Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.

[corisande]

Not old age as he was just 21 years old. 

Back to Edward Byrne, sorry was my irony, I knew he was 21 from what you had already written. On suspects he died from what the Americans call "lead poisoning"

1. Was there any family relation between Edward and Edmund Byrne, as my earlier question - I suspect not as nobody has offered an opinion.

2. Do you know the background to Clancy and McKee. The implication is that Byrne was in some way connected to them, possibly via the Bloody Sunday events. In a way I am surprised that nobody has already researched any connection because of the grave. It would be worth your while asking in NLI or local library. There is a lot more to Byrne's death than meets the eye.
On reflection, cut out the middleman and phone the local history dept in Clare County Library, the local history sections of county libraries are (usually) very knowledgeable and helpful.

3. Re papers is there anything in Irish Times. The whole thing is very "coy" in the press. That article from the Freeman's Journal fails to mention why or how he died. In a way typical of the press coverage of similar events at that time. If a man was killed by the British there were full details given (OK I know this was 1922)

4. Have you applied for his army/pension record. Those who know more about Irish bureaucracy than I, can fill you in on what might be available.

5. You may get a bit of the answer when csm has Bill Stapleton's Witness Statement. Dwyer in The Squad over the shooting of Ryan quotes Stapleton as saying "the second man instructed to accompany me was Eddie Byrne" Now Ryan had been responsible for the British finding McKee and Clancy, and there would seem to be the clue as to why Byrne was buried with those two. You need more on the raid the British made to pick up McKeee and Clancy. Who else had gone to the place where were captured - Sean Fitzpatrick's house at 36 Gloucester Street - that night

[Ms. Smokestoomuch]

Sorry I've no idea if there is a family tie between the Conroys. Just two Herberts in the country in 1911.

You need more on the raid the British made to pick up McKee and Clancy. Who else had gone to the place where were captured - Sean Fitzpatrick's house at 36 Gloucester Street - that night

Of course the propaganda with the whole story comes from all sides and makes you think twice about all sorts.
I know little but it seems the premises was McKee and Clancy's digs. Though McKee's mother's house was raided the Wednesday after and they withdrew when she told them he had been killed in Dublin Castle.
The night of their arrest Dublin Castle was said to be very crowded with others arrested. ( I wonder did it affect the next mornings activies)
Sean Fitzpatrick I don't know much about but Castle report said originally that they found a box of cartridges, two uniform of a British Colonel, an automatic bell target and a device which might be used for exploding guncotton. The papers by Nov 25 were now saying there was only one uniform and Fitzpatrick had produced a receipt for it during the raid. The box of ammo was a box of candles.
And they also start to discredit the Castle's version of events on Clune being IRA Lieut. of 1st Batt Clare.

[lanigangenealogy]

2. Do you know the background to Clancy and McKee. The implication is that Byrne was in some way connected to them, possibly via the Bloody Sunday events. In a way I am surprised that nobody has already researched any connection because of the grave. It would be worth your while asking in NLI or local library. There is a lot more to Byrne's death than meets the eye.

I came across a snippet online on google books referencing Eamonn De Valera meeting a deputation in county Clare after a rally. It was from the book "Eamon de Valera and the Banner County / Kevin J. Browne 1982". Anyway the deputation included Hugh Hehir, James Slattery and Ed Byrne of the Dublin Brigade (page 126) but I cant view the rest of the passage to get the date, location etc. I will have to get a look at the book in library somewhere. Apparently James Slattery was from Bodke, County Clare where Edward Byrne died.

4. Have you applied for his army/pension record. Those who know more about Irish bureaucracy than I, can fill you in on what might be available.

Yes, I spoke to someone in Renmore, Galway but got the usual "apply in writing and we will process it but it can take anything up to a year".

[capel street man]

Ms.Smoketoomuch, I have a copy of the original raid and search report made by Capt.W.L.King on 36 Gloucester Street Lower, I sent Corisande the details.
Briefly, date of search-21-11-20  time-01.30
Name of householder in full, place of birth and occupation- J.Fitzpatrick, Dublin, Auctioneers Assistant
Names of all other persons found on premises searched, together with place of birth and permanent residence and occupations.
R.McKee - Dublin - Compositor.
B.Clancy - Dublin - Draper  ( unemployed )
J.Fitzpatrick -Dublin - Auctioneers Assistant
It goes into great detail of every item found, chillingly written across the top of the first page - First two prisoners shot in Coy.Guard Room  22-11-20 attempting to escape.
I came across  a box of documents- Raid and Search Reports, Dublin, 1920,21 quite by chance while I was carrying out research in Kew Record Office in  London
Regards csm

[corisande]

What we know is that these three were arrested at Fitzpatrick's house at  36 Lower Gloucester St

R.McKee - Dublin - Compositor.
B.Clancy - Dublin - Draper  ( unemployed )
J.Fitzpatrick -Dublin - Auctioneers Assistant

What we do not know (yet) is whether anyone else escaped from the house before being caught.

Or putting it a different way - where was Edward Byrne that night

[capel street man]

I have now received copies of Frank Saurin,s , William James Stapleton and Frank Thornton,s W.S.
W.Stapleton W.S. 822 Member of B.Co.2nd Batt. Dublin Brigade quote-
Bloody Sunday
On the Friday prior to Bloody Sunday my Company Captain,Tommy Kilkoyne, instructed me to report armed at Baggot St. Bridge on the following Sunday morning at, I believe, half past eight, and there I would meet Joe Leonard in charge of a party consisting of five members of my Company, including Jack Stafford, Eugo MacNeill, who was somehow attached to our Company and two or three others.I understood from Tommy Kilcoyne that on this particular Sunday a general effort was to be made in various parts of the city to liquidate members of the B. I.Service who resided in private houses and hotels throughout the city. I reported as instructed, and our party moved down to 92 Lower Baggot St., where the British agent we were interested in was residing. We knocked at the hall door, which was opened by somebody from upstairs, and entered. Our information was that this British agent occupied the ground floor flat, which consisted of the back and front parlours. We knocked at the door of the front parlour, and, receiving no reply, knocked at the back parlour door.After some hammering on the door it was opened a little.It was evident that the occupant of the room was very cautious and suspicious because he tried to close the door again, but we jammed our feet in it.We fired some shots through the door and burst our way in .The two rooms were connected by folding doors and the British agent ran into the front room and endeavoured to barricade the door, but some of our party had broken in the door of the front room and we all went into it. He was in his pyjamas, and as he was attempting to escape by the window, he was shot a number of times.One of our party on guard outside fired on him from outside. The mans wife was standing in a corner of the room and was in a terrified and hysterical condition.-un-quote
If you require any further information from the above 3 W.S. let me know
Regards
C.S.M.

[corisande]

Thanks for the extra CPM

It is one big jigsaw that can only really be put together by a mix of published material like this and family information that suddenly appears out of the blue in places like this

It has amazed me in researching Casement's Irish Brigade how I have managed to unearth a number of personal memoirs which had been sitting unpublished in homes all over the place

I am sure that there are similar memoirs with Bloody Sunday that did not get to Witness Statements, but will eventually emerge

[capel street man]

Good morning Corisande, thought you mind find this of interest regarding Mr. Hardy, it is taken from a w.s. made by Joseph Dolan- W.S. 663 member of A. Co. 1st. Batt. Dublin Brigade ,G.H.Q. Intelligence  quote-
We were looking for a B.I.Officer named Hardy for months.He had an artificial leg and was very vicious.
McNamara gave us information that Hardy was going to England on leave, but did not know whether he would have a heavy escort to Dun Laoghaire. I located Hardy on the mail boat. I was better dressed than he was and I was travelling first class. I tracked Hardy all the way to London, but when we arrived there he disappeared in a taxi.I did not know what date Hardy would be returning to Ireland, but I was to watch for him at Euston Station and wire to Vaughn's Hotel in Dublin as soon as I found out the date of his return. I was to put on the wire, ( Josephine travelling ).
Eventually when Hardy did travel I sent the wire to Vaughn's Hotel. They got the wire all right and sent out a party next morning to deal with him.Through some hitch, I think the car broke down, the party did not reach their destination and Hardy got away. He was never got. un-quote.
No matter what one might think of Hardy, he was definitely top of his game and always one step ahead of the I.R.A.. I have read his book-I Escape, he had seen it all, been through hell and high water in the 1st World War, lost a leg, been wounded, seen death and destruction on a regular basis and volunteered ,to go to Ireland. It is written that he was vicious but you have to be hard in that proffession, it is you or the  enemy and according to your site Corisande , he lived to a good age , you have to give respect to the man.
C.S.M.

[capel street man]

Corisande, in reply to one of your previous queries
Jim Conroy was a member of the Squad.
Herby Conroy was a member of E.Co. 2nd Batt. Dublin Brigade
I do not know if they were related, a check of the Census should give you the answer.
C.S.M.