Bureau of Military History - Launch of Online Archive

[C. Flower]

Launched last night by Jimmy Deenihan

http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/

Welcome to the home page of the Bureau of Military History 1913-1921 (BMH) Collection at Military Archives. This is a joint initiative of Military Archives and the National Archives and allows you to search throughout the BMH – free of charge - to help you in your research.

Witness statements, audio and visual clips and press cuttings.

A taste of these was provided in Fheargal McGarry's book "Rebels"

A brilliant resource, that allows the voices of hundreds of participants in the activities of those years to come through without being filtered by historians.

[C. Flower]

Been browsing the site a bit - witness statements from 1916, intelligence records, photos and diaries - fascinating stuff.
Jim Larkin being arrested in disguise, 1913.

[Shaadi]

It's interesting to cross match the names that turn up in the local area with the 1911 census, it gives you a good geographic map of local sympathies back then.

Is there any way of finding out who fought in WW I ? It's quite interesting how many of them were anti-national and aggressive about it including their wives and children..

[C. Flower]

It's interesting to cross match the names that turn up in the local area with the 1911 census, it gives you a good geographic map of local sympathies back then.

Is there any way of finding out who fought in WW I ? It's quite interesting how many of them were anti-national and aggressive about it including their wives and children..

Whic files were you looking at ? Not the 1916 participants, clearly?

I recently had call to read a lot of old newspapers from a small town in the East of Ireland and it was mildly strange to be reading about the British army band giving repeat farewell concerts due to sellout of tickets.

A lot of people saw their economic interests as best served by Britain, whether army wages or dealing with local protestant business people.

It would be interesting to see what Irish party they switched allegiance to, after the British withdrew.

[Shaadi]

Whic files were you looking at ? Not the 1916 participants, clearly?

I recently had call to read a lot of old newspapers from a small town in the East of Ireland and it was mildly strange to be reading about the British army band giving repeat farewell concerts due to sellout of tickets.

A lot of people saw their economic interests as best served by Britain, whether army wages or dealing with local protestant business people.

It would be interesting to see what Irish party they switched allegiance to, after the British withdrew.

I was looking at the activity of the local IRA volunteers and their family connections, the town was fairly solidly anti-national a garrison town as it were, which was strange because at the time of the land league it was described as treacherous to the crown. Much of the hinterland of the town was 100% behind the IRA, a strange urban/rural divide with only a few very dedicated volunteers in the town.

The town flipped to the Sinn Fein side over the conscription crisis, the local IPP MP a local big wig was a decent enough skin but his supporters and the families of locals who had British Army connections in the town tried to disrupt the 1918 elections, intimidating voters and trying to get at the ballot boxes in the count centre. A riot developed and IRA volunteers were drafted in to try and protect the count centre.


When I was growing up there was always an element of an unspoken divide between the poor with the British Army family history and the regular townspeople. I don't know who they voted for, twas never discussed but they were mostly still anti-republican, they'd probably have stuck with the IPP tradition that went on to become FG.

I'd be quite interested to try and figure out what way the IRA volunteers themselves split between CNG and FF. There was definitely an unspoken respect between the IRA families. None of it was discussed but even across the FG/FF divide there was a certain degree of respect for the pre split position.

It'd be interesting to figure out how many of the local FGers were from the IPP/Unionist or from the Pro Treaty Republican side. The make up of FG fascinates me, there's a crypto Republican element and a crypto Unionist element in FG that fascinates me.

[C. Flower]

http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.i...37.pdf#page=19

Muriel McSwiney's account of her own role and her husband Terrence McSwiney ("Terry"). McSwiney was Mayor of Cork and died on hunger strike.

She opposed the Treaty and seems to have had a poor regard for the new governing classes -

http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.i...37.pdf#page=19

She also expresses the view that it was primarily the parallel republican government (Dail, local Councils, Courts and police force) that made it impossible for the British to rule, rather than the war, which they were able to write off as "murders."

[Dr. FIVE]

Good stuff posted here on the regular. Recommend it

http://neverfeltbetter.wordpress.com...irelands-wars/

[Richardbouvet]

My grandfather worked in the Bureau of Military History and did a lot of the interviews which would go into this archive, so I look forward to examining these materals.

[C. Flower]

My grandfather worked in the Bureau of Military History and did a lot of the interviews which would go into this archive, so I look forward to examining these materals.

A fine job.

It is a marvellous resource.

[joekilgobinet]

A fine job.

It is a marvellous resource.

Was on it last night for awhile, fascinating accounts.