This is an interesting story I’d never heard before:
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Listening to Michael Foley’s podcast The Bloodied Field, up to the 6th episode. Jesus Christ, how any self-respecting Irish person can support RIC/Fine Gael is beyond me. Fucking scumbags.
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Same thoughts exactly
Anniversairy of Kilmichael ambush is tomorrow. Its a huge pity that people cannot attend these commemorations. I might try and mosy down at some stage. Some of the boys of Kilmichael below
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If you’ve never been it is a profound experience to visit the Kilmichael ambush site, thewy have done a very foine job of making it an experience enjoyable for all the family, standing there really brings it to life.
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Yeah I was there many moons ago. Got a tour from a local history buff and all it cost was a bottle of Jameson. You’ve made my mind up. Will tip down tomorrow morning.
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In May 1921 the IRA launched a campaign firebombing the UK homes of Black & Tans in response to property attacks in Ireland.
It took good intelligence work to get those details
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Fuck it id love to read a proper history of the WOI or a decent documentary series.
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You’d want to be benching around 120kg to lie in bed reading it though.
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There’s literally hundreds of books, lots are in print at the moment and are available in bookshops, libraries teeming with them,
I wouldn’t be able to recommend one over others though I read lots years ago, go in and have a browse
Personally I’d void the personal accounts, those lads have huge egos, Tom Barry probably the worst of that lot, theErnie O’Malley book was good I think
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Barry deservedly needs lauded and wouldn’t blame him for having an ego, met him and his second in command and several of the active participants of kilmichael and Crossbarry, was a young teen when introduced to Barry, met Tom Kelliher when an aged sick man , but spoke intelligently and from the heart ref the GFA at an Easter commeration in Derry and his hopes for a 32 Ireland not the ragged excuse for a free state
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Was brought there religiously as a kid, and brought my Derry kids yearly, my eldest boy brings his eldest to the various ambush sites when he comes to Cork once a year, not just the famous ones, but to Charlie Hurleys cross , Upton,1798 sites etc etc,history lives on
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In fairness I know there are hundreds of books if I’m anyway interested in the topic. I’ve read a fair share of them autobiographies etc. I’m looking for a recommendation for a more a ‘definitive’ general look at the entire period of what life was like on the ground for ordinary people or some of the lesser known incidents campaigns that went on. I don’t think it exists though.
There was one - banned
The old IRA
It gave the cold facts of war that my granda and others like him were involved in
It was a list of atrocities that highlighted what had to be done to root out the brits in Munster, not pretty reading tbh,bare facts, murder kidnapping and torture, intimidation and robbery, coercion and fear , both civilians and RIC/ tans were marked,
Object of same book at the time was simply to show that the current ( at the time) provisional IRA were no worse than the romanticised “old IRA”
Ppl of my generation were embarrassed and ashamed at what historians were saying about their( my) fathers/grandfathers and what they got up to to achieve a Republic, they wanted them to be seen as glorious holier than thou figures,not at all involved in dark deeds,( my uncle was one of the clowns denied his own dad ever hurt anyone, although he did, including blowing away an unarmed civilian)
The fact of the matter is we didn’t gain a partial Republic by talking about it, murder had to be done
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Sorry, the Atlas is probably for you so,
I suppose for a more balanced and rounded version you’d need to read widely and be open to all views,
I found the autobiographies to be sickeningly but naturally one sided,
The year of the disappearances which I mentioned earlier is an interesting warts and all read about the Cork IRA
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Good post
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