u/Carax77

Big news for researchers and those interested in the revolutionary period.

The Military Service Pensions Collection has launched a new search function for the Nominal Rolls of the IRA, Cumann na mBan, the ICA and Fianna Éireann. These were compiled by ex officers in the 1930s to help with the pensions process.

People can now search through over 600 files covering 16 IRA divisions and 87 brigades with names of over 100,000 people. Plus 165 files for Cumann na Ban and 41 for Fianna Éireann.

Individuals can be located by:

• Name

• Organisation

• Period (War of Independence or Civil War)

• Brigade

• Service location

• Address

• File reference

Search results link directly to the exact page within the file where the individual’s name appears for transcription.

Before now, the Nominal rolls were only available in PDF format which meant researchers had to wade through 100s of pages potentially to find the person they were searching for. It was also difficult for people to find specific individuals if they didn't know what company, battalion or brigade they were in.

Link to the new database is here.

Also an accompanying blog post that gives background to the Nominal rolls and how and why they were compiled.

*that were never returned

I say the British Army couldn't believe their luck when those arms and ammunition were just handed over by the National Volunteers (Redmondite). And laughed when a request was made for their return.

From the book Waterford: The Irish Revolution, 1912-23 (2015) by Patrick McCarthy

Was this replicated in other areas?

I believe there were discussions between the Irish Volunteers, the Bishop and the authorities in Cork to hand over some guns but it didn't occur?

Like many others, I’m fascinated by the hyper-local political ecosystem in Dublin’s north-east inner city - East Wall, North Strand, Summerhill, Ballybough and Sheriff Street, all within the Dublin Central constituency. The striking feature is the number of political and community figures with backgrounds in activism, republicanism, or anti-drugs movements, often with deep family or local roots. Edit: Gerry Hutch is distinct from others in this regard.

Some examples (past and present) include:

Cllr Daniel Ennis (SDs) from East Wall. Great local worker and tipped to win the by-election. Father was an associate of Gerry Hutch.

Gerry Hutch (Ind) from Foley St/Liberty House. Prime suspect in major armed robberies but is widely accepted as never getting involved in heroin dealing. Won over 3,000 first preference votes in last general election.

Cllr Malachy Steenson (Ind) from North Strand. Father Leo was attached to Belfast IRA 1950s and Dublin IRA 1950s/1960s and then OIRA 1970s. Was beside Jim Flynn when he killed by the INLA outside Cusack’s pub, North Strand Road in 1982. Flynn was widely believed to have been involved in the assassination of Seamus Costello five years earlier - an attack that had taken place just 100 yards from the scene of his own death.

Joe Costello (ex LP TD) from Sligo originally. Founding member of the Prisoners' Rights Organisation in early 1970s and would have known a lot of people involved in the republican movement and criminality through this work

Cllr Christy Burke (Ind, formerly SF) from Lurgan St/Hardwicke St. Leading Dublin PIRA member and founding member of Concerned Parents Against Drugs (CPAD) in 1980s. Left SF in 2009.

Tony Gregory (ex Ind TD) from Ballybough. Former SF, IRA, OSF and IRSP member. Influential community activist and anti-drugs campaigner.

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Question is, why don't we see the same pattern in working-class areas of SE Inner City (Pearse Street, Ringsend, Irishtown) and SW Inner City (Meath St/Liberties/James St)? What makes the NIC different?

The only person who comes to mind is Cllr Malachy Steenson (Ind) from York St flats area near Stephen's Green.

What makes the NIC unique? Is it the legacy of the docks which had brought with it jobs, union power, political connections and a black market economy? Having said that, there were historically a lot of dockers and sailors from the Pearse St/Ringsend area as well.

Edit: The Monto area,large-scale red light district from 1870s until the mid-1920s,

Is there a stronger republican lineage in North Inner City than SIC? I wouldn't necessarily say so. Is Fianna Fail less rooted in NIC than SIC? Maybe?

Do families tend to stay in NIC across generations? You'd imagine it's the same for SIC.

Was the anti-drugs movement in the 1980s stronger in the NIC? Possibly.

Interested in all answers and comments.