Riobárd Langford Descriptive List (Ref. U156)

in 1913 with the purchase of St. Josephs Press, Stable Lane, off South Terrace, Cork, later known as the Lee Press or Cló na Laoi. Married 1st wife neé Fennell who died giving birth to their 3rd child. Had 20 children with his 2nd wife, Catherine O'Callaghan, of Blarney Street. Riobárd’s grandfather was possibly a Protestant minister. Brother in law to Siobhán Langford, IRA, North Cork, who was married to his brother Seamus. Lieutenant, C Company, 1 st Battalion, Cork No. 1 Brigade during 1916, including armed duty at Sheares Street and guarding of Commandant Tomás MacCurtain and Vice-Commandant Terence MacSwiney. May have lost his job at the Cork Examiner due to his Volunteer activities. Possibly interned during the period 1916-1917. Member of F Company Dublin Brigade c.1917-1918, then returning to Cork where he helped to train C Company and oversee the capture of 47 rifles from the officers training corps building at Cork Grammar School. From 1919, Captain of A Company, 1 st Battalion Cork No.1 Brigade, IRA. Later, he secured and operated the IRA’s printing press. Involved in numerous military operations until his arrest in May 1921 when he was interned in Spike Island and later Bere Island. On ‘special service’ from July 1921 with the IRA’s mobile printing press. Took the anti-treaty side in the Civil War, continuing in charge of the republican printing operations in Cork, later including the mobile field printing press which operated until the final defeat of the irregular forces. His business printing press was dismantled by the government when he continued to print anti-treaty material following the end of the Civil War. May have been a co-founder of the Fianna Fáil party in Cork city. May have been offered a job as superintendent in the Garda Siochana, which he refused. Died in 1978 aged 82.

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