Timeline (PROGRESS AS FAR AS p40/118)
- 1920 – 1921 attached to Brigade Headquarters in Cork – Transfer of Arms and Amunition landed from America and delivered dispatches from Cork to Cobh for ships sailing for America to be delivered.
- 1921 – July to December – Traveled to Dublin during this period with Con Neenan and Seán Coughlan (brother) Stayed in Dublin when they left. Belfast Boycott was ongoing and Madge was “still doing some work in connection with this”.
- 1922 – early June – 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, 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.
- 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 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 – 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 – regularly visits to Government Buildings gathering information from Desmond Fitzgerald’s office and passing this information to the IRA
- 1922 – 2nd to 5th July – Helping in the first aid hospital in Oakley Road following the evacuation of the Hammam Hotel and also doing other jobs outside the hospital.
- 1922 – Autumn – Attached to office of IRA Director of Intelligence Michael Carolan
- 1922 – December – Madge Barnes 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.
Extract from the Military Service Pension Records
File Reference No: MSP34REF60487
Files relate to Madge Barnes’ receipt of a military service pension in respect of her service performed during the period 1 April 1918 to 30 September 1923, where she was attached to the Intelligence Staff of 2 Battalion Cork 1 Brigade and Dublin Brigade (during 1 July 1922 until 30 September 1923) . Barnes was not successful in her appeal the decision of the referee made in regards to her rank. Based on her interview with the Military Service Pensions Board in consideration of her case for a military service pension and details contained in her application for a military service pension, Barnes is mainly associated with carrying out intelligence work on behalf of 2 Battalion, Cork 1 Brigade from 1918 to June 1922, and same for Dublin Brigade until 30 September 1923, adding ‘I wasn’t joined to Cumann na mBan ever. I had five brothers in the I.R.A.’ (see Evidence of applicant dated 24 August 1945 MSP34REF60487). Barnes introduction to intelligence work in 1918 is revealed by Barnes in her evidence and throughout letters penned by her which are on file. Barnes notes that she worked with Pinker Fruitier and Florist located on Grand Parade and the business had a close relationship with all military installations located in the city, ‘Mr. Pinker was British and not suspected’ (Barnes). This contact provided her with access to various secure offices including General Strickland’s, and also presented an opportunity to get friendly with barrack officers, police officers located in Tuckey Street, Auxiliaries located at Summer Hill and personnel aboard warships located at Cork Harbour. She adds that she attended almost every social function organized by the British officers and notes that ‘frequently the conversation turned to the doings of the day and I often obtained information of value and reported on their movement and those of their civilian associates who were hostile’ (see p. 1, typed statement attached to Application form). She notes that gathered information was passed to Florence O’Donoghue, Gerry O’Brien and Con Neenan ‘promptly and regularly’ (Barnes). She further notes that during the period in Cork city, she once procured a revolver for her brother, Seán Coughlan, transferred small arms and ammunition across city and county, and often accompanied her brother in law, who had a motor permit, in picking up I.R.A. men from train stations and bringing them to safety ‘so as to evade arrest’. Barne’s move from performing intelligence duties in Cork to performing same in Dublin is attributed by Barnes to the occasion when she accompanied Con Neenan and Seán Coughlan to Dublin and came in to contact with Miss M. Hyland (AKA Mrs Lalor), Brian Martin. P.J. Little and Harry Boland – she further notes that she was on active duty when the Civil War broke out, noting that the week of the Four Courts siege, she was based in the Gresham Hotel, Tara Hall, Barry’s [Hotel] and the Hammam Hotel and was a courier delivering dispatches city wide. When the fighting at the Hammam Hotel intensified and women were permitted to leave, Barnes notes that she secured accommodation with friends ‘who were a very well known Free State family’, and at the same time performed duties as a member of Cumann na Saoirse, provided intelligence to staff based at Cullenswood House, and upon finding out information about [Free State army’s] plans for the attack on Cork, she conveyed this information to a Miss Eileen Egan. Upon instructions received, she gained entry to the Dail and gained the trust of Minister Desmond Fitzgerald and his staff. She claims that this connection evolved in to a position within his office and allowed her access to government papers (which she copied) and information which she continued to supply to the Intelligence staff, Dublin Brigade ‘until cessation of hostilities between government and the I.R.A.’ (see, p. 3 typed statement attached to application form). Barnes’ case is supported by Florence O’Donoghue, S (Sonny) O’Neill, Jeremiah O’Brien, Robert Aherne, Michael Leahy, Jeremiah Keating, Seán Coughlan, M. Hyland, Patrick Morrissey, Geoffrey Keating, Mrs. Lalor, Brian Martin, Kevin McCann and Captain John J. Budds. All aforementioned wrote letters in support of Barnes’ case and collectively, they further detail her activities during the period claimed for. Her brother, Seán Coughlan confirms that her sister was not officially associated with any organization ‘save constant and regular service to me as an I/O [Intelligence Officer] and in my capacity of executive officer for the operation of the Belfast Boycott’ (Coughlan). File includes: pension application prepared and submitted by Barnes; typed summary of sworn evidence given by Barnes to the Military Service Pensions Board in connection with her pension application in August 1945. Also held on file is paperwork charting the management of service pension payments paid to Barnes until her death in 1975. One document, which contains the names of family members is closed
Madge received statements outling the services she provided during the Civil War from Ernie O’Malley, Sheila Humphreys and Sean Dowling.
Erine O’Malley’s detailed and glowing recommendation of her for a high ranked pension is a must read. See page 25 of her Military Records File
Sheila Humphreys recommendation is also page 32 of her Military Records File
Sean Dowlings reference is on page 34 of her Military Records
She accepted her award of her Military Service Certificate but applied to appeal the rank E which she was awarded.
PJ Little wrote to support her claim for a higher grade than E for her pension. According to the documentation the dates she was claiming for did not entitle her to a higher grade. (MUST CHECK THIS AGAIN)
He wrote “there is no doubt she did good work carrying dispatches and also in getting information which it would have been extremely difficult to obtain but for her undoubted zeal and skill in such matters. I hope she obtains recognition of her fine work by being allowed the rank she claims. “
Madge Coughlan is mentioned in a number of books and news articles
The Treaty : Debating and Establishing the Irish State Chapter 7 by Mary McAuliffe (Madge Barnes mentioned for her work amongst other things sometimes posing as a member of Cumman na Saoirse gathering information for the IRA during the Civil War)
Also mentioned in an Irish Examiner Article Click to read full article
Among them are many whose work was for key roles in the IRA command structure, particularly for intelligence duties carried out during the War of Independence and Civil War.
Madge Barnes, (at the time Madge Coughlan), managed to secure highly important information for anti-Treaty forces when she moved from Cork to Dublin during the Civil War.
“As a matter of fact there were times when I even thought she was working for the [Free State] Intelligence Department… she became suspect and was actually going to be shot, but she managed to allay their suspicions and actually resumed her intelligence work,” wrote Cumann na mBan ex-honorary secretary Sighle Humphreys in a 1945 letter on Barnes’s file.
IRISH TIMES ARTICLE
Stories of the revolution: Woman praised for her ‘cool daring’ in accessing files
Pensions archive reveals heroic actions of women in the revolutionary period
by Ronan McGreevy for the Irish Times LINK to ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A woman who infiltrated the Free State government in 1922 and passed classified intelligence to the anti-Treaty side was described as “almost unbelievable” and a “genius”.
Madge Barnes won the confidence of Desmond FitzGerald, the minister for External Affairs in the first Free State administration, and was able to pass valuable information on to the anti-Treaty rebels.
In 1922 the executive of Cumann na mBan issued a strongly worded instruction to its members, stating that acceptance of the Treaty was a “denial of the Republic and hence treason to it”.
Barnes was not a member of Cumann na mBan, which took the anti-Treaty side during the Civil War. She was advised not to join lest she be suspected of republican activities.
This allowed her to be trusted with access to the most sensitive files that the Free State government had.
Barnes accessed the new government headquarters and copied what she could of material that would be of interest to the rebels. Some of it was used for intelligence purposes. Other information was used in propaganda leaflets.
After a while Barnes became a suspect and risked being executed if she was caught. However, she carried on regardless and managed to allay the suspicions of the government and continue her intelligence work.
Remarkable spirit
Writing on her behalf in 1945 for a military service pension, Sigle nic Amlaoib, a member of the Cumann na mBan executive in 1921-1922, described Barnes as “almost unbelievable, and it was only the remarkable spirit of cool daring combined with her personality that made it possible for her to carry on such extremely dangerous work.
“The continued production of Free State Government confidential documents convinced me that she was just a genius at getting into the enemy’s camp and scouring for information.”
Barnes received recognised military service from April 1st, 1918 to September 30th, 1923, when she was attached to intelligence operations in Cork and Dublin. She received a service pension from November 1945 at the lowest E grade. She was unsuccessful on appeal for a higher rank.
Barnes’s file is released along with 106 others relating to women and the revolutionary period. It has been described by archivist Cécile Gordon as the most substantial release from the military pensions archives to date relating to women.
The women were mostly involved in IRA intelligence, diplomacy and arms smuggling. Many were awarded the rank of captain in recognition of the dangerous work undertaken.
Article from the Echo in 1985 on Capt. Barnes featuring a photo of Madge
