Dan Breen and the IRA - Book Review
Dan Breen and the IRA Peter Berresford Ellis reviews Dan Breen and the IRA by Joe Ambrose, Mercier Press, ISBN 1-85635-506-3 £11.98 pbk (Published in the Irish Democrat) DAN BREEN'S My Fight for Irish Freedom was one of the first books on the War of Independence that I read as a teenager. Along with Seán Tracey, he is credited with firing the first shots that started off the war in January, 1919. Hailed as a hero by some, a 'thug with blood on his hands' by others, a mindless murderer, a friend of George Bernard Shaw, a member of the Irish parliament for thirty years, he is a strangely controversial figure in Irish history. Joe Ambrose's study is a fascinating analysis of the real Dan Breen, cutting through the various public images of the man to get to an understanding of this most famous and contentious son of Tipperary. It's a absorbing book. I suppose the phrase 'essential study' may be a little overdone these days but, if anyone is really interested in this all important period in Irish history, then there is no other way of describing it. Its easy style, its arguments, makes it an involving read. My own debates with the neo-colonial school of historians that have risen to prominence during the last thirty years, the so-called 'revisionists', made me pause and start silently cheering as I read the following paragraph from Joe Ambrose's Introduction to the book: "The Irish are also a post-colonial people, incessantly told what to do and think by international opinion makers working in publishing, broadcasting and the arts. A colourful and curious array of nay-sayers, soothsayers and academics - not to mention pseudo-scholars fighting their own private Wars on Terror - devote entire Amazon rain forests of paper to debunking some simple facts of narrative history concerning Ireland's War of Independence. They've taken to their task with gusto and occasional aplomb, undermining complex mythologies which have frown up around the likes of Breen, Michael Collins and Tom Barry. Trying to dismantle the reputations of these rural lads of humble origin, they have sought to create post-modern mythologies of their own from which 1916-23 guerrilla leaders emerge as political deviants from some imaginary, civilised, democratic norm, frantically in league with nebulous forces of evil, indifferent to mandate or morality." Well, thank goodness, we have the likes of Joe Ambrose, Meda Ryan, John Borgonovo, Ruán O'Donnell and others to counteract the damage that these neo-colonist writers try to wreak in pursuance of furthering their own careers.

My father met Dan Breen in Dublin. He said that if you spread your fingers on one hand from thumb to small finger you would be touching a bullet wound anywhere on his body. He said it was unbelievable the number of bullet wounds the man had and survived. He said he could not understand how a man that fought so couragously could turn away from the struggle and enter the brit parliment.

Thanks Saerbhreathach, yes he was one of those rare individuals with vision. He could see it coming from miles away. He had the ability to be anything he wanted but wanted no part of it. He was totally true to himself and would not sellout. A man of convictions can't be bought at any price. Like any true republican he was the salt of the earth.

IRA
We could debate about 'armed struggle', who was armed, who was unarmed, for the rest of our lives. The reality is that, regardless of whether they were right or wrong (and this is all highly subjective - as it must be when you are discussing an armed rebellion against British imperialism in Ireland). Most Irish people did not want a war against the British forces of occupation in the black and tan war. Also, most Irish nationalists in the 6 counties did not want a war in 1969. The vast majority of nationalists did not want to support, far less, take part in the border campaign from 1956 to 1962. However, I supported the Irish republican struggle, I went to work on Sunday mornings in Lanarkshire when tabloids where screaming, 'Irish murdering bastards' (and some of us ran about Clydesdale Steelworks in Mossend hardly able to hide our delight). I participated in the marches in Glasgow when we were outnumbered 4 to 1 with the lumpen proletariat. We marched through Glasgow outnumbered and terrified about comebacks - they never happened. Young Irish republicans in Scotland should read, in particular, about the tan war, and the volunteers who participated at that time in the struggle for Irish freedom - they may find that some of their grandparents etc and companys/battalions are named. Ask east Tyrone, who lost dozens of volunteers, and others who done time, the days of 'armed struggle' are over. Now if anyone out there is willing to encourage 18 year old boys to attack an RUC/PSNI station, you are a braver man than me.

Howya Mr F ! There's a few on this Board who are/were involved in the struggle in other times on this soil and in other countries : I can speak for meself only and , in doing so , I can assure ya that whatever effort I put in was not to secure 'better conditions' from Westminster ! Ask east Tyrone, who lost dozens of volunteers, and others who done time, the days of 'armed struggle' are over. You or I , Mr F , can't speak for future generations : but what we can do is look back at those that went before us and realise that , as long as Westminster's paw-print is touching this isle , it seems assured - from the actions of those brave men and women that gave us our history to date - that armed struggle will be a choice for them to make , regardless of what you or I may or may not feel about it . Now if anyone out there is willing to encourage 18 year old boys to attack an RUC/PSNI station, you are a braver man than me. The youth on this isle never did need 'encouragement from others' (so-called 'Godfathers' , do ya mean...?) to have a go at righting an age-old injustice . Kevin Barry should have learned ya that ! Slan Anois ! Ireland .