Author Topic: Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.  (Read 103271 times)

Offline tommobecket

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 112
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.
« on: Sunday 13 September 09 09:34 BST (UK) »
Hello

Does anyone know where I can obtain a concise list of the members of Micheal Collins 'Squad' that operated during the War Of Independence?

I have been asked if my grandfather Denis Byrne was 'Denny Byrne', who was apparantly a squad member, but wheareas I doubt this, I wondered if any one knew of easy access to the list of members. I also know that Denis had a brother Vincent and Denis married Mary Stapleton who had a brother/father called William, and following google searches I see that Vinny Byrne and William Stapleton were members of the squad.

As there were probably dozens of William Stapletons and Denis and Vincent Byrne's in Dublin and having absolutely no evidence of any connection, I was wondering if there was any further information or profiles available on the squad members that may help clarify any associations?

Many thanks
Byrne, Stapleton, Kennedy, Dougherty, Clishan/Clisham. Easter 1916 Dublin, in Ireland.
Sharp, Houlgrave, McCarrick, Quinn, Dougherty in Liverpool.
Japha in Liverpool and Prussia (Poland)

Offline scrimnet

  • Global Moderator
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • ********
  • Posts: 6,197
  • No plan ever survives first contact...
    • View Profile
Re: Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 13 September 09 11:01 BST (UK) »
Some years ago I remember seeing a poster of what I recall as one for this unit. It had pictures down both sides, and a large one of Michael Collins at the top. I seem to remember some biographical notes...It was a copy of a contemporaneous one

Whether it was a recruiting poster, or a celebratory one, I do not know. Certainly not a wanted one though...But it was in the most incongruous of places...A British Army bar!
One more charge and then be dumb,
            When the forts of Folly fall,
        May the victors when they come
            Find my body near the wall.

Offline shanew147

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 16,777
  • Dublin, Ireland
    • View Profile
Re: Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 13 September 09 11:43 BST (UK) »
there's a Wikipedia article which names alleged members of the squad - http://www.rootschat.com/links/0733/  As you have probably seen there are a Vincent Byrne & William Stapleton mentioned in the article but I dont know what the source of this detail is.. maybe one of the two books mentioned at the end of the page have a bit more detail.

From what I can see there are no definitive lists of people involved except for some detail for those that later served in the Army - their records are in Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks,

there's also a few books mentioned at these links which might be worth checking into : 
  http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/20thcentury/articles/MichaelCollins.aspx
  http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Michael_Collins


Shane
Remember to check the Resource boards :  Ireland, Dublin, Antrim & Cork (and stickies at the top of other county sub-forums)    
My Surname Interests

Offline corisande

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,577
  • grantonline.com cairogang.com irishbrigade.eu
    • View Profile
Re: Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 13 September 09 18:08 BST (UK) »
William Stapleton

From Irish National Archives

"William Stapleton joined the Volunteers in 1915, at the age of 17, and was ordered to the Jacob’s garrison in the Rising. He subsequently became a member of Michael Collins’s “Squad”, and carried out many executions during the War of Independence, which are detailed later in his statement. He was also involved in the burning of the Custom House. His account is striking for its dispassionate descriptions of the most chilling activities.

He is very vocal on the “separation women”, whose husbands and sons were in the British Army, and who gathered in force outside Jacob’s to hurl insults at the occupants and anyone attempting to join them. On Tuesday of Easter week, Stapleton was involved in the bicycle patrol which was sent out to draw the fire of British troops firing on Boland’s Mills. On their return, one of the patrol was shot as they turned into York St, and subsequently died of his injuries."
Grant in Tipperary
Piper in Tipperary
Blong in Leix
Watson in Offaly
Pugh in North Wales
Evans in North Wales
Proctor in Edinburgh
Steedman in Stirling


Offline corisande

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,577
  • grantonline.com cairogang.com irishbrigade.eu
    • View Profile
Re: Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 13 September 09 18:11 BST (UK) »
Vincent Byrne

From Irish National Archives

"Vinny Byrne was 15 years old at the time of the Rising. His statement, 75 pages long, begins with his experiences in Jacob’s in 1916 (the first 7 pages) and continues to outline his activities as a member of Michael Collins’s “Squad”, a group of men selected to carry out targeted assassinations, mainly of British Intelligence agents and alleged informers. He details his exploits in detail and with blithe insouciance, often writing “and that was another informer out of the way.” He was also involved in many raids for arms, including that on the Great Northern Railway yard and the B+I sheds at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay. He shot two of the British agents targeted on Bloody Sunday."
Grant in Tipperary
Piper in Tipperary
Blong in Leix
Watson in Offaly
Pugh in North Wales
Evans in North Wales
Proctor in Edinburgh
Steedman in Stirling

Offline corisande

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,577
  • grantonline.com cairogang.com irishbrigade.eu
    • View Profile
Re: Michael Collins and 'The Squad'.
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 13 September 09 18:19 BST (UK) »
The Squad

You can certainly get a lot of information about each of the members of The Squad. For readers of this forum that are not aware of the Squad. Here is a brief description

"Collins had also selected a group of Volunteers, known as the Squad, for the purpose of executing British agents. One of these, a young man, only 18 years of age, called Vinny Byrne, carried out many of the executions. Before killing his victims from close range Byrne would often say the words "May the Lord have mercy on your soul." Det Sergeant Patrick Smith was the first victim of the Squad. From then on the Squad carried out a series of ruthless killings which struck terror into the British establishment in Ireland."

Without becoming political about this, it is fair to say that one mans freedom fighter is another mans terrorist

Grant in Tipperary
Piper in Tipperary
Blong in Leix
Watson in Offaly
Pugh in North Wales
Evans in North Wales
Proctor in Edinburgh
Steedman in Stirling

Offline corisande

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,577
  • grantonline.com cairogang.com irishbrigade.eu
    • View Profile
Re: Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 13 September 09 18:37 BST (UK) »
List of Members of the Squad

Wikipedia Article gives members asfollows

The founder members were, and they were employed full time and received a weekly wage.
Paddy Daly (leader),
Mick McDonnell,
Ben Barrett,
James Conroy,
Sean Doyle,
Joe Leonard,
Pat McCrae,
Jim Slattery
Bill Stapleton.


Further members seem also to have  included
Mick Love,
Gearoid O'Sullivan,
Patrick Caldwell,
Charlie Dalton,
Mick O'Reilly,
Vincent Byrne,
Sean Healy,
James Ronan,
Tom Keogh
Tom Cullen.
Seán Lemass
Stephen Behan (the father of Irish writers Brendan Behan and Dominic Behan)
Dr. Andy Cooney is also reported to have been associated with "The Squad".

The best known of the Squad's operations was the assassination of 12 British officers on 21 November 1920 (some of whom were spies, some of who were mistaken identity). The Black and Tans responded the next day by machine gunning the crowd and killing 12 (the number is coincidental) innocent civilians at Croke Park Gaelic Football Match.

In view of the whole background it is not surprising that much has remained unspoken about individual's involvements over the years. With nobody wanting to claim "responsibility" in many instances.

Your best bet is to peruse the Irish National Archives for the statements from members of the Squad that are available.

You can get a photo of Vinny Byrne by querying Google with ""Vinny Byrne" squad"

Grant in Tipperary
Piper in Tipperary
Blong in Leix
Watson in Offaly
Pugh in North Wales
Evans in North Wales
Proctor in Edinburgh
Steedman in Stirling

Offline eadaoin

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,623
  • Reilg Chill Barróg
    • View Profile
Re: Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.
« Reply #7 on: Monday 14 September 09 22:49 BST (UK) »
on RTE 1 at the moment

eadaoin
Begg - Dublin, Limerick, Cardiff
Brady - Dublin
Breslin - Wexford, Dublin
Byrne - Wicklow
O'Hara - Wexford, Kingstown
McLoghlin - Roscommon
Lawlor - Meath, Dublin
Lynam - Meath and Renovo, Pennsylvania
Everard - Meath
Fagan - Dublin
Meyler/Myler - Wicklow
Gray - Derry, Waterford
Kavanagh - Limerick

Offline gormangenealogy

  • RootsChat Senior
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
    • View Profile
Re: Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 20 September 09 18:42 BST (UK) »
the squad