Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.

[Happy Chappy :-)]

Hi All

RTE1 Prog  "My Civil War" -  Dec 3rd  9:30pm ; will feature one of
Michael Collins  "Squad" :-)

Cheers
HC

[Gary Deering]

In the above photo.. which one is Commandant William Corri?      Here is a later photo with Eamon DeValera, inside the cell where Dev was held in Kilmainham.

http://digital.ucd.ie/view/ivrla:19879

He is sitting down second from the right, 3 stripes on his cuff.

Gary

[Pangur]

Emer, are you still checking this site? I have more information that will be important to you about Piaras Beaslai and Lily Mernin. Please respond so that I can add to this.
                                   

[bry4n0]

Hi there,

That very picture hangs in my mother's hallway in Glasgow, sunny Scotland, as Captain William Corri was her grandfather. I believe that would mean that David Corri would be a not so distant relative to myself. We keep in regular contact with family in Ireland, one being a David Corri, Grandson to Captain William Corri also.

I believe my mother has been given more information about 'the squad' through certain books that have been written recently.

[Gary Deering]

Was Billy Corri not ASU man & later a member of the Guard (Squad & ASU joined after the Custom House)? I have never seen him listed as Squad member. I spoke to an old man who knew him a while back, he told me that Billy Corri told him when the treaty was signed the ASU where sent up the mountains to "train".The impression I got was, they where sent up the mountains in case they disagreed with the treaty & broke the truce.

[bry4n0]

Honestly, I dont know. I am referring to 'squad' as in the picture. Its something ive always meant to look into but never got round to. I do remember being told a story of DeValera being served meals in Kilmainham with silverware etc and my great-grandfather raging at this and ordering he be treated as any other prisoner. I would need to ask about any other info. I also believe that he and his brother ended up on different sides if that makes sense.

I stumbled upon this site by accident after typing his name into Google out of interest so dont know too much.

[bry4n0]

Was Billy Corri not ASU man & later a member of the Guard (Squad & ASU joined after the Custom House)? I have never seen him listed as Squad member.

What did this mean Gary? That he essentially changed his political stance?
 

[Gary Deering]

Sorry if there is any confussion, Ok during the War of Independence Billy Corri was a member of the Dublin ASU. That means he was paid 4 pounds 10 shillings a week & his job was to take part in as many ambushes as they could against the British forces. The Squad (this is what I thought you meant) where a seperate grouping again paid 4 pounds 10 shillings a week, there job was more political assination also special jobs Micheal Collins wanted done, both did do jobs together but where separate units with different officers & bases. Billy went Freestate in other words pro treaty during the Civil War, he was as in the picture in charge of Kilmainham Gaol during the Civil War & your correct to say his brother Hayden served there as a prisoner after being captured fighting for the Anti treaty side in the Civil War. I hope this clears it up ! BTW Billy Corri was at my Great Uncles funeral also ASU & later squad, thats why I have an interest in Billy as they must have been friends.

[GCoghlan]

Hi Gary,

I just happened to find this forum post by accident and noticed you mentioning a man who knew Bill Corri through the Old Dublin Brigade Club and wonder if it might be the same group ( Association of the Old Dublin Brigade - AODB) started by my grandfather, FX Coghlan, after the large scale demobilisation in 1924/25. Due to family circumstances he stepped down as president in 1927/8 and Piaras Béaslaí took over.

He had been Captain of the Rathfarnham company (E, 4th) through the War of independence and was then made Commandant of the Battalion at the split and organised it for the Free State army. He was active in trying to organise the men after the Civil War was over, to provide opportunities to network and share information on the pension procedures.

He would have been at many of the funerals and commemorations around Dublin up to his own death in 1970. So curious to know if the gentleman you had met might have known him.