Kerry 2 Brigade. I met Tom Crofts, Sean French, Tim Hobbs. and Con O'Leary on the Northside of the town. Being hungry I suggested that we first go and get some food. Off we went - Con O'Leary, Sean French, Con O'Connell, and myself and into Sam Knight's across the street. Going upstairs to the dining room, we were just in time to see Tom Crofts, Sean Culhane, and Tim Hobbs being arrested and taken away in a military lorry. It seemed to us that they were being arrested by civilian officers and taken to Tralee jail. No doubt but my grumbling stomach had saved us that day! After the ceremony we returned to Limerick and then on to Cork. One morning I witnessed when Flyer Nyhan was taken away to West Cork for trial. I knew that Michael Crowley of Castletownbere was in the Military Prison at that time. Also during that year the anniversary for Liam Lynch was held at his graveside in Kilcrumper, Fermoy. It was a very big affair with people coming to attend from all over the country. It showed the deep respect they held for this great man. As indicated previously, his death was really one of the worst setbacks the IRA ever suffered. During the Commemoration the Free State Forces were once again very active, they arrested three of our men, including George and Frank Buckley - and that despite the fact that the ceremony was very quiet and dignified. Sometime later when Sean Culhane, Con O’Connell, and I had to go to Kerry we stopped in at the home of the well-known nationalist Marguerita Fleming. Her house had always been a haven for our people and was the site of an engagement with the Free Staters in 1922 during which several of our men were arrested. While we were there the house and the area were again raided so we had to leave and detour to safer parts. I left my job at Henry Fords securing the position as a salesman with the Southern Oil Company who were marketing Tide Water Products. In my new position I had the use of a car which allowed me to keep in contact with many areas; my territory covered Cork, Kerry, Limerick, South Tipperary, and Waterford. The directors of the firm certainly owe thanks to my many Republican [117] friends as it was through and with their help that we built a very effective business operation. Everywhere I went, I was given complete co-operation and help from those friends. At that time we were again to suffer the loss of a great man and loyal friend when Tim Hobbs passed on who had seen such long and outstanding service in the Republican movement. Tim's geniality made him a favourite with all who knew him; I, who had spent so many years in his company, felt a deep void at his death - an emptiness that would never be filled again. Tim was buried in the Cork Republican Plot. The Free State Army, feeling that the removal of his body should not be allowed to go unchecked promptly sent a number of armed soldiers to his graveside there to prevent us, Tim's comrades in arms, from honouring him with a firing party. It was also in the year of 1924 that my Father died. He had not been well for a number of years. Again and again the many raids on our house had forced him to get up from his sickbed and to sit in the cold living room in the middle of the night. This, certainly, did anything but help him get well, instead, it caused irreparable damage to the health of this once so strong physical constitution. Dad had worked hard all his life; he was a very strong man, 5'10" in height, with a muscular powerful body. When he died he was only 64 years of age and his strength wasted away by his long illness. He had always been very proud of his Father's nationalism (a man none of us children ever saw) but, instinctively we felt that Dad was just like him. He was a great supporter of William O'Brien. When a meeting was held in the City Hall, Cork, in 1915, with O'Brien the main speaker, my father sent me to attend, advising me just to listen very carefully. Dad had been tipped off that O'Brien might ask for recruits for England to fight in WW I and, for that reason, he did not wish to be present himself. Sure enough, his fears proved right and when I returned and reported to him that night, down came the picture of William O'Brien from the kitchen wall, where it hang in a place of honour, never to be put back again! My father was also a great supporter of James Connolly, having been on strike himself several times. Dad's greatest fortune was to have my Mother at his side; she was his most loyal supporter. a woman who fought for the national cause far more courageously than most people, even including active soldiers. Mother used to walk from our house to my Aunt's home in Blackpool and, being a very tall woman, she would hide and carry a rifle underneath her long, black shawl leaving the weapon with my aunt where our lads could pick it up unobtrusively. Since there were only women in that [118] family the house was regarded by us as a "safe place". It was a terrible shock for my poor mother when Dad died, leaving her to fend for herself and worry over the five of us, four boys and one
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