Old IRA Dublin Brigade

[Oaks and Acorns]

 I was told that the policy in assassinations was for all three shooters to fire at the same time if possible so that no-one was certain that their bullet had caused the death. 

That just doesn't ring true.

Dara.

[corisande]

I was told that the policy in assassinations was for all three shooters to fire at the same time 

That just doesn't ring true.

I would go along with Dara on that. At most of the addresses, as far as one can tell, the two men from "head office" were assigned to do the killing, the others were there to protect the hit men. Nowhere in the witness statements have I read anything about three firing together

It is a variation on the military firing squad where one man would be given a blank bullets so that they all could believe that they had the blank

Many of the men on Bloody Sunday suffered traumas for the rest of their lives. There is a good paper
"KILLING AND BLOODY SUNDAY,NOVEMBER 1920 by ANNE DOLAN Trinity College, Dublin"
Which goes in some depth into the traumas

[Magell14]

 I was told that the policy in assassinations was for all three shooters to fire at the same time if possible so that no-one was certain that their bullet had caused the death. 

That just doesn't ring true.

Dara.

I was only reporting what I was told by my grandmother(my grandfather died when I was 6 months old). What made me post on this website was that the stories I was told particularly involvement in Bloody Sunday did not appear to be accurate. Apart from the Bloody Sunday there were other killings which were more like executions. It is possible that details have been mixed up in the telling.

[corisande]

I think that is the most likely explanation - Sean Lemass had some pithy quotes about the "Squad" men not holding reunions, so much of those memories have disappeared

There were two obvious types of executions. Firstly in the street where a target was taken out and that was usually by at least two men, secondly the "court martial" in a field and summary execution where a group of men would carry it out, and I can see in tat case that they would fire together in the way you describe.

[Magell14]

hi very interesting  photo. Taken at the casino in  marino, Any idea where it came from. A lot of units done similar type photos at this time. 1941

It was among my grandmothers things and belongs to my father (he is a healthy 85 but is sketchy about his father). He also has Charlie's War of Independence medal.

[corisande]

The Bloody Sunday operation was so vast with over 200 men taking part, that unraveling who was with which group is difficult, but I do not believe impossible

As far as I can see now, there were around 15 groups assigned to different houses. Many of these groups found their targets were not at home.

Each group had about 2 men assigned from Collins central organisation (probably the men who did the killing) and Intelligence man who was responsible for picking up papers, and about a dozen others. The groups varied in size, presumably depending on a combination of the numbers of targets in a house, and the complexity of the ground layout.

It would seem that each house was then the responsibility of one company or battalion (I am not clear yet which), and that most men attacking that house came from the one company

I have a list here of the Squad members plus additions made from Active Service Units over time and which houses they attacked (where I know)

[Private 1st class]

Hi these lads held many reunions, Tours, Dinner dances . I went on a lot of them.The dinner dances were held most of the time in the Ormond Hotel for the 2nd Battalion. and strange as it may seem to people now reading this. There was no dance floor area in the Ormond. One tour that I remember was to Stormont in the North, It been Sunday everything was closed. Wicklow Town was another.  AN odd good fight would take olace after the drink on the way home. No one got hurt. A shake of hands and that was it. Sales of work Big ones, were held in the Mansion House. Great prizes on the big wheel. The women also held reunions. The Dromcondra Bch of Cumman na mBan would meet in the Gresham Hotel, Once a year. In there later years it became afternoon tea.

[Magell14]

Did you go to any pre-1963? 

[Private 1st class]

Hi yes. I had a mom and dad that took me every where .I remember at eight or nine playing down in 196 Pearse St on a Sunday morning. Then after to 51 Parnell Sq, when the Collage took back the place. Happy times and very nice people.