"C" Company 4th Battalion< Dublin Brigade & 26th Battalion Oglaigh na H-Eireann

[mrswomans]

HI, I'm hoping someone out there will be able to help me  I am trying to find anyone who has information on
"C" Company 4th Battalion, Dublin Brigade and the 26th Battalion.  My grand-dad John Nolan was in both and I am finding it next to impossible to find his name anywhere except in the documents he had in his possession. I do have two wonderful documents one dated 5.8.22, Kilmainham Detention Barracks,  ( he stated on his letter for his medals,  I remained in Company up to Truce as a result of my activities and subsequent imprisonment I lost my employment',  Sadly he never got his medals, why I don't know, we are wondering did he send off the application, he kept copies and has his witness statements also, not sure of the story there.  I also have him in Gormanston Camp 12.9.22.

 The other is a certificate as gaeilge,  does anyone know of this and where it came from  It is numbered and signed by Seán Ó Duilaing - ceannport  (Sean Dowling) and Oscar Mac Tréanfor ( Oscar Traynor) brigeadóir,
sorry if I offend but their signatures are difficult to read so the Irish spelling may be wrong! It is printed on Parchment paper (water mark says this), but not dated, any ideas about this I would be so happy to hear them.  Thanks for reading this.

[RoryT]

signed by Seán Ó Duilaing - ceannport.  This should read Ceannfort which is Irish for Commandant, similiar rank to Major. The Department of Defence (Pensions Section) might be able to confirm if e applied for a pension (for which he would have been entitled) they also might be able to determine if he applied for medals.

The Defence Forces Archives are located in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin, they might be able to assist you in your search.  Best of luck

Rory 

[mrswomans]

Thank You Rory for your reply.  Do you have any idea what period Sean Dowling was commandante and Oscar Tryanor was Brigader, I am at a loss as to the date of the certificate?

I wrote to Galway and the dept of defence and have been to military archives.  They said he never applied for his medals or pension?  And it was the military archives that helped me find him in Gormanstown Camp.  Apparently non of this is enough to prove he was there!!!!!!!  I found his signature in the autograph books in Kilmainham Gaol also. It seems that if you wern't bothered seeking a pension well you weren't on record to get medals either.  This is so sad for me as he died with the 1922 document folded up in his wallet so it obviously meant a lot to him.

Thanks again.

[RoryT]

Sorry, I can't provide any further info, but I hope that some of the regular Rootshatters with an interest in the War of Independence and Civil War might be able to help.

Rory

[RoryT]

Sorry,
I thought I had sent you this extract from Wickipedia previously:
"Traynor joined the Irish Volunteers and took part in the Easter Rising in 1916. Following this he was interned in Wales. During the Irish War of Independence he was brigadier of the Dublin Brigade of the Irish Republican Army and led the attack on The Custom House in 1921 and an ambush on the West Kent Regiment at Claude Road, Drumcondra on 16 June 1921 when the Thompson sub-machine gun was fired for the first time in action. When the Irish Civil War broke out in June 1922, Traynor took the republican side. The Dublin Brigade was split however, with many of its members following Michael Collins in taking the pro-Treaty side. Traynor and his supporters tried to help the republicans who had occupied the Four Courts when they were attacked by Free State forces, by occupying O'Connell street. Traynor and his men held out for a week of street fighting before making their escape. He organised guerilla activity in south Dublin and county Wicklow, before being captured by Free State troops in September. He was then imprisoned for the remainder of the war."
It is possible that your family member was also in the Anti-Treaty Republican side during the Civil War, and possibly maintained his convictions throughout his life, this might explain why he never applied for his medals or for a pension.

Rory

[mrswomans]

Rory, just read your reply now, wow. Thank you so much for that.  Grand-dad was a staunch anti-treaty man and I have found his name and piece in the autograph books in Kilmainham gaol in august and he was then transfered to Gormanston Camp until the peace.  It is quite possible he was in this involved in the incident you found. Thank you it gives me another avenue to go down and research.  I will have to try and find a professional that will verify the handwriting in the autograph books with his handwriting. 
Interesting to see he was in Wales as grand-dads brother  Thomas Nolan was there too but firstly he was sent to Knutsford. 
Thanks Again Rory

[Hugo1211]

Hi,
I've just come across this discussion and though you might like the photo I've attached. It's my grandfather, Robert Flanagan, in his Lieutenants uniform of H Company, 1st Battalion, Dublin Brigade from about 1919. As photo's in uniform are relatively rare from the War of Independence I thought you might appreciate it. He was wounded during the attack on Monk's Bakery, having a large part of his scull shot away, rushed to Jervis Street Hospital where he was operated on by a friendly surgeon, and taken out of there to Cork Street, where he remained for much of the rest of the War of Independence re-couperating. I also have a photograph of him in his kilt which he shared with Kevin Barry and which is now in the National Museum.

I'm wondering if anyone can help with information about his brother James "Jimmy" Flanagan. Like my grandfather he was born in Derry but moved to Dublin following their older brother Patrick who ran the Wood Print Works, producing large amounts of propaganda for Michael Collins and Erskine Childers among others.

Jimmy was firmly anti-treaty and on his death in March 1941 Con Lehane gave the graveside oration and among those at the funeral were Alderman Tom Kelly, Mrs Cathal Brugha, Sean McBride and many others well known back then. There were a number of obituaries in the  papers of the day. However while both his brothers activities are rather well known in the family we have virtually no knowledge of what Jimmy got up to other than he was interned in the curragh 1936 for 12 months which broke his health. Id appreciate any light anyone can shed on him during that period.