We start the new year with a lecture on Monday the 15th of January 2007 (note change from Thursdays to Mondays) at 8.15p.m., which is to be given by Philip McConway and is on a subject of great interest and not researched before, being the period1920-1921. Mr. McConway has carried out post gratitude studies in Trinity and has extensively researched for this lecture. He is a Tullamore man and we are very pleased to have the benefit of his studies. The lecture will be illustrated and details of it are as set out below.

The Intelligence War in Offaly 1920-1921: Spies, Informers and Militant Loyalists

This illustrated lecture by Philip McConway is based on a much wider study of the Offaly IRA from the years 1920-1923. While a postgraduate student in Trinity College he carried out extensive research on the War of Independence and Civil War in Offaly. Maps, graphs, tables, photographs, and original documents will be employed in this lecture to reconstruct the Intelligence War in Offaly, 1920-1921. Despite being arguably the most important phase in modern Offaly history this pivotal period is largely ignored and neglected by historians.

A brief background will be given to the often flawed performance of the Offaly IRA. Setbacks, shortcomings and fallibility characterised the Offaly IRA's war. There is a strong contrast with the often outsized heroics in other areas which captured the limelight. The first large scale attack by the IRA was at Clara barracks on 2 June 1920. Up to 200 IRA Volunteers were involved in the attack which ended in a costly and ignominious failure. The botched attack left three IRA Volunteers seriously wounded, one fatally. The Offaly IRA was not ruthless and was hampered by a lenient, cautious and hesitant approach. The Offaly IRA lacked decisive leadership. Unglamorous sabotage not sensational ambushes were its main strength. The Offaly IRA often had a tempestuous relationship with GHQ in Dublin. The IRA Chief of Staff Richard Mulcahy berated the Offaly IRA, especially the No. 2 Brigade, for incompetence and slovenliness. GHQ had a significant input into the Offaly IRA and was instrumental in escalating the war in the midlands.

The RIC was a priority target for the IRA. As the RIC became ostracised from the local community, the traditional source of information for the British largely dried up. Members of the RIC and their families were intimated resulting in many resignations. The first killing of an RIC member by the Offaly IRA did not occur until 1 November 1920 after RIC Sergeant Henry Cronin was fatally wounded in Tullamore when shot at point blank range. The killing prompted Black and Tan reprisals in the town. Cronin was overzealous in his activities against the IRA and it is believed Michael Collins, IRA Director of Intelligence, ordered his killing. While the British Army was expendable and easily replaced the RIC was not, due to their extensive local knowledge, being the eyes and ears of the Crown forces. Eamonn de Valera denounced the RIC for 'brutal treason' describing them as 'spies in our midst.' Collins would later declare that 'To paralyse the British machine it was necessary to strike at individuals. Without her spies England was helpless.'

The intelligence operations and information gathering techniques of the Crown forces, in particular the British Army, will be examined. Mutual suspicion and internal friction undermined the RIC and British Army's counter-insurgency campaign in Offaly. Local IRA intelligence was mediocre. However, precise and accurate intelligence provided by an informer working for the IRA led to the Kinnity ambush on 17 May 1921. An IRA Active Service Unit (ASU) mounted one of the most successful IRA operations in Offaly which resulted in the deaths of two RIC constables and the serious injury of two others.
In the final three months of the War of Independence in Offaly, from May to July 1921, at least six people were executed as spies and informers. The lecture will give an in-depth profile and analysis of the spies and informers executed by the Offaly IRA. Who were they, why did they inform and to what extent did they damage the IRA? Philip McConway will attempt to answer these and other pertinent questions such as the role of ex-soldiers in the Intelligence War. The activities of the Pearson family of Coolacrease, Cadamstown will be covered. Two members of the family, Richard and Abraham, were executed and their home burned down by the IRA in retaliation for their militant loyalist activities which culminated in an attempt to kill IRA Volunteers manning a roadblock. The male members of the family were deeply hostile and presented a dangerous threat to Republicans in the area. The Pearsons were also suspected informers. Recent revisionist claims that the Pearson killings were sectarian, propounded in sections of the media, will be challenged and debunked.

The lecture will conclude with a reference to the ripple affects and implications of spies on the IRA. Offaly IRA prisoners often experienced harsh conditions, ill-treatment, and on occasion, torture in Irish and British prisons. The spies, informers and the RIC who put them in prison explain why these groups represented the highest fatalities in Offaly during the War of Independence.

The ruins of Coolacrease House, Cadamstown, once home to the Pearsons, militant loyalists and suspected informers. The house was burned down in retaliation for the attempted killing of IRA Volunteers manning a roadblock.


Christmas Draw
The recent draw was a great success resulting in the best proceeds to date. The winners were:
1. John Mollen, Tullamore
2. Cormac Egan, Terenure
3. Liam Mulligan, Tullamore,
4. Peter Flynn, Leamore,
5. J A Wrafter, Tullamore,
6. Eilish Fogarty, Tullamore.

FAS Scheme
The current scheme ends at the end of the month and a new one resumes immediately. We are now in the process of recruiting new staff to fill vacancies for the next project. In the next week or two we are taking on two extra staff to assist the Comhaltas committee in their preparations for the forthcoming Fleadh Ceoil.

Membership Renewal 2007 and new members

Please note that the annual membership of €25 for 2007 is now due. Thanks to those who have renewed already.
Stories from a Sacred Landscape Exhibition
The exhibition of "Stories from a Sacred landscape: selected images by photographer James Fraher" will be launched by Niall Sweeney, Offaly County Manager on Thursday 11th Jan 2007 at 8 pm in Aras an Chontae, Tullamore.

Forthcoming lectures.

Mon. Feb 19th at 8.15 pm Timothy P O'Neill 'The Famine in Co. Offaly'

Mon. 26th March at 8.15 pm Harman Murtagh 'Battle of the Boyne'

Local History Course 2007 at OHAS Centre Bury Quay
Commencing Thursday 1 Feb 2007 at 7.30 pm

All talks will be held on Thursday night from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. The course will run for 6 nights and will cost €30 which will be payable at commencement. This is to pay the expenses of speakers. The course is intended to give an overview to the history of County Offaly and how to do research on areas that may interest you. All talks will be illustrated with computer projection with a view to making the exercise as interesting and entertaining as possible.

It is some years since the Society organised such a course and we look forward to a good attendance and enjoyable sessions. All the talks will be presented with illustrated material and list of further reading where appropriate.

1 February 2007 Early Christian Offaly - Darrell Hooper and Mary Jane Fox
8 February 2007 The Medieval History of County Offaly Rory Masterson
15 February 2007 The Modern History of County Offaly 1540 - 1900 Michael Byrne
22 February 2007 Offaly in the twentieth century Richard Egan.
1 March 2007 The use of computers and the internet in local history studies and Research Noel Guerin, Rory Masterson and Michael Byrne.
8 March 2007 Case Study of Leamonaghan Parish Stephen McNeill.

All those participating will be invited to write a short essay of their own choosing for the 2008 Offaly Heritage Journal (this is optional).

We look forward to seeing you for the course and for the first night on 1 February 2007. Please book earlier as numbers will be limited.

For further details and booking contact OHAS Bury Quay, Tullamore, 0579321421 email info@offalyhistory.com