Old IRA Dublin Brigade

[DarrenO]

My grand uncle Patrick O'Rourke was in a unit if thats the right term in south County Dublin. Any ideas how I go about finding more information on him. I know from my father who has his medals that he refused the pension like so many others but are the records of what his unit was inolved in. While born in Carlow he lived and worked in the Killiney/Shankill area. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Darren

[Karyn P]

My great uncle was part of the forgotten ten


http://republican-news.org/archive/2001/October11/11forg.html

Thomas Bryan

Executed 14 March 1921

Thomas Bryan was an electrician and lived in Dublin. He married just four months before his arrest. A member of the ASU, he too was arrested after the abortive 'Drumcondra Ambush'.

Thomas had previously been imprisoned for republican activities and had been transferred from Mountjoy to Dundalk following Thomas Ashe's death in 1917. The POWs went on hunger strike and were later released in November 1917.

[Karyn P]

IM SORRY IF THIS SOUNDS STUPID, IVE GOOGLED BUT NOT GETTING THE COMPLETE MEAING OF THE LETTERS A.S.U
can someone explain what it actually stands for.
my great uncle was a member, his name was Thomas Bryan and he was one of the forgotten 10.
my grandmother is passed away now and nobody knows anything, actually she never even told our family about this until the state funerals and refused to speak of it any further.
does anyone know if there were any photos taken or where i can find out exactly what he did and how he fought.
thanks in advance

Karen

[dermo]

Karen

ASU stands for Active Service Unit.  I think it meant that the members were given financial support.

Dermo

[Karyn P]

thanks dermo, i wiki'd the forgotten ten and it gave a photo aswell with a nice bit of info, am trying to do my family tree so checked the census and found a lot more info.
would love to see other pics too and try to find out exactly where he ranked ect.

[Gary Deering]

The ASU where the active service unit & they where paid along side the squad who they worked alot with.There main job was to cause as much trouble for the british as possible,ambushes ect where there main job anything that involved killing the ememy & making life as hard as possible for them.KarenP you might have to try a few people here or start a topic on your Great Uncle somebody may have come across him in there research, I just remembered there is a video on youtube I think called the forgotten ten & that should give you some information on him.

Gary   

[Karyn P]

thank you gary,
i found out loads last nite about the last day of his life and how he nearly escaped from mountjoy,if he and 4 others hadnt insulted a prison guard they wouldnt have been put into different cells and would have been there when the word was given that their escape was "on", and would have their freedom. seems he was meant to die.

i have also found out there is a possible family member still alive, will try to find him, my dad remembers been given a phone number of his uncle who seemingly has a lot of info and the like,so am about to root through the phonebook and hope we find him.

i think i will start a thread myself,good idea.

thanks again gary

[madpad]

hi i was interested in finding out some information on the dublin no1 brigade 196 pearse street - i saw the list from sandlotball of 46 men and i was very intersted to see that there was two people -

dick hyland and john hyland - i think the second one john hyland was my grandfather - it has only now
 come to light that we discovered that my grandfather joined the irish army in 1919 - we have received some documentation about him but on his record it showed that when he joined in 1919 he had been
in the army for 3 years (we think that may have been the time from the 1916 uprising in dublin) we have seen his army record and pay details - nobody ever knew he was in the irish army - my father never knew anything about this .

[Gary Deering]

Gary,

My grandfather was also in Bolands Mill. Does the photo of J. Whelan with his old comrades list their names.

Hi Gaisteach, this is going to sound strange, I am trying to find out as much about J.Whelan as I can, I was told his name was Joseph as everyone called him Joe, Turns out as I found out today his real name was John Whelan, now also with the stuff I was given by the family was a picture of the ICA that Johns late Daughter  picked him out of. So thats the picture the family told me they had of him & his unit.There is a John Whelan listed as ICA in the Dublin in Rebellion Book with the Stephens Green Garrison, so maybe he was transfared during the week to Bolands ? I dont know.John Whelan was given the 1916 medal & the WOI (with bar) medal & marched in the anniversary march as I have his 1916 armband here.