man had told Tom Matt that he was especially looking for me. This. however made no difference to any of the Murphy family; I was still welcome to come and stay anytime I liked. During this time, Tom Crofts maintained his Headquarters at Sullivan's, Sunday's Well, Cork, where he enjoyed most friendly and full cooperation and most gracious hospitality. Prisoners were being released late in 1923 and it gave me great pleasure to, once again, meet with Sean French. I decided that it would be safe enough for me to go off-the-run and after a trip to Dublin with Dan Donovan, Tom Crofts, Connie Lucey, Humphrey Murphy and John Joe Rice, whom we met in Buttevant (I had boarded the train at Cork, while all the others got on at Buttevant). In case that there were any Free State troops on that train we had previously agreed on a warning signal. This, however, proved unnecessary since there were no soldiers on board. It was around this time too that Frank Aiken was re-elected to the position of Chief of Staff with Pa Murray elected Adjutant General. Late in 1923 after they were released from prison, I met George Bourke and Sean French as mentioned above. Very shortly after his release and our re-union George fell seriously ill and I remember well that it was my Mother who got an ambulance to take him to the South Infirmary. The Bourke and our families had always been exceptionally close. Sad to relate George, despite all the care that was given him did not recuperate but died in hospital a few days later. His death was not alone a great loss to Irish nationalistic forces but, indeed, an irreparable personal loss to his family and his many friends. [112] George was a most courageous and loyal soldier combined with such outstanding quality of character that would have been difficult to match even then and at a time when quality of character was an almost every-day-occurrence. 1923 Thinking back to the time when Connie Lucey and myself were staying at the home of Tom Matt Murphy I remember the morning where I was in the midst of shaving when Connie came rushing in shouting the one sentence only: "Be God, Con, the Staters are coming up the lane right this minute"! -- and gone he was. I rushed after him all the time trying to wipe the soap of my face. But -- too late! I saw the soldiers coming in the gate. Obviously, I had no choice but go back upstairs and there wait for the worst. Tom Matt, always quick to evaluate any tight situation got the officer in charge into a friendly, talkative mood, offering him a drink, or a cup of tea, or - maybe refreshments?? I think Tom Matt would have offered him the moon just as long as he could keep the soldiers out of the house. Well, the officer in charge declined all the offers for the various goodies, still Tom Matt succeeded in pacifying him to such an extent that he retired his soldiers and soon left the Murphy property. Once again, I was saved by the skin of my teeth! Around the end of 1923 a meeting of the 1st Southern Division was held at Sullivan's, Sunday's Well, Cork, and Frank Aiken, who succeeded the late Liam lynch as Chief of Staff, attended that meeting. He was driven down to Cork by Tony Woods of Dublin, and quite a few of us knew him well as also members of his family. This meeting had a full attendance and it was very pleasing to note that the manner in which the officers conducted themselves proved that all had quite a remarkable knowledge of existing political conditions. All of them were men who had learned to accept strict discipline themselves and, once being given responsibility, were fully able and qualified to demand discipline from [113] their men. No doubt, but their excellent conduct must have made a very good impression on the new IRA Chief of Staff and, quite certainly, must have given him great encouragement. It was that same year of 1923 that two Fianna na hEireann boys got themselves into a very dangerous situation all due to an unfortunate shooting incident. In my desperation to get them away and into safety I used a ticket belonging to Sean Culhane (who, in turn. had secured it from G.H.Q.) to ship one of the lads off to Canada. The other lad was taken over to England and, from there, a cousin of mine got him out and on a ship to Australia. There were another five IRA soldiers who were also in trouble. Fortunately, all of them were able to escape to the U.S.A. under cover. (It might be interesting to report here, for the record, that after F.F. were elected in 1932, all those men - except one - returned home and from then on remained in Ireland.) There were rumours going around the country at that time of starting another party with a view to entering Dáil Eireann. DeValera was in the forefront of this move and an Ard Fheis
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