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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Dublin => Topic started by: GerShannon on Sunday 13 November 11 13:25 GMT (UK)

Title: Captain Archie Kennedy & Q Company, old IRA
Post by: GerShannon on Sunday 13 November 11 13:25 GMT (UK)
Breaking off a bit from the Old IRA Dublin Brigade (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,530600.msg4129405.html#msg4129405) topic, as the post kinda got lost in the discussion. This is a question directly for user 'Private 1st class' who posted there. In the topic, the user said...

A little about KennedyIn 1912 he joined the I.R.B. (Irish Republican Brotherhood ) Tom Clarkes Centre, He joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913. In 1918 he was attached to Sean McMahon's unit. His father was one of the strikers in Mc Cormacks Coal Yard, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin in 1890. This strike led to the formation of the first Dockers Union. Joe Canty was the leader of that. So Archie was a well known figure and could move round the area without causing any notice to the powers that be. This freedom he used well.
He went round the different ships and managed to get at least two men in most vessels to agree to buy arms abroad and try to get them safely to Dublin, Ashore he got about 40 men 9 dockers) to agree to transport the arms and ammo to various dumps in the city. Private 1st Class.

Private 1 class, I'm stunned by your knowledge and personal association with Kennedy. He was in fact my great-grandfather, and I've been trying to uncover more information about him for sometime. My mother found his obituary with reference to he being Captain of Q Company, and doing a search I found this thread and your information relating to Q Company and Kennedy himself. I fully intend of going to the Military Archives in Dublin to find any Witness Statements he may have made.

Is there anything more you can add to what you mentioned? I found references to a John Kennedy in the Four Courts garrison during the Rising, as well as another that was imprisoned in Ballykinlear in 1921. I’m not certain if this is the same man never mind is it my great-grandfather. Was he active during the Civil War? Did he remain in the republican movement thereafter?
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: Private 1st class on Friday 18 November 11 14:49 GMT (UK)
Hi only came across this question to day. Sorry about that.I was first introduced to Mr Kennedy when on a van driven by a man called J J Carroll.  (councillor). Its was a nick name. When approaching a women he would always tip his hat . He was a member of the Fianna and well known to my father,  When younger I had seen Mr Kennedy in 196 Pearse St on Sunday mornings and at Masses. I had never spoke to him till this day in the van. Carroll pulled in fast to the side of the road as we headed down the North Wall from Beggars Bush Bk's. We had delivery's of stationary for the different custom post After being introduced Jim Said me. When you take over the van, Any time you see Archie. Always stop and ask if he needs a lift. Your da knows him. Only for him and fellows like him we would have being fighting the British with bows and arrows. That was my first meeting with Archie Kennedy. I gave him many a lift down the wall and sometimes I would hang round and take him back aways. I asked him lots of questions about the times. He was a very nice guy. .
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: GerShannon on Friday 18 November 11 21:44 GMT (UK)
This is great stuff, thanks so much for sharing. Do you mind if I ask you more? :)

What's the signifance of the 196 Pearse Street address? Was Archie active in the Rising, and imprisoned in Ballykinlear during the War of Independence? What side of the Civil War did he take... and did he remain active in the movement thereafter? Are you aware of any contribution he made to the Military Archives, or acquisition of a pension?
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: Private 1st class on Friday 18 November 11 23:46 GMT (UK)
Hi, 196 Pearse St was a meeting place for the old I R A and the Fianna. They met every Sunday and different nights of the week. The O N E. had rooms at the top of the building. The Red Cross also The Irish wine society. and the NRPAI used the place for meetings. When the lease expired the college took the place back.When they left 196 they moved to 51 Parnell Square, The AODB. He recruited sailors on the ships coming in from the main ports in England. I got a list of people that he had under him. I put it up on one of the boards. Its one of those things that pops up when you are looking for something else. You put it away safe and its lost again till some other time you come across it again.
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: Private 1st class on Saturday 19 November 11 00:27 GMT (UK)
Hi, As far as I can recall John told me he started in the Tom CLARKE'S GROUP OR CENTRE. of the I R B. he was there for a very short time and joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913.That would be at the time they were formed. While he was in the volunteers I do not remember him talking about 1916 or what he was doing at that time. My interests at that time was guns and how they got them into the country,The men he recruited in the docks became this Q company, or quartermasters company of the Dublin Brigade. How he was able to move about and recruit and organize men in the docks always fascinated me. Being use to A,B,C,D,E. Company's was normal. When you see K,L, M letters for Company's you would think there was thousands of men, but there was only a few people in these units, The make up of sections, Platoons, Company's and Battalions that I knew bore no resemblance to the size of there units.
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: GerShannon on Saturday 19 November 11 02:18 GMT (UK)
It's fascinating the mention of 'Q company' that I found on his obituary, and that you've elaborated on, as the mention of it has baffled some historians who are familiar with the period. I don't believe at present there's any book on the period - certainly the activity around Dublin - that mentions their work (and by definition, his) even in passing. Is there any particular stories you remember regarding his activities?

You mentioned in the Dublin Brigage thread that Q company was Quartermaster-General (naturally) Sean McMahon's unit. As McMahon went pro-Treaty during the Civil War, am I to assume Kennedy also took that side?

In the National Museum at Collins' Barracks, there's a 1916 Roll of Honor and there is a 'John Kennedy' listed in the Four Courts garrison. I also came across a prisoner autograph book from 1921 in Ballykinler where a John Kennedy has written a poem. This is to not to mean it is in fact Archie Kennedy, or even the same John Kennedy, but I'll continue to do research into it - as well as Military Archives.

It's claimed by some familiy members he was one of the IRA members who assisted Collins' Squad on Bloody Sunday. Is there any way you could verify this yourself? Apparently it was a difficult subject for him to talk about.
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: Private 1st class on Saturday 19 November 11 13:15 GMT (UK)
Hi Gershannon, Sorry  I can not add any more to what I have put up at this point in time.John (archie) Kennedy I did not get to talk to him till about 1964, even though I seen him about 196 from about 1954/55. He was very well known and well liked there. He must have been active all along the years. He passed away about 1969 /70. Iwould only see him every few weeks, and when in the van the time was short talking to him. I got the list of names of members of Q company while I was in 51 Parnell Sq, I was in charge of the basement at that time.I find with history of that period. There is lots of information on the chiefs because they were always telling us what they were doing. the press always went to them,There is very little on the men, No one asked them about what they were doing.My father knew were all of them were and what side they took.He spent most of his life encouraging them to come together .He went with Collins because he was his leader. As a member of the Squad. If Collins said the treaty was right then it was right. I never asked any of them what side they toOK. If they wanted to tell me then ok.I find it very hard to find out anything about jobs my father was on. Sometimes it seems he is invisible. A lot of the men went with their Officers, The thinking being If I have followed this man up to now and put my life in his hands . I am not going to change now. It is possible that the John Kennedy you mention is your man continue looking. Don't give up. Iwas looking for information on an uncle of mine. Two photos and a family story for over 40 years. Then two years ago a snippet of information opened the door I now have nine photos, and a large file on the man going back to 1896 to 1935. So hang in there, I have being trying for years to find out if my father was involved as cover on Bloody Sunday. His closeness to men like Vinny Byrne, a life long friend. Jimmy Conroy, Whose picture hung on our kitchen wall as I grew up.Leo Henderson. Oscar Traynor, Oscar attended meetings in our house when I was a child. How the chiefs would appear in times passed,Aug 1964 as a normal example.mass for I.R.A. menNational Memorial Mass for deceased members of the Old I.R.A. 1916 - 1923. Church of the Holy Trinity Dublin Castle. The priest saying the mass Rev Tom Walsh, Tom was out in 1916 and later became a priest. He was also Chaplin to the Dublin Brigade. The PresidentM Mr De Valera, his ADC Comdt  B Houlihan. He was received at the church by Messrs Frank Thornton, and Liam Deasy, Members of the Memorial Mass Committee escorted him to his seat, No name on these five eights.People present, The Taoiseach Mr Lemass, Min of Social Welfare, Mr Boland, Min of Agric Mr Smith, General Sean Mc Eoin,The President of the Easter Week Men's Association Frank Carney, You do not hear much about these fellows now a days. Mr Hugh Lenihan President of O.N.E.Martin Walton, RevAnselm Corbett, O Carm,, Prior Whitefriar St Major General Sean Collins Powell, Col J O'Byrne represented the A GColour Party was in charge of Mr Edward Lane and Mr Vinny Byrne was in charge of the Parade to the church.Other members of the Committee attending Mr Peter Nolan and Secretary Mr P Kearney.The General attendance included members of the Old I.R.A.. Fianna Eireann Cumann na mBan, Irish Citizen Army, Members of O.N.E. In the same church at an earlier mass the ministers attended a memorial mass for deceased members of Co Dublin Fianna Fail. All these reports were the same.A who's who to the top.. You would never see Pte A N OTHER attended along with Sgt so and so.
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: GerShannon on Saturday 19 November 11 13:59 GMT (UK)
Hi Gershannon, Sorry  I can not add any more to what I have put up at this point in time.

Ah no it's fine, thank you so much for the information related so far. :) You're spot on with the observation that many of these men would rarely detail their involvement, it was just the way things were. I'll post stuff on this thread if (and I should) uncover more.
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: capel street man on Sunday 22 January 12 11:26 GMT (UK)
Hello GerShannon, interested in your post ref - "Q" Company, Private Ist class was very helpfull in my enquiries, I am interested from a different perspective, my family were members of "E" Co.2nd Battalion Dublin Brigade and were involved in the attack on the London and North Western Railway Hotel, North Wall, this was garrisoned by a Company of Auxiliaries, known ironically as "Q" Company also, there job was to search the ships coming in and going out for arms and volunteers against your relative in the opposite "Q" Company trying to bring them into Dublin Docks and smuggling volunteers out when it became too dangerous to stay, or they had to go abroad on important business.
There is some information about this on my post - looking for members of "E" Co 2nd Battalion, Dublin Brigade but there is more information and some photographs about the Auxiliary "Q" Co. on Peter McRIC,s site, it is called The Royal Irish Constabulary Forum, check out the heading Auxiliaries, then click onto "Q" Co.
It will give you an idea of what your relative was up against.
Keep me informed of anything else you find out on "Q" Co.

CSM
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: GerShannon on Wednesday 28 March 12 04:09 BST (UK)
Will certainly do capel street man, sorry for the belated reply. Will likely post it here.

Private 1st class, any chance you could produce the list of names of the Q Company here - or can anyone else point me to the direction the post is at?

(And silly as this sounds, if Kennedy was in Clarke's IRB Centre, it's reasonable to assume he was aquainted with Clarke himself?)
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: GerShannon on Tuesday 02 October 12 00:29 BST (UK)
Bumping the thread. Can anyone point me to the post listing the members of Q Company that Private 1st class mentioned?
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: capel street man on Tuesday 02 October 12 08:24 BST (UK)
Hello GerShannon, check through The Old Dublin Brigade thread, that should lead you to the list of names Private 1st class posted.

CSM
Title: Re: Question for user 'Private 1st class', re: Archie Kennedy, Q Company, old IRA
Post by: GerShannon on Tuesday 02 October 12 18:31 BST (UK)
Found it, thanks. :) I'm going to try and put up pictures of Kennedy shortly.

List of men from Q Company...
The following men were in Q company
J Reilly
D PEDERSKI, P Pederski,
Jas Byrne,
P Kavanagh,
M Aspell,
N Kelly,
P Ellis, J Brennan
John Kavanagh
John J Byrne,
Christy Carberry,
Myles Carroll,
John Blood,
Edward Byrne,
Willy Byrne,
John Higgins,
Joe Nolan,
Tom McDonnell,
Joe Nugent,Bob Halpin,
Bill Curry, William Tynes,
Frank Downey,
Charley Downey, Paddy Barrett,
Jack LYNCH,
j s lYNCH,
bILL Vernor,
Johnny Whelan,
Jack Farrell.
C Fortune,
T O'Toole,
M Fitzsimons,
T Toner, Barney Fitzsimons, Mick O'Toole,
Tommy Carrass Bogey Dixon Jem Ryan,
P Munnelly, Munnelly would move Guns and Ammo to the different dumps using a small milk cart drawn by a small pony. No one ever copped.
Some of the guys who helped out abroad. Most if not all forgotten now. In Glasgow D P Walsh Down in Liverpool Jack Carr. Spike Robinson and two brothers named Corr The Captain in charge of these men was Archie Kennedy. Dick Mulcahy Knew of these men and had some kind of input into what they done.
Archie died sometime in the late 60s or very early 70s A very nice and pleasent man May he rest in peace. ,

Title: Re: Captain Archie Kennedy & Q Company, old IRA
Post by: JohnMB on Thursday 04 October 12 14:17 BST (UK)
The J Reilly in the list of Q Company members should really be listed as J O'Reilly. Unlike his grandfather, John O'Reilly spelled his surname with an O prefix. Two other people in the list were referees for his subsequent pension application; Commandant Christy Carbery and Captain Peter Pedereschi (both later of QM stores, Island Bridge Barracks).

A bit off topic but could someone advise me how I might ascertain what Dublin IRA Company would Eoin P. O'Keeffe have been in. Eoin, known to his family as John was a brother of Martin O'Keeffe who was married to John O'Reilly's sister. Eoin was anti-treaty while John O'Reilly was pro-treaty. John O'Reilly lived with his sister and brother-in-law during the late 1920's and early 1930's and he and John/Eoin O'Keeffe could not be in the house at the same time. John O'Reilly would leave his hat on the coat stand visible through the hall window and if John/Eoin arrived and saw it he knew not to visit! John/Eoin grew up in Ballinteer so he'd have been involved with a company in South Dublin some where. Clearing out my late parents-in-law's house recently I found his 1916-1921 Service Medal which lacks the bar that would have shown him to be a combatant. I also found an article by John/Eoin published in the Irish Times on 1 April 1975 detailing the history of a Dublin Sinn Fein Peace Committee set up to try and avert and then stop the imminent civil war. He was the Secretary to the Committee which consisted of 3 pro and 3 anti treaty Sinn Feiners.  John/Eoin was apparently jailed during the Civil War. Any advice would be welcome.
Title: Re: Captain Archie Kennedy & Q Company, old IRA
Post by: JohnMB on Friday 12 October 12 12:34 BST (UK)
Yesterday, I got a copy of excerpts from the Crew List Agreement of the SS Finola signed by John O'Reilly in October 1921. The Maritime History Archive of Newfoundland told me that the ports visited by the SS Finnola during its trip were Le Havre, Port Talbot and Cardiff. None of the other members of Q Company were employed on the SS Finola on that trip.
Title: Re: Captain Archie Kennedy & Q Company, old IRA
Post by: bredamonks54 on Friday 26 December 14 18:41 GMT (UK)
Archie Kennedy was my Grandad. He died January 1970. He has two daughters alive today who can give more information on their Father and his membership and involvement in the Old IRA.
Title: Re: Captain Archie Kennedy & Q Company, old IRA
Post by: capel street man on Friday 26 December 14 19:08 GMT (UK)

Hello bredamonks54

Delighted to hear from you, any information on Archie Kennedy would be most appreciated

CSM
Title: Re: Captain Archie Kennedy & Q Company, old IRA
Post by: Jool on Friday 26 December 14 19:10 GMT (UK)
Hi bredamonks54, and welcome to Rootschat  :)

GerShannon hasn't been on the forum since 2012, but will get an email notification that a new post has been made on this thread.

You need to make 3 posts before you can use the pm system (private message) so just make another couple of posts here so you can use pm to communicate/exchange email addresses etc. privately - we cannot mention the names of living people on the forum.

Just post hello or something to get your posts to 3

Jool