members of "E"Co.2nd Battalion,Dublin Brigade

[SparkyDillon]

Hello,

New to this forum but just saw this subject and had to contribute. My Great Grandfather was in this company in 1916. His name was James Humter and lived in 13 Sackville Avenue, Ballybough.

In front of me I have a draft copy of a letter he wrote to the Secretary of the Pensions Committee in the late 30's or early 40's.  My father had this copy and gave it to me shortly before he died.  The letter is basically an account of his activities during the 1916 Rising. He mentions a Gerry Houlihan who he says stood him down from an attack on the Magazine on the Sunday.  I'm assuming this was the Magazine Fort in the Phoenix Park.  By coincedence my Father was involved in the attack on the fort in December 1939. 

He then mentions that he proceeded with a Tom Ennis to Father Matthew Park and formed up under Captai S Wafer to be sent to different positions.  His section under Captain F Henderson took up position in Lambe's Public House, which they held until Tuesday evening.  They were then order to the G.P.O. where they were addressed by Padraig Pearse.

He also mentions a Brigadier General Connolly who was shot when they were returning from a sortie in Henry Street. They evacuated the G.P.O. on Friday evening to a new position in Moore Street.  He says "Had I succeeded in my endeavour to force an opening in Moore Lane there would not have been any surrender in this quarter".

After the surrender he was sent to England and detained in Knutsford for 6 weeks and moved to Frongoch and was released about July.  I was in the National Archives last Friday and found an index of internees from the Rising and found his card, according to which he was released on 27-July-1916.  Unfortunately the Archives don't have the file related to the internees.

He then metions other activities after 1916 including attending a meeting at the back of Clonliffe Road to reorganise the forces.  He says he was transferred to the Engineering Section.  His duties included routine mobilising, drilling and repairs to weapons.  This continued until hostilities broke out again, I'm assuming here he is referring to the War of Independence.  His home was raided by British Forces, including military and Black and Tans, and he was forced to go on the run. 

He then mentions the effect all this activity had on his wife.  He says she was thrown out on the streets when he was deported in 1916 and then had to seek refuge later from the continuous raids on the house.

While on the run his duties were mainly confined to patrol works. He says he received from Sean Russel plans and a model of a Bomb Thrower for use on attack on Dublin Castle.  He also mentions removing ammunition with W. Vernon, I think, from a house in Spencer Street,  Nth Strand, shorlty before a raid by Military Forces. 

He relates these stories to show he was involved up to the time of the truce.  He says that he los a good promotional and pensionable job with the Port & Docks in 1916.

In closing he says " During the period of 1916 to 1921 I was a unit in the Irish Volunteer Force, as such I claim pension rights duly submissive to your judgement.  I don't think I require to be a Michael O'Leary to obtain same.  The position of a subordinate to obey orders sums up my person. The individual acts may add lustre but nothing denies the rights of claims of an obedient Volunteer".

He signs the letter, "Yours in obedience, James Hunter". 

Amazing to see Michael O'Leary was involved even back then !!!

I'm always fascinated every time I read the letter, sometimes I can see him in some of the situations.  It's having history in my hands.  My father told me he eventually got his Pension, but he died shortly afterwards in 1947.  I keep meaning to write to the relevant authorities to see if I can get a copy of the actual letter he sent and see if there is additional information.

I also have the two medals he received in 1941, in recognition of his contribution to the the Rising and the War of Independence.  I'm sure they must have some monetary value but I would never contemplate selling them no matter how bad things get.  I llok forward to passing them on to my own son in years to come so his memory can live on.  I often wonder if he saw the mess the country is now would he consider the sacrifices he and his comrades made worth it.

Didn't mean to type in so much when I started, apologies.
   

[capel street man]

Hello SparkyDillon,

Welcome to the forum, the more information that is posted, the better we get to know and understand the people involved, so no apologies required for your post.

Your great grandfather is mentioned by name in the book - Mud Island, A History of Ballybough, a book I highly recommend.

In the book, under Appendix 4, it has a James Hunter listed as being in the G.P.O.

The Connolly you mention, is, I think a Captain Sean Connolly , Commanding Officer in the Irish Citizen Army, killed in action in the City Hall.

I would definitely contact the Pension Department, the details are on an earlier post , keep us all informed how you get on.

Good luck

CSM 

[Bradley Lines]

i misread the post 

[capel street man]

Hello Bradley,

Do you think your grandfather was a member of "E" Co. ?

CSM

[Joeythelips]

My Great Grand Uncle, Robert Humphreys was also a member of 2nd Batt E Company, Dublin Brigade. He survived both civil and rising and died in 1942

[capel street man]

Hello Joeythelips, welcome to the forum

I have your Great Grand Uncle, Robert Humphrey`s listed as being imprisoned in Frongoch and living in Seville Place

He would have known the Duffy brothers, I would be interested to know anything else you have found out.

CSM

[Joeythelips]

Hi Capel Street Man, Yeah thats correct, he was living at 108 at the time, along with his mother mary, while his father, james was away as a ships cook on the Guiness' Ships. During the rising, the house was raided by the tans on several occaisions, everytime they found nothing, even tho there was guns being held lol.

I have a picture of Roberts funeral, which was given to me by my 2nd cousin, whos mother (still living and is 88 this year) was roberts niece. in the picture theres a few of collins men (ed daly etc) i can upload it on here if i i;d be allowed to .

I can also confirm that robert was sent to frongoch and released near christmas of the same year (i think) then married his wife in the 1920s.

If anyone is interested, theres a book called "university of revolution" which tells of stories/conditions of frongoch. its a must read if ur into ur history

[capel street man]

Hello Joeythelips

Thanks for the reply

( You are not the same Joeythelips that was in the Commitment's film are you ? lol )

I am unsure what the form is to post the photograph, I thought you had to have so many posts, but I may be wrong, the moderator will tell you

I would love to see it

Have you been able to find out if Robert applied for a pension ?

If you want to send me a pm, please do

CSM

[Inistiogue_Lad]

Recently referred to this site by a keen student of Modern Irish History in NYC.

 On my last trip to Ireland, I asked a distinguished Dubliner what the National Schools taught the students about Irish History. The answer what the historical timeline stopped about the year 1900. Home Rule was still an issue before Westminster. The War for Independence1916-1921, the Civil War that followed, the National Emergency that followed 1939-1935, and then the more recent Troubles in the 6 counties are either too upsetting or too raw for many of the families involved in the Civil War (Treaty v Anti-Treaty forces) and living with the duplicity of DeValera hovering for decades on the national scene,  to reach a level of mutually agreeable conclusions. No consensus. Then leave it all out of Irish History.

A tip of the Hat to you, Capel Street Man, for gathering this information on the E Company, Second Dublin Brigade. Gather everything about the unit, verify as much as possible, in order that a complete history can eventually be written for the People of Ireland. Indeed the people of Ireland need to know and understand this history. It is part of their DNA. The current European Union is not.

What can I contribute? Yes, I can confirm that both Peter Freyne and James Freyne were members of E Company, Second Battalion, Dublin Brigade.

What was the  history of the Freyne brothers from that date, April 11, 1921? Peter was KIA at the Holyhead Hotel, North Wall raid that morning. (There were reports about this event and a follow up event on April 12, 1921 published sequentially, but inaccurately, in the New York Times.) Peter rests in Peace in the Old Church graveyard next to the RC Church of the Assumption in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny.

James (Frank ) Freyne survived the Burning of the Custom House; a nerve-wracking six months in Kilmainham Prison; his release on the morning of December 8, 1921 after the signing by Michael Collins , Arthur Griffith and team of the Treaty of London on December 6-7, 1921 (Thank you, Michael Collins); and the tour in the Irish Free State Forces (Pro-Treaty). Let me be brief here and move onwards. In 1929, he emigrated to America, worked his way through the City College of New York evening sessions for 9 long years in order to attain his Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He soon was a Charted Public Accountant of the State of New York; by his reckoning, only the second Ireland born person to become a CPA in New York State. Then a long and distinguished career in one of the “Big Five”accounting firms in the New York City financial district followed.  In addition, he taught accounting for over twenty years at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY in the Evening Session. In this way he helped the Irish Christian Brothers (founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice from nearby Callan, Co Kilkenny) get the new college on its feet and established.

Two children came from his marriage to his sweetheart on his first visit home in 1935. Son Frank G is a PhD in Theoretical Physics from University of California, Los Angeles, and he supported the US Air Force for many years on the Advanced Strategic (Ballistic) Missile program. Daughter Maureen was awarded an MA in Mathematics from Fordham University. After a number of years in the corporate world, she is in a second career as a noted landscape artist in Sante Fe, New Mexico.

 When his wife passed away, he remarried.  His second son Peter David Freyne was named after his Uncle. After graduating from the University of Chicago, Peter, a bit of a free-spirit like his father (in his early years only) wandered to Burlington, Vermont. There he found his trade, an investigative political reporter. For two decades he wrote newspaper columns and appeared on TV political panel shows. More importantly, he was relentless in his questioning and subsequent evaluations, of the elites in Vermont politics and society: US Senator Patrick Leahy (referred to as “St Patrick” in his columns); Senator Bernie Sanders (“Olde Bernardo”), Governor Howard Dean(“ Ho-Hum”) and a host of others, political figures not just in Vermont but on the national USA scene . At the time of his early passing, Peter was recognized as the “Grandfather” of political reporters in the State of Vermont.

Let us return to our starting topic, Capel Street Man.

The Lads of the E Company Second Battalion Dublin Brigade were hard men. The active duty ones were very few in number. Hard deeds needed to be done. But they were solid, ethical and smart men. Let us continue to honor their memory.
Let me note, that as I am writing this, I am listing to Tommy Maken and the Clancey Brothers’ rendition of the song “Royal Canal” on Internet radio. I can just imagine the lads in Kilmainham Prison during the lovely summer of 1921 seeing the seagulls soaring over the prison walls as the flew along the Royal Canal. These Good Lads are all Free now.

This is my reply to entry #54. Thank you, Capel Street Man, for your efforts in organizing this blog.