IRA Activities
The Coughlan family were very involved in the Irish Volunteers from at the latest 1918. We can presume their father was also a supporter as not only did his sons contribute but their sister Madge Coughlan Barnes was also very involved. Click on her name to read about her involvement.
Cornelius Coughlan, William Coughlan, Madge Coughlan all received IRA Medals for service 1917-1921 and Madge was one of the few women in Ireland to receive an IRA pension. She is also mentioned in the book Atlas of the Irish Revolution.
Bandon Road area was covered by 2nd Battalion G-Company. There were approx 100 men in the company. Their training took place in the countryside but their weekly meetings in the Temperance Hall on Bandon Road a short 2 min walk from their home. If you would like to read a document outlining some of the activities of G-Company please click here.
Charles Coughlan Elected as Alderman
January 1920
1920 January 7th Nominated for Cork City Council under Sinn Fein & Transport Workers No.1 South In the South Ward area, Charles Coughlan stood as a candidate for the joint Sinn Fein / Transport Workers grouping. He topped the poll with 485 votes, becoming Alderman of that Ward. Thus electing him as a member of Cork Sinn Fein Corporation 1921. With his wife Kathleen just expecting their second baby, things must have seemed incredibly promising and the future very bright.
Mugshots taken of IRA Prisoners by the British Army at Victory Barracks Cork
Photos from the Cork Museum
Death of Tomás MacCurtain Lord Mayor of Cork
19 March 1920
The MacCurtain family were friend of the Coughlans and continued to be for many years after the tragic loss of their Father.
He was elected in the January 1920 council elections along with Charles and was the Sinn Féin councillor for NW Ward No. 3 of Cork. He was chosen by his fellow councillors to be the Lord Mayor.
Terence MacSwiney took over as Lord Mayor of Cork and his first act was to bury his friend and colleague Tomás MacCurtain.
Link to the Wikipedia page about Tomás MacCuratin
The Film by RTE gives a very good understanding of all the events during this time. Please do watch … it is approx 50 mins.
Death of Terence MacSwiney Lord Mayor of Cork
12 AUGUST 1920 ARREST of Terence MacSwiney
Terence MacSwiney arrested and sent to Brixton Prison. After one month news was released that he was alive.
Terence MacSwiney was on hunger strike to protest his internment and the fact that he was trialed by military court.
You can read the details on Terence McSwiney on Wikepedia; click here.
The press began reporting on his condition on a daily basis. His hunger strike was followed the world over. I am presuming you have watched the film above and I won’t add any further information here.
25 OCTOBER 1920
On hearing of the death of Terence MacSwiney after 73 days on Hunger Strike, The Cork Corporation had a special meeting at 12 noon in the City Hall.
They decided that as many as possible would attend the funeral in London. They left Cork by train for Kingstown and then took the mail boat to Holyhead. A number of Volunteers in uniform also traveled with the Corporation members to serve as body-guards at the funeral. However as they boarded the boat they were surrounded by detectives on both sides of the gangway and arrested the members of the body-guard. They were later sentenced to six years imprisonment, which was commuted to two years.
As part of the Cork Civic Delegation, Charles went to London to attend the funeral of Terence MacSwiney Lord Mayor of Cork who died on hunger strike. There is reference to this in “Liam Ruiséal Remembers” pg. 40-41
Some members of the body-guard did manage to get through as they had overcoats on top of their uniforms. As the boat went to leave Holyhead they were still being observed by the detectives. As Liam Ruiseal and Micheal OÇuil walked the deck while talking in Irish, Micheal was tapped on the shoulder and placed under arrest. However Councillor Barry Egan interrupted and he was released.
The group arrived in London and visited Brixton Prison to see Terence MacSwiney laid out.
After an inquest and a long delay, 4 days later the body was removed to St Georges Cathedral Southwark. On the Thursday morning Mass was celebrated. After the Mass, 10,000 people walked in the funeral procession to Euston Station. Along the route the streets were lined with people, many kneeling as the hearse passed. The procession was headed by a small number of Irish Volunteers, a pipe band and several hundred priests. The Most Rev Dr Mannix Bishop of Melbourne walked behind the hearse followed by members of the Cork Corporation, Cork Harbour Board, Dail Eireann and others.
At Euston the train left with the body to then be brought by ferry from Holyhead to Dublin. During the journey by train the Superintendent on the train (along with 200 police) gave a letter to the relatives, saying that the body of Terence MacSwiney would be taken, by force if necessary, and placed on board a British boat to be brought directly to Cork. This was to prevent the body being brought back via Dublin.
Liam Ruiseal writes “I cannot forget that scene at Holyhead – Miss Mary MacSwiney protesting, and the police taking the body by force, and putting it on board the British boat.”
Mass was held in Dublin first and then the group journeyed to Cork by train.
On the Friday the boat Rathmore arrived at Cobh. Following prayers quayside, the coffin was then put on a tug and brought to Cork.
Shortly after 9pm that night over 100 Volunteers marched to Custom House Quay and shouldered the coffin back to the City Hall where the now dead Lord Mayor had been arrested just 11 weeks before.
As Terence MacSwiney lay in the City Hall, crowds came to pass by and pay their respects. Funeral mass took place on the Friday and Terence MacSwiney was laid to rest in the Republican Plot next to his comrade and friend Tomas MacCurtain.
Bloody Sunday
November 11th 1920
Bloody Sunday was one of the most significant events to take place during the Irish War of Independence. Click here to read about Bloody Sunday on Wikipedia
Family Involvement
Where I have information about the particular involvement of a member of the family, I will try to add it to the narrative.
During 1920/21 Madge Coughlan was attached to Brigade Headquarters in Cork – She transfered Arms and Amunition landed from America and delivered dispatches from Cork to Cobh for ships sailing for America to be delivered.
Burning of Cork
December 11th 1920
The RTE film above is the best way to cover all this. It has great clips and will give you a feel for Cork at the time as well as covering all the events.
Here is a link to the Wikipedia page on the Burning of Cork
Cork Corporation Arrested
January 1921
Just over a month after the Burning of Cork, at 1pm 31st JANUARY 1921 a party of the Black & Tans raided a corporation meeting and Cork Corporation attending were arrested, including Charles Coughlan
They were sent to Cork Prison, then to Spike Island and on to Ballykinlar.
They remained interned in Ballykinlar Internment Camp, Co. Down for the year of 1921.
Charles was in Hut 8 Camp 2 Ballykinlar.
Most of the prisoners from Ballykinlar were released following signing of the Peace Treaty on 6 December 1921
This photo was taken to send to Charles Coughlan while he was in prison. Kathleen wrote a note on the back introducing Patricia to Charles and explained she never sat still!
So I am sure just getting her to sit for the photo was a challenge!
There were 2 Camps in Ballykinlar. Camp 1 had 37 huts and Camp 2 had 38 huts.
Each hut housed approx 25 men. Conditions were not good in the Camp, there was not enough food and it was very cold.
This is an excellent book if you are interested in learning more “Prisoners of War: Ballykinlar, An Irish Internment Camp 1920-1921 by Liam Ó Duibhir”
Fr Dominic Back row center. Connie Neenan Best Man (left of bride).
Charles Coughlan not present as he was in prison in Ballykinlar at this time
Death of Tadhg Barry 15th November 1921
On Friday 18th November 1921
further info to add here
Most of the prisoners from Ballykinlar were released following signing of the Peace Treaty on 6 December 1921
1922 CIVIL WAR
Civil War between those for and against the Anglo-Irish Treaty raged between 1922-1923 and continues to shape present-day politics in Ireland.
On 13th April 1922 Charles Coughlan Resigned from Office of Public works.
At the beginning of the Civil War in June 1922, the Irish Free State government, composed of the leadership faction who had accepted the Anglo-Irish Treaty, held Dublin, where its armed forces were concentrated and some other areas of the midlands and north. The new National Army was composed of those units of the Irish Republican Army loyal to them, plus recent recruits, but was, at the start of the war, still relatively small and poorly armed.
Much of the rest of the country, particularly the south and west, was outside of its control and in the hands of the anti-Treaty elements of the IRA, who did not accept the legitimacy of the new state and who asserted that the Irish Republic, created in 1919, was the continuing legitimate all-island state. This situation was rapidly brought to an end in July and August 1922, when the commander-in-chief of the Free State forces, Michael Collins, launched the offensive.
- 1921 – July to December – Madge Coughlan Traveled to Dublin during this period with Con Neenan and Seán Coughlan (brother) She remained in Dublin when they left. The Belfast Boycott was ongoing and Madge was “still doing some work in connection with this”.
- 1922 – early June – Madge met Eileen Egan (an IRA courier from England carrying documents from Mr M Cremin to IRA HQ) who brought Madge with her to Government Buildings, she met the girls there which made later visits possible.
- 1922 – June 29 – July 5th Madge reported for duty for the Battle of Dublin and was in various posts on O’Connell St until they were burned or evacuated.
June 1922 – September 1922 Irish Free State Offensive against anti-treaty strongholds in the South and South West
- 1922 – July early – Madge met with the IRA again as she was unknown in Dublin and could be useful. She was asked to get information that would be of use to the IRA. An introduction was secured for her to girls in the Provisional Government offices and her career in Dublin as an Intelligence Officer began.
- 1922 – July 5 – 11 Madge engaged in tending the wounded at St. Endas Oakley Road Hospital for Wounded IRA Men while simultaneously building her cover for the girls working in Government Building so she would be completely accepted as this was “essential to the success of the work I was to do.” “When the fighting in the city was over I began to think out means by which I could resume and utilise the possibilites of the contacts I had made in Government Buildings and that as soon as possible I put my plans into effect. ”
- 1922 – July – Madge contacted and met with Kathleen McKenna (Athur Griffiths Secretary) and Maureen Morgan gaining their confidence and receiving a pass for Government Buildings and the Dáil; enabling from approx July 11 – regular visits to Government Buildings gathering information from Desmond Fitzgerald’s office and passing this information to the IRA
- 1922 – 2nd to 5th July – Madge was helping in the first aid hospital in Oakley Road following the evacuation of the Hammam Hotel and also doing other jobs outside the hospital.
Document detailing the activities of Madge Barnes are contained in her pension application.
8 August 1922 800 Free State Troops and Armoured Cars landed at Passage.
There was heavy fighting at Rochestown and Douglas in which at least ten Free State and 7 Republican fighters were killed and at least 60 men on both sides were wounded, before the outnumbered and outgunned anti-treaty IRA retreated into the city. However, they did not try to continue the fighting Cork itself, partly in order to spare the civilian population, but instead burned Charles Barracks (Charles Fort), near Kinsale, which they had been occupying, and dispersed into the countryside.
10 August 1922 Free State troops entered Cork city unopposed
22 August 1922 Michael Collins shot at Béal na mBláth
- 1922 – Autumn – Madge was attached to office of IRA Director of Intelligence Michael Carolan
- 1922 – December – Madge was given away accidentally by IRA Propaganda releasing information she had provided without changing it. She was in danger of being shot and had to hurriedly leave Dublin. Her home in Cork was raided for her and in her absence her younger sister was arrested.
The Civil War was followed by 10 months of guerrilla warfare.
May 1923
End of the Irish Civil War
June 28 1924
The United States recognized the Irish Free State as a state with autonomous control over its foreign relations on June 28, 1924, when U.S. Secretary of State Charles E. Hughes informed the British Ambassador in Washington that the President would be pleased to receive a duly accredited Minister Plenipotentiary of the Irish Free State. Diplomatic relations were established on October 7, 1924, when Timothy A. Smiddy presented his credentials as Minister Plenipotentiary of the Irish Free State in Washington.
November 8 1924
A general amnesty is declared for acts committed during the civil war.