RAINBOW FARMS    AUSTRALIA                                            

                                                                                                                                                                     1919 AD - 3 / July - December

July 8th: Frank P. Walshe and Governor Dunne from Illinois who had been supposed to represent The Friends for Irish Freedom to put Ireland's cause forward at the Peace Conference returned to America from Paris, as there was by now just no hope of Ireland's case being heard. (President Woodrow Wilson had also returned to America where he was only involved in pushing for his League of Nations).

July 12th: Edward Carson the leader of the Official Unionists In the Ulster Province was threatening to bring out the Ulster Volunteer Force - U.V.F. there, and publicly stated that his Official Unionist followers in Ulster would not tolerate the political Sinn Fein Party.

July 19th:  Eamonn de Valera the President of the 1st Dail Eireann was in America where Liam Mellowes organized a tour for him to try and secure the U.S.A. and League of Nations democratic recognition for the Irish Republic, and he was to stay there now for the next 18 months and was to take no part during the violent "Troubles" that lie ahead in Ireland. While there he was to be under the patronage of the Clann na Gael whose leader Joseph Mac Garritty had him call himself the President of the Irish Republic, although in reality he was the President of 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly and the use of the former title upset some in control over there, including John Devoy the editor of the Gaelic American. Judge Cohalan, who had been held in high esteem in the Irish - American Movement for years, was also upset with him and requested that he not attend the American Republican Party Convention, which he ignored, and they had a serious falling out. The Clann na Gael had been the driving force for Irish Independence in America for over 50 years against the the oppression of the various British Empire Governments, and they now held huge receptions in his honour, and within 6 months 1,000,000 pounds was raised by their Irish Victory Fund. As a sign of things to come also in Ireland in the future, the continuing particular staid attitude unfortunately of Eammon de Valera was to create a split in the Clann na Gael into 2 rival bodies as Joseph Mac Garrity was now the only Irish - American leader who stood up for him. He advised Eamonn de Valera to increase the size of his personal activity, the Irish Bond Drive, which he then strongly pushed ahead with also, which was also supported by Frank P. Walshe, and they submitted their scheme to Franklin D. Roosevelt to ensure there were no legal difficulties, who was still only a lawyer at this time, who gave it the O.K.     

     Meanwhile back in Ireland a Special Squad was now formed by the Irish Republicans from a small number of the Irish Volunteers who were to carry out any "Special" assignments for them under the leadership of Michael Mac Donnell. 

July 21st:  There were to be 3 days of bloodshed carried out in the Cities of Derry and Belfast in the north - east of the Ulster Province, due to the tendency of the Unionists there towards ethnic sectarian violence brought on by a never ending "siege mentality" that was to be always encouraged there to suite other people's agendas.  

July 30th: After repeated warnings to lay off the excessive persecution of the Irish population, Detective Sgt. Smith was executed by the newly introduced Irish Republican Special Squad.

August: Michael Collins had been appointed the Director of Intelligence for the Irish Republicans, and he was now carrying out 4 different duties at the one time for the 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly and brought in Liam Tobin and Tom Cullen to assist him with further Intelligence gathering.  

August 13th: Francis Murphy, a 15 year old boy, was shot dead in his father's house at Ennistymon in Co. Clare in the north - west of the Munster Province by the British Military forces and a general strike was carried out in Co. Limerick in the mid - west of Munster, which was to continue on until 1922. Once again the character of British Imperialism came to the fore as Lord Birkenhead came out strongly against the Irish stating, "We  shall use force and yet more force." The British Coalition Government already had a 70,000 Military force in Ireland and they were to bring in another 15,000, including the dreadful Black & Tans, and the British Government Military Auxiliaries who were to be the worst offenders of public morality in Ireland.

August 21st: The Irish National Loan was announced in Ireland by the 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly now under the control of Arthur Griffith the acting - President, due to Eamonn de Valera still being in America, and at this meeting there were 47 members in attendance, with 250,000 pounds to be also raised in Ireland and 1,250,000 pounds in America. This amount together with the Loans from 1864 - 1867 previously secured by the Fenians / I.R.B / Irish Republican Brotherhood were also to be repaid to the lenders at 6 % per annum on the eventual introduction of the Irish Republic. Eamonn de Valera's American - Irish Association had quickly raised 10,000 pounds for the recognition of the Irish Republic, so he wrote back to the members of the 1st Dail Eireann and wanted to increase the size of the Irish National Loan to 5,000,000 in America as there was substantial amounts now being put forward, to gain Irish Independence, on a regular basis. The 1st Dail Eireann agreed to take an Oath of Loyalty to the Republic of Ireland, and the Irish Volunteers agreed to take the same Oath, which basically tied them well and truly to the 1st Dail Eireann as they were now both fully committed to the same purpose. Batt O Connor was to construct many hideaways and secret cupboards for Michael Collins to use in Dublin for the storage of the 1st Dail Eireann records and also for Michael Collin's own personal safety. The 1st Dail Eireann had by now grown in prestige in the eyes of the general population in Ireland as a real alternative to the British Imperial Government's continuing oppression, and they were by now being accepted as the real authority in Ireland. With the introduction of the Sinn Fein Republican Courts, who publicly published their results, which were fairer and cheaper, they became so successful that they were able to hold them on a regular basis.  

     Sean Russell, who was a member of the Sinn Fein Party and the I.R.B / Irish Republican Brotherhood, was to be their Director of Munitions until 1921, but would eventually come to lead the breakaway anti Anglo - Irish Treaty Irregular IRA in the years ahead, due to the Artificial Partition of Ireland allowed under that Treaty. (Frank Aiken, who was to be another of the future Irregular IRA leaders then, also was at this time the I.R.B Commandant until 1922).  

September: Eammon de Valera, who was still in America, put it to the Friends of Irish Freedom. who controlled the Irish Victory Fund. for a 10% advance to launch his personal activity the Irish National Loan, as they had now agreed to send 25% of the Fund to be used in Ireland. John Devoy at this time informed Eammon de Valera to be wary of Dr. W.J. Maloney, who was a friend of Dr. Mac Cartan, as he considered him personally to be acting in the interests of the British Coalition Government, and was influencing him through Dr. Mac Cartan and Joseph Mac Garrity. September 7th: Meanwhile in Ireland the Irish Volunteers went in to their first real battle against the British Imperial Government forces when they disarmed 17 British Military soldiers at Fermoy in Co. Cork in Southern Munster where one of the soldiers was killed and 3 were wounded, and the British Military forces in retaliation that night ransacked the town of Fermoy and the R.I.C police made no effort to stop them. Many members of the R.I.C were by now leaving the police force in Ireland, and the British Coalition Government was finding it hard to get new recruits in Ireland, and had to begin closing down their R.I.C. barracks all over the Country.  - Arthur Griffith the Sinn Fein Party M.P for East Co. Cavan in Southern Ulster Province who was now the Acting - President of the 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly was now arrested once again by the British Coalition Government. September 10th: The British Imperial Government suppressed the political Sinn Fein Party, and the 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly was declared illegal under British Law, together with the Irish National Loan, and the British Imperial Government forces then raided all their homes and carried out attacks in the surrounding areas. September 12th: The 1st Dail Eireann was now also physically suppressed and all their offices were raided and their documents seized, and Padraig O Keefe and Ernest Blythe / Ua Blighe were also arrested. September 13th: Sgt. Daniel Hoey who had been very active after the 1916 Easter Rising against his own people was now warned to lay off, but he disregarded the warning and continued to zealously persecute them, and he was then shot dead near the R.I.C police headquarters. The result of this action was that the remaining R.I.C police now backed off from being over zealous on behalf of the British Coalition Government's Dublin Castle officials. September 16th: An Ard Fheis  (Convention), that was set down to be held by the political Sinn Fein Party at the Mansion House in Dublin on this date, was held instead the night before, and when the R.I.C police surrounded the building they naturally found no one was there.

    The Irish National Loan was publicly advertised in Ireland, and all of the Irish papers who did so were then also suppressed by the British Coalition Government and their copies seized, and also some of their printing machinery was dismantled, but Arthur Griffith was still able to get out his paper Young Ireland. All of this further repression on the newspapers in Ireland further bought home to the general Irish population once again the realization that Ireland would only ever be free from the British Imperial Empire constraints by the continual shedding of her own blood. 

     Sean Mac Bride, the son of Maude Gonne Mac Bride and Major John Mac Bride, who had been born and educated in Paris, was now living in Dublin, and was to become an Irish Independence fighter in the future Anglo - Irish War and the founder of Amnesty International. 

     Meanwhile, back in America, Eamonn de Valera the President of 1st Dail Eireann, was well received during all his tours, but by now had well and truly fallen out with John Devoy, the editor of the Gaelic American newspaper, who had always been a great supporter of Irish Independence both in Ireland and America for many generations. - William O Brien the old Labour stalwart from Co. Cork in Southern Munster was now also the General Secretary of the Irish Labour Party. - The American Commission for Irish Freedom had now also noted the random and pointless imprisonments being carried out by the British Imperial Government on the Irish people. 

September: Woodrow Wilson the American President had by now suffered a complete nervous breakdown. 

September: Due to the continuing "siege mentality," again in the Ulster Province, 80 Irish people were killed in further sectarian riots that were still carried out there by the Unionists, and Belfast in Co. Antrim in the north - east of Ulster, in desperation, was now to be put under an Irish Boycott to try and stop any such further ethnic and sectarian riots occurring there again.

September 29th: On this day, the Friends of Irish Freedom in America released $100,000 to Eammon de Valera the President of the 1st Dail Eireann, which had been approved by the National Council of Organizations as part of the 25% to be used in Ireland as a loan to try and bring about Irish Independence.

October 25th: Rory O Connor was in charge of the rescue of 6 Irish prisoners held by the British Coalition Government in Manchester Jail in England, including Piaras Beaslaoi / Beasley, and Austin Stack who Arthur Griffith as the Acting - President of the 1st Dail Eireann in Ireland re - appointed as the Minister for Home Affairs. The staid, Cathal Brugha then further appointed him as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers, and he now also began to side with him against Michael Collins. The Irish Volunteers were by now known as the Irish Republican Army and this was to be shortened to the term I.R.A by common usage. Cathal Brugha wanted the Irish Volunteers to take the same Oath as the 1st Dail Eireann, but Michael Collins said it was too risky to call an overall Irish Volunteer Convention, which further upset Cathal Brugha who had previously left the Irish Republican Brotherhood / I.R.B, and was suspicious of it and also of Michael Collins who was one of it's leaders. (He personally also resented Michael Collins growing prestige and popularity). 

November 6th: On this day, the British Empire Military forces in Ireland attacked and ransacked the town of Kinsale in Co. Cork in Southern Munster. November 12th: The British Empire Government Military forces attacked the City of Cork in Co. Cork in Southern Munster. John Hurley, a simple newspaper seller, was arrested and charged with the shooting of Detective Wharton from the "G " Division, even though he knew nothing about it at all, and had no connection with the political Sinn Fein Party. They tried to get him to implicate Michael Collins, but he didn't tell them anything because he didn`t know anything, but he was still charged anyway by the British Coalition Government authorities in the Dublin castle and sent to prison for 12 years. 

November 15th: James O Mara the previous electoral officer for the 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly arrived in America from Ireland and joined up with Eamonn de Valera and took over the control of the Irish National Loan.  

November 29th: On this day, Det. Sgt. Barton was shot dead, and Lord French the appointed British General and Commander in Chief for the British Coalition Government  in Ireland offered 5,000 pounds for any information in regards to the event, and as a further consequence he also decided to carry out individual raids on the political Sinn Fein Party members generally, but Michael Collins was able to forewarn them. The Dublin offices of the political Sinn Fein Party and the 1st Dail Eireann / 1st Irish Assembly were also raided again, and 9 people there were arrested, as they also tried in vain to arrest Michael Collins, who was able to escape through the skylight, so they closed down the political Sinn Fein Party buildings.

     Although many Irishmen had been killed and wounded and thousands had been arrested, with raids carried out on their homes, proclamations, prohibitions, court martials, deportations, their meetings broken up, their newspapers suppressed, their democratically elected political leaders imprisoned during the previous 2 years, the Irish population had still not turned to violence in retaliation. The political Sinn Fein Party members were now to be re - elected with great majorities although all of their organizations had been driven underground by the British Imperial Government forces under Lord French. The time had come were the Irish were finally compelled to meet the British Imperial Government forces head on, as those in authority in England had always compelled them to do over the many Centuries, if they ever wanted any common rights or justice at all in Ireland.     

December 19th: David Lloyd - George the British Coalition Prime Minister in anticipation of having to settle with the elected political Sinn Fein Party and appease public opinion, especially in America, now put forward a “Better Government of Ireland Bill“ /  Partition Bill for 2 divided Parliaments in Ireland, with one in the north - east, and one in the north and the south, composed of 26 Representatives from each Parliament, who would eventually set up a Parliament for all of Ireland, or there would be 46 M.P.s at Westminster with Ireland as a Colony, if either Parliament did not function. Those in the South said "No" to his Partition of Ireland Act, while Edward Carson the leader of the Official Unionists accepted a final solution on his terms only, for the 6 Counties that he wanted to control in the Ulster Province to continue on with the Ascendancy, although there were 400,000 Irish Nationalists still living in there in there own Country.  

     During the year 14 R.I.C police had been killed, and 20 were wounded, and Lord French the British Imperial Government's appointed Commander - in - Chief in Ireland had since dismissed the Catholic Inspector General Sir Joseph Byrne, and offered 3,000 pounds for information on any shooting at an R.I.C policeman, and he now advertised in England for fresh recruits to further bolster the British Imperial Armed forces in Ireland.

      Arthur Griffith, the Acting - President of the 1st Dail Eireann, now wrote to Eammon de Valera and advised him that the Irish Cabinet wanted him to stay in the U.S.A. and finish off his projects there, and that they feared he would be arrested by the British Coalition Government if he returned to Ireland.

           

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