭Ascendant


    Manach wrote: »
    FYI: in this month's History Today magazine (paywall for digital access), there is an interesting article on how women formed a crucial part of this war by gathering information and forwarding it to Collins' spy network. eg Lily Mernin who worked in Dublin castle.


    Damn, so much to read, so little time...


  • #3
    Edgware
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,874 ✭✭✭Edgware


    The Witness statements of females in the Bureau of Military History has a number of cases of women acting as intelligence agents while working as telephonists etc


  • #4
    Ascendant
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 196 ✭✭Ascendant


    Edgware wrote: »
    The Witness statements of females in the Bureau of Military History has a number of cases of women acting as intelligence agents while working as telephonists etc


    The post office was also a critical source of info for the various IRA units around the country, particularly for catching letters or payment fees between informants and the Crown forces.



    The Carlow IRA wasn't a particularly impressive brigade by any stretch but it did have a number of members in the Carlow post office which was a huge help.


  • #5
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    I believe that the female statements in the BMH are not representative of female participation in the War of Ind. If you read many of the statements by men or books by participants there are countless mentions of women who hid men, smuggled guns, were messengers or operated ‘dead letter’ drops. Those (a few) that I've checked did not make BMH Statements or claim pensions.

    Adding to the Carlow PO mention, there were close connections with the railway stations particularly GSWR where mainly women operated the shops/stalls and were used both for messages and for watching /recording troop movements.

    Were females largely ignored by the BMH or asked and declined? It is surprising that some gender studies Ph.D. has not been produced on it (yet?).


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