Ernie O'Malley (1897-1957) was born in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland. He is best known as a prominent member of the Irish Republican Army during the Anglo-Irish War and took the anti-Treaty side in the Irish Civil War. He wrote two books, On Another Man's Wound and The Singing Flame. The first describes O'Malley's role in the Anglo-Irish War and his life previous to it. The second covers the civil war. The literary quality of these books and O'Malley's bohemian career after the political conflicts distinguish him from other IRA men who also penned memoirs of the times. Castlebar (Caisleán an Bharraigh in Irish) is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo, Ireland. ... County Mayo (Irish: Contae Mhaigh Eo, the plain of the yews) is a county on the west coast of Ireland. ... The West Cork Flying Column during the War of Independence. ... An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army under the proclaimed legitimacy of the First Dáil, the extra-legal Irish parliament... Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty, officially called the Articles of association between Ireland and the British Empire, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom and representatives of the (extra-judicial) Irish Republic which concluded the Anglo-Irish War. ... The Irish Civil War (June 1922–April 1923) was a conflict between supporters and opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 6, 1921, which established the Irish Free State, precursor of todays Republic of Ireland. ... IRA is an acronym with several different meanings. ...

Early Life

O'Malley came from a respectable middle class Catholic family in Mayo. His father was a clerk in the Congested Districts Board, which organised land reform in the west of Ireland. His family's politics were conservative nationalist, supporting the Irish Parliamentary Party. The O'Malleys moved to Dublin when Ernie was still a child. O'Malley was studying medicine at University College Dublin when the Easter Rising convulsed the city, and he was almost persuaded by some Unionist friends to join them in defending Trinity College, Dublin from the rebels should they attempt to take it. After some thought, he decided his sympathies were with the rebels and he and a friend took some shots at British troops with a borrowed rifle during the fighting. In 1882 Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, formed the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP), replacing the Home Rule League, as a parliamentary party with strict rules. ... Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin region. ... University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin - more commonly University College Dublin (UCD) - is Irelands largest university, with over 20,000 students. ... The Easter Rising (Irish: Éirí Amach na Cásca) was a militarily unsuccessful rebellion staged in Ireland against British rule on Easter Monday in April 1916. ... In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great... The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ... Irish Volunteers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

IRA career

After the rising, O'Malley became deeply involved in Irish republican separatist activism, a fact he had to hide from his family, who had close ties to the establishment. He left his studies and worked as a full-time organiser for the IRA from 1918 on, work that brought him to almost every corner of Ireland. On one occasion he attended a semi-public meeting of the Ulster Volunteer Force in Tyrone for intelligence purposes, and lamented that such able men were opposed to his ideals. Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is a loyalist paramilitary (terrorist) group in Northern Ireland. ... This article is about County Tyrone. ...

The itinerant nature of O'Malley's work, although he was officially attached to IRA GHQ, involved him in IRA operations throughout the country once the Anglo-Irish War got under way. In February 1920, he and Eoin O'Duffy led an IRA attack on the Royal Irish Constabulary barracks in Ballytrain, County Monaghan, and were successful in taking it over. This was the first capture of an RIC barracks in the war. An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army under the proclaimed legitimacy of the First Dáil, the extra-legal Irish parliament... General Eoin ODuffy (20 October 1892 - 30 November 1944), was the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, leader of the quasi-fascist Blueshirts and the first (extra-parliamentary) leader of Fine Gael (1933-1934). ... The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) was one of Irelands two police forces in the early twentieth century, alongside the Dublin Metropolitan Police. ... Monaghan (Irish: Contae Muineachán) is a county in the Republic of Ireland. ...

In September, he and Liam Lynch led the 2nd Cork Brigade in the only capture of a British army barracks in the conflict, in Mallow. They left with a haul of rifles, two Hotchkiss machine-guns and ammunition. The officers and soldiers later sacked the town, burning the town hall and the creamery, and ironically were only brought under control by members of the brutal Auxiliary Division. Liam Lynch is the name of more than one person of note. ... County Cork (Contae Chorcaí in Irish) is the most southwesterly and the largest of the modern counties of Ireland. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Mallow is the common name of several closely related genera of plant in the family Malvaceae: Malva (Mallow) Althaea (Marsh mallow) Callirhoe (Poppy mallow) Kosteletzkya (Seashore mallow) Lavatera (Tree mallow or rose mallow) Malvaviscus - Turks cap mallow Sidalcea (Greek mallow) Sphaeralcea - Globemallow Plants of the genus Malva are herbaceous... The Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary, generally known as the Auxiliaries or Auxies, was a paramilitary organization within the RIC during the Anglo-Irish War. ...

He was captured by the British in Kilkenny in December 1920, in possession of a handgun. Much to his disgust, he had failed to destroy his notes, which contained the names of all the members of the 7th West Kilkenny Brigade, all of whom were subsequently arrested. Having undergone several beatings in Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, and in severe danger of execution, he escaped two months later, through the aid of a sympathetic prison officer. O'Malley then became a senior staff officer in command of the IRA's southern division in Munster, attached to units in County Tipperary. His writings describe the often-vicious guerilla warfare fought in the martial law area in the south of Ireland. On several occasions, O'Malley ordered the killing of captured British soldiers in reprisal for Army killings of IRA prisoners. In all his field activities he displayed substantial courage and was wounded several times. 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events WIKIPEDIA EATS VAGINA January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... For other places with the same or similar names, and other uses of the word, see Munster (disambiguation). ... County Tipperary (Tiobraid Árann in Irish) is a traditional county in the Republic of Ireland, in the province of Munster. ... Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect (usually after a formal declaration) when a military authority takes control of the normal administration of justice. ...

The British were aware of his role: ironically, while in custody under the alias "Bernard Stewart" he had seen a memorandum referring to a notorious rebel and IRA officer named "Ernie O'Malley" whom they were very anxious to capture.

O'Malley objected to the Anglo-Irish Treaty that formally ended the War of Independence, as he opposed any settlement that fell short of an independent Irish Republic, particularly one backed up by British threats of restarting hostilities. He was one of the anti-Treaty IRA officers who occupied the Four Courts in Dublin, an event that helped to spark the Irish Civil War, and held the position of assistant chief on staff in the anti-treaty forces there. O'Malley surrendered to the Free State forces after a week's bombardment of the Four Courts but escaped captivity and travelled via the Wicklow Mountains to Blessington and Carlow. Thereafter, he was appointed commander of the anti-Treaty forces in the provinces of Ulster and Leinster, and lived a clandestine existence in Dublin. Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty, officially called the Articles of association between Ireland and the British Empire, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom and representatives of the (extra-judicial) Irish Republic which concluded the Anglo-Irish War. ... The Four Courts in Dublin is the Republic of Irelands main courts building. ... The Irish Civil War (June 1922–April 1923) was a conflict between supporters and opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 6, 1921, which established the Irish Free State, precursor of todays Republic of Ireland. ... For the term free state as it arises in United States history, see: Free state. ... The Wicklow Mountains are a range of mountains in the south-east of Ireland. ... Blessington (Baile Coimin in Irish), is a town in County Wicklow, Ireland. ... Carlow (Ceatharlach in Irish, meaning four-part lake) is an inland town in the south-east of Ireland in County Carlow, 84 km from Dublin. ... Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland. ... Leinster (Irish: Laighin) is the eastern province of Ireland, comprising the counties of Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow. ...

In October, 1922, he went to Dundalk and met with Frank Aiken commander of Fourth Northern Division of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Dr. Padraig Quinn (quartermaster general) to review plans for another attack on the Dundalk to free IRA soldiers from the Dundalk jail. This type of incident is reflective of O'Malley's frustration at the defensive strategy of Liam Lynch, chief of staff of the anti-treaty forces, which allowed the "Free Staters" (Irish Free State army) to build up their strength in preparation for a gradual take-over of areas of the country dominated by the Irregulars. Dundalk (Irish: Dún Dealgan) is the largest town in the Republic of Ireland and is the county town of County Louth, close to the border with Northern Ireland. ... Frank Aiken (February 13, 1898 - May 18, 1983) was a senior Irish politician. ... The Fourth Northern Division operated in an area covering parts of counties Louth, Armagh, Monaghan, and Down. ... Liam Lynch is the name of more than one person of note. ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... Irregular Soldiers, 19th Century Irregulars are soldiers or warriors that are not part of a regular army organization. ...

He was captured again, this time for good, after a shoot-out with Free State troops in the Ballsbridge area of Dublin city. O'Malley was severely wounded in the incident, being hit over seven times (three bullets remained lodged in his back for the remainder of his life). A Free State soldier was also killed in the incident. Only the actions of the surgeon who attended to O'Malley, and his subsequent overstating of the seriousness of the prisoner's wounds, prevented O'Malley from being executed by the Free State - whose policy by that time was to execute Anti-Treaty fighters captured in possession of weapons. It may also have been too much of a risk on the part of the Irish Free State to put to death an undisputed hero of the recent struggle against the British, although O'Malley feared that he was often only hours from execution. The regular army of the Republic of Ireland has 8,500 personnel, and is divided primarily into three infantry brigades, each responsible for a geographical area of the country: Irish Army brigade areas In addition to the three brigades, there is also the Defence Forces Training Centre, which is responsible... Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Dublin Ireland, is named for the bridge spanning the River Dodder on the south side of the city. ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and...

Subsequent life

By the time O'Malley recovered from his wounds, the Civil War was over and he was transferred to Mountjoy prison. During this period of imprisonment, O'Malley went on hunger strike for forty-one days, in protest at the continued detention of IRA prisoners after the war. He was elected as a Sinn Féin TD for North Dublin while on hunger strike. He was one of the last Republican prisoners to be released following the end of hostilities. He returned to university to finish his degree course in 1926 but never qualified as a doctor. He left Ireland for a number of years in the mid-1920s, going to continental Europe, Mexico and the United States, amongst other places. In 1928, he toured the USA on behaLf of Eamonn De Valera raising funds for the establishment of the new Irish Republican newspaper the Irish Press. He was later granted a pension by the Fianna Fail government as a combatant in the Irish War of Independence. A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. ... The name Sinn Féin (pronounced in English, in Irish), which means ourselves or we ourselves (not as sometimes incorrectly translated, ourselves alone or we alone) has been applied to a series of political movements since 1905 in Ireland, each of which claims or claimed sole descent from the original... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or Legislature. ... Irish Republicanism is the nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a united independent republic. ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Eamon de Valera[1] (born Edward George de Valera, Irish name Éamonn de Bhailéara (October 14, 1882 – August 29, 1975), was an Irish politician, best known as a leader of Irelands struggle for independence from Britain in the early 20th Century, and the Republican anti-Treaty opposition in... The Irish Press was an Irish newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 1931 and 1995. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army. ...

In the 1930s, O'Malley married Helen Hooker, whom he had met in the States. They had three children and divided their time between Dublin and Brishoole in Mayo. Hooker and O'Malley devoted themselves to the arts, she involved in sculpture and theatre, while he made his living as a writer. However their relationship soured and they were later divorced. Hooker "kidnapped" two of the couple's three children and took them to the United States. O'Malley endured considerable ill-health from all the wounds and hardship he had suffered during his revolutionary days. He was friendly with the director John Ford and actor John Wayne, whom he advised during the making of the film The Quiet Man. As befitting a celebrated figure of the Anglo-Irish War, was given a state funeral after his death in 1957. A sculpture of Manannan mac Lír, donated by O'Malley's family, stands in the Mall in Castlebar. John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was one of the most accomplished American film directors of the 1930s to 1960s, known particularly as a director of the Westerns, although his tributes to the veterans of World War II and Americana are also equally effective. ... John Wayne stamp John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an American film actor whose career began in silent movies in the 1920s. ... The Quiet Man was a 1952 American film starring John Wayne, Maureen OHara and Barry Fitzgerald, and directed by John Ford. ... An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army under the proclaimed legitimacy of the First Dáil, the extra-legal Irish parliament... In Irish mythology, Manannan mac Lir was a sea and weather god. ... Castlebar (Caisleán an Bharraigh in Irish) is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo, Ireland. ...

O'Malley was fundamentally a revolutionary gunman who led by example. His political ideas were somewhat vague, apart from an absolute commitment to full Irish independence. He largely eschewed politics after the civil war, describing himself as "a soldier" who "had fought and killed the enemies of my nation".

Writings

O'Malley's most celebrated writings are "On Another Man's Wound", describing the War of Independence (or the Tan War as he referred to it), and "The Singing Flame" on the Civil War. The two volumes were written during O'Malley's time in New York, New Mexico and Mexico city in the early 1930s. On Another Man's Wound was published in the late 1930s to much critical acclaim and has rarely been out of print since. perhaps reflecting its more controversial theme in Ireland, The Singing Flame was not published until the late 1970s, well after O'Malley's death. O'Malley also wrote another book on the revolutionary period "Raids and Rallies", describing his and other fighter's experiences. in addition, O'Malley wrote large volumes of poetry and contributed to a literary and cultural magazine "The Bell", set up his fellow republican Peadar O'Donnell.

Sources

• Ernie O'Malley, On Another Man's Wound.
• Ernie O'Malley, The Singing Flame.
• Richard English, Ernie O'Malley, IRA Intellectual.