Moss (Maurice) Twomey
Encyclopedia
Moss Twomey (10 June 1897 – October 1978) was an Irish republican
and chief of staff of the Irish Republican Army
(IRA).
, near Fermoy
, County Cork
, Ireland
. He was educated by the Christian Brothers
. The son of a labourer at Hallinan’s Flour Mills in the town, Twomey went to work there at the age of 14. He rose to the position of works manager, and in 1917 became active in the Irish Volunteers
.
of the Fermoy Battalion and a year later became an adjutant of the Cork No. 2 Brigade. He took part in an ambush of British troops
in Fermoy in September 1919, one of the first attacks on British soldiers in Ireland since the 1916 Easter Rising
and one of the first of the Irish War of Independence
.
During 1920 he helped direct IRA intelligence
in his brigade area. He was staff commandant of Liam Lynch’s
1st Southern Division when he was captured and imprisoned on Spike Island
during 1921. He managed to escape from the prison by row boat along with Dick Barrett
, Tom Crofts and Bill Quirke.
of December 1921, although he was critical of the tactics adopted by the anti-Treaty forces headquartered in the Four Courts
, Dublin during June 1922. During the Irish Civil War
, he became adjutant general on Liam Lynch’s staff and was with Lynch when he was killed on the Knockmealdowns mountains in April 1923. Twomey was imprisoned in the same month in Dublin.
”, justified somewhat by his regular contributions to the IRA weekly newspaper
, An Phoblacht
. During 1926 he was acting IRA chief of staff in the absence of Andy Cooney
, and in 1927, he was confirmed in that position.
In 1930, Twomey married Kathleen MacLaughlin of Donegal
and had two children in the early 1930s. The same year he made a secret visit to the USA.
Under his leadership the IRA supported the Fianna Fáil
government against the Blueshirts during 1932-1933.
On 18 June 1936, the Fianna Fáil government banned the IRA. The following day Twomey was tried and jailed for three years for membership of the newly proscribed organisation. Under the IRA constitution, his tenure as IRA chief of staff ended automatically upon his arrest. He was imprisoned in the Curragh
from 1936 to 1938. During his period of imprisonment his family depended heavily on money sent to them by Joseph McGarrity
of Clan na Gael
, a US-based IRA fundraising
organisation. On his release, Twomey became adjutant general
on Seán Russell
's army council
. He travelled to Britain and inspected the IRA's units there. Twomey concluded that the IRA was in no position to launch a campaign and withdrew from IRA activity. In 1939 he opened a newsagents and confectioners in Dublin's O'Connell Street
.
's government, he was interned for two weeks during 1940. He remained close to the IRA, giving assistance to republicans deported from Britain and mediating in disputes between IRA factions. While he did not take an active role in politics after the 1940s, he did speak at a number of republican commemorations, most notably at the restoration of Wolfe Tone's grave at Bodenstown
in 1971. He never claimed an IRA pension from the Irish government or gave an account of his record to the Bureau of Military History
, set up to record the recollections of participants involved in the struggle against British rule.
He was badly injured in an accident in 1971 and was deeply affected by the death of his wife in April 1978. Twomey himself died in October of that year. The presence at his funeral of members of Fianna Fáil
and Fine Gael
, Sinn Féin The Workers’ Party and Provisional Sinn Féin, the Irish labour movement
and old IRA comrades from the 1930s was evidence of his enduring popularity.
Twomey's papers from his period as IRA chief of staff, consisting of 28 boxes, are now kept at the Archives Department of University College Dublin
.
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
and chief of staff of the Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
(IRA).
Early life
Twomey was born in 1897 in ClondulaneClondulane
Clondulane is a village in north County Cork, Ireland, 3.5m east of Fermoy, just off the Main Fermoy-Dungarvan Road. Originally built as a camp for the workers of a Cork Milling Company grain mill, it now has a population of over 200...
, near Fermoy
Fermoy
Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He was educated by the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
. The son of a labourer at Hallinan’s Flour Mills in the town, Twomey went to work there at the age of 14. He rose to the position of works manager, and in 1917 became active in the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
.
War of Independence
By 1918 he was adjutantAdjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the Fermoy Battalion and a year later became an adjutant of the Cork No. 2 Brigade. He took part in an ambush of British troops
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in Fermoy in September 1919, one of the first attacks on British soldiers in Ireland since the 1916 Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
and one of the first of the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
.
During 1920 he helped direct IRA intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
in his brigade area. He was staff commandant of Liam Lynch’s
Liam Lynch (general)
Liam Lynch was an officer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the commanding general of the anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army during the Irish Civil War.-Early life:...
1st Southern Division when he was captured and imprisoned on Spike Island
Spike Island, County Cork
Spike Island is an island of 103 Acres in Cork Harbour, Ireland.It was significant in the French intervention following the Glorious Revolution, and was later purchased by the British government in 1779 – becoming the site of Fort Westmoreland...
during 1921. He managed to escape from the prison by row boat along with Dick Barrett
Richard Barrett (Irish Republican)
Richard Barrett was a prominent Irish Republican Army volunteer who was executed during the Irish Civil War in 1922.-War of Independence:...
, Tom Crofts and Bill Quirke.
Civil War
Twomey opposed the Anglo-Irish TreatyAnglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
of December 1921, although he was critical of the tactics adopted by the anti-Treaty forces headquartered in the Four Courts
Four Courts
The Four Courts in Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's main courts building. The Four Courts are the location of the Supreme Court, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit Court. The building until 2010 also formerly was the location for the Central Criminal Court.-Gandon's Building:Work based on...
, Dublin during June 1922. During the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
, he became adjutant general on Liam Lynch’s staff and was with Lynch when he was killed on the Knockmealdowns mountains in April 1923. Twomey was imprisoned in the same month in Dublin.
IRA Chief of Staff
During 1924 he became involved in the reorganisation of the IRA, inspecting its southern divisions that summer and its northern units during 1925. First elected onto the IRA Executive at the November 1925 IRA General Army Convention, he became a fulltime IRA activist although described his profession as “journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
”, justified somewhat by his regular contributions to the IRA weekly newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, An Phoblacht
An Phoblacht
An Phoblacht is the official newspaper of Sinn Féin in Ireland. It is published once a month, and according to its website sells an average of up to 15,000 copies every month and was the first Irish paper to provide an edition online and currently having in excess of 100,000 website hits per...
. During 1926 he was acting IRA chief of staff in the absence of Andy Cooney
Andy Cooney
Andrew Cooney was an Irish Republican.From Nenagh, County Tipperary, Cooney began studying medicine at University College Dublin just as the Irish War of Independence was getting underway, and he played for a brief spell with the College's hurling club...
, and in 1927, he was confirmed in that position.
In 1930, Twomey married Kathleen MacLaughlin of Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
and had two children in the early 1930s. The same year he made a secret visit to the USA.
Under his leadership the IRA supported the Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
government against the Blueshirts during 1932-1933.
On 18 June 1936, the Fianna Fáil government banned the IRA. The following day Twomey was tried and jailed for three years for membership of the newly proscribed organisation. Under the IRA constitution, his tenure as IRA chief of staff ended automatically upon his arrest. He was imprisoned in the Curragh
Curragh
The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres of common land in County Kildare, Ireland, between Newbridge and Kildare. This area is well-known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the famous Japanese Gardens. Also...
from 1936 to 1938. During his period of imprisonment his family depended heavily on money sent to them by Joseph McGarrity
Joseph McGarrity
Joseph McGarrity was born in Carrickmore, County Tyrone, Ireland. He emigrated to the USA in 1892 at the age of 18 and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From 1893 until his death he was a leading member of the Clan na Gael organisation. He also was a successful businessman; however, his...
of Clan na Gael
Clan na Gael
The Clan na Gael was an Irish republican organization in the United States in the late 19th and 20th centuries, successor to the Fenian Brotherhood and a sister organization to the Irish Republican Brotherhood...
, a US-based IRA fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
organisation. On his release, Twomey became adjutant general
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
on Seán Russell
Seán Russell
Seán Russell was an Irish republican who held senior positions in the IRA until the end of the Irish War of Independence...
's army council
IRA Army Council
The IRA Army Council was the decision-making body of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, more commonly known as the IRA, a paramilitary group dedicated to bringing about the end of the Union between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. The council had seven members, said by the...
. He travelled to Britain and inspected the IRA's units there. Twomey concluded that the IRA was in no position to launch a campaign and withdrew from IRA activity. In 1939 he opened a newsagents and confectioners in Dublin's O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...
.
Post IRA life
Following a crackdown on the IRA by Éamon de ValeraÉamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
's government, he was interned for two weeks during 1940. He remained close to the IRA, giving assistance to republicans deported from Britain and mediating in disputes between IRA factions. While he did not take an active role in politics after the 1940s, he did speak at a number of republican commemorations, most notably at the restoration of Wolfe Tone's grave at Bodenstown
Bodenstown
Bodenstown is a townland on the outskirts of Sallins in County Kildare, Ireland.The most notable local features are a golf club and the parish cemetery for Sallins. The cemetery is best known as the gravesite of Theobald Wolfe Tone, the eighteenth century Irish revolutionary and leader of the...
in 1971. He never claimed an IRA pension from the Irish government or gave an account of his record to the Bureau of Military History
Bureau of Military History
The Bureau of Military History was established in January 1947 by Oscar Traynor TD, Minister for Defence and former Captain in the Irish Volunteers. The rationale for the establishment of the Bureau was to give individuals who played an active part in the events which brought about Irish...
, set up to record the recollections of participants involved in the struggle against British rule.
He was badly injured in an accident in 1971 and was deeply affected by the death of his wife in April 1978. Twomey himself died in October of that year. The presence at his funeral of members of Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
and Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
, Sinn Féin The Workers’ Party and Provisional Sinn Féin, the Irish labour movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
and old IRA comrades from the 1930s was evidence of his enduring popularity.
Twomey's papers from his period as IRA chief of staff, consisting of 28 boxes, are now kept at the Archives Department of University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
.
Further reading
- Brian Hanley, The IRA. 1926-1936, Dublin (Four Courts Press), 2002. ISBN 1-85182-721-8