contact near Ballincollig where we held the first, introductory discussion. This soldier proved very dependable and, during the first week of July 1920, accompanied by Pat Collins I got a rifle and .303 ammunition; because it got very late that night I buried my treasure in the coal in the backyard of my parent’s home. That same night, we noticed Dick Lynch a notoriously bad local type hanging around. Pat and I felt quite sorry to also notice, in Lynch's evil company, a very decent young man, whom both of us knew well, realising what it would do to the young lad to be exposed to that man's bad influence. As indicated before, this was my first night home in many, many months. I was barely asleep for one hour when I was awakened by the noise and shouting of a British Military raiding party demanding to search the house. Clad only in pants and a shirt, I pretended that I had urgently to go to the backyard but, at the backdoor, I found my way barred by a soldier with rifle and fixed bayonet. The raiding party was led by a 1st Lieutenant; I was arrested [15] and taken to Cork Jail together with Charlie Murray, another local lad. Following the usual procedure the British always took along a member of the R.I.C. to point out the correct houses which were slated for a raid. That night it was R.I.C. Sergeant Murphy who accompanied the British. I knew Murphy to be very friendly to us so, there and then, I openly attacked him with sharp words in front of the British officers, although I knew that the latter had employed their usual lying techniques by telling my Mother "You can thank your neighbours for this," Of course, my Mother had immediately recognised that statement as just another one of John Bull's vicious methods and, therefore, ignored it completely. Also attached to the local R.I.C. Barracks, - the same as Sgt. Murphy - were R.I.C. members Hayes and McCarthy and they too were known to be quite friendly toward us. The raiding party, arriving at the College Road Bar racks that night, were led by two officers, a 1st and a 2nd Lieutenant, who had a list of ten or twelve names in their possession. Among those listed were John O'Connell, George Bourke, Jeremiah Keating, Jim Riordan, Pat Collins, Jack Spillane, Dan Coughlan, Charles Murray, with my own name the last one on the list. The British officers, while reading out the names one by one, asked R.I.C. members Murphy, Hayes, and McCarthy if the knew any of these men but their answer was a clear “NO" in each case. Finally, my name came up but, "NO", I was not known either! With that the 1st Lieut. lost his temper, jumping up he shouted at Hayes: "You follow football a lot, don't you?" Turning to McCarthy, he yelled: "And as to you, I know that you are a great fan of hurling; I also know that you are greatly interested in all types of sports and athletics, but NOW suddenly not one of you have ever seen this man although he is known to be active in hurling and football?!!" Later, and after I had been released from prison, I met the three policemen whom I chided quite severely for their foolishness to deny knowing me no matter how good their intentions. I told them that, while they had nothing to lose by just saying that they had seen me play hurling and football. They were now completely useless to our side since the British would never trust [16] them again. 2 When Mick Murphy was arrested on a Saturday in May 1921, he gave his name as Jack O'Brien, with the address 97 Barrack Street Cork. This was a lucky guess, indeed, for there were actually O'Brien's living at that address. The same night that Mick was arrested, a Sergeant McCoy of the R.I.C. came out to give me the news. Immediately, I collected some of Mick's clothes from his Mother, rushed over to the O'Brien family, told them the story of Mick's giving the false name, and had them make up a bed and hang his clothes in the room. Soon after the British appeared and the O'Brien's kept up the story, insisting that "Jack" was, of course, one of their family and what in the name of heaven was wrong that poor "Jack" was arrested? Meanwhile we were busy arranging an airtight alibi for Mick "alias" Jack O'Brien. I had Mr. Dick Sisk, a building contractor, place him on his employee records, while M. J. Hurley, of the Stonecutter Masons, entered him in their membership books. Next I warned the O'Brien's that the British would probably come back to check again. Sure enough, they did, but this time it was the Black and Tans who showed up in charge of none other but I.R.C. Sgt. Murphy, the same who had been present at my arrest. Sgt. Murphy ordered the Tans to stay outside the house while he went inside and quickly told Mrs. O'Brien, as well as her 2 (A margin instructs that this section be transferred to page 61)
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