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| File Reference |
MSP34REF298
|
| Name |
Joseph Robinson |
| Gender |
male |
| Address detail |
| Street |
Frankford House, Dartry Road, Dublin
|
| County |
Dublin
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
"Lámh Dearg", Vevay Road, Bray
|
| County |
Wicklow
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
"Lámh Dearg", Putland Road, Bray
|
| County |
Wicklow
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
"Lámh Dearg", Meath Road, Bray
|
| County |
Wicklow
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Date of birth |
1887
|
| Date of death |
1955-05-14
|
| Associated files in MSPA |
34B2;
|
| Related files |
MSP34REF147 Seamus Robinson subject's brother;
|
| Easter rising service |
Yes |
| Organisation |
Irish Volunteers |
| Rank |
Unknown
|
| Unit |
Glasgow Battalion
|
| Organisation |
Irish Volunteers |
| Rank |
Brigade Officer Commanding
|
| Brigade |
Scottish Brigade
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Officer Commanding
|
| Brigade |
Scottish Units
|
| Pension Claim |
Yes |
| Award Pension |
Yes |
| Army Pensions Act 1923/1953 |
No |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1924 |
No |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1934 |
Yes |
| Grade |
B |
| Notes |
Awarded 13 and 1/18 years service for pension purposes in 1944 following successful appeal against previous awards of 6 and 3/4 years granted in 1935 and 8 and 1/18 years granted in 1943
|
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyWMSP34REF298JOSEPHROBINSON.pdf
Scanned/digital copyW34B2JOSEPHROBINSON.pdf |
| File dates |
17 December 1934 - 16 September 2003
|
| Subject Information |
File relates to Joseph Robinson's receipt of a military service pension in respect of his service with the Irish Volunteers and IRA for part or all of the periods between 1 April 1916 and 30 September 1923.
Joseph Robinson claims to have been a member of Fianna Éireann from its foundation in 1909 – serving as Treasurer and as an organiser. He states that he joined the IRB in 1911 and the Irish Volunteers in 1913. From [1913] he states that he was heavily involved in the purchase and acquisition of arms/munitions and their transport to Ireland from Scotland for the Irish Volunteers as well as undertaking organisational and training work for the Volunteers in Scotland. He also claims to have been personally responsible for sending twenty eight (28) Scottish based members of the Irish Volunteers to Ireland on the instructions of Sean MacDermott in early 1916 in preparation for the 1916 Easter Rising. Arrested on 20 January 1916 in connection with Irish Volunteer arms raids in Scotland [and arms importation from Germany], Robinson was subsequently imprisoned and interned at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland and Reading Prison, England until December of that year.
Following his release Robinson was involved in the reorganisation of Fianna Éireann and the Irish Volunteers in Scotland and once again became involved in the supply and transportation of arms and munitions for the Irish Volunteers. Arrested in early 1918 Robinson was sentenced to 10 years penal servitude and imprisoned in Scotland until March 1922. Following his release Joseph Robinson claims that he was appointed IRA Officer Commanding Scotland by Rory O' Connor in his role as IRA Officer Commanding, Britain, and was responsible for the two IRA brigades based in that country as well as the sending of material and men to Ireland for the anti-Treaty IRA forces in the subsequent Civil War. He further claims that Eamon de Valera appointed him as a political organiser - exact date not on file - and that he was also involved in the publication of the "Republic of Ireland" newspaper.
Present at the Four Courts, Dublin at the outbreak of the Civil War on 28 July 1922 he escaped to Scotland to continue his activities and role as Officer Commanding there. Arrested in March 1923 in Scotland Joseph Robinson was deported to Ireland and interned in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin until his release in June of that year. Following his release he again returned to Scotland and claims to have continued his IRA membership and activities. Joseph Robinson was a brother of Seamus Robinson MSP34REF147, a member of the Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934.
File includes: typed transcript (3 pages), with handwritten additions signed by Joseph Robinson, of sworn statement made by Joseph Robinson before the Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934; original signed handwritten and typed copy typed statements regarding Joseph Robinson's service/activities from Mícheál de Stáineas (Michael Staines), Herbert Mellows, Seamus Reader, Eamonn Mooney, Francis O' Flanagan, J. McGallogly, Frank Murray, Michael O' Flanagan, Christine Caffrey, P. Little TD (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Executive Council), Eamon de Valera TD, President of the Executive Council, Earnán de Blíth (Ernest Blythe), Bulmer Hobson, Theo Fitzgerald, Joseph O' Doherty, Eamon Donnelly, D. P. Walshe, W. J. Ahern and S. Mooney; typed and handwritten statements signed and submitted by Joseph Robinson in support of his military service pension application and appeal(s) - enclosing handwritten extract from [London Times] of March 1923 regarding the arrests of alleged anti-Treaty IRA members in Britain, with particular reference to Scotland and outlining the organisation and planned operations as alleged by British authorities; signed typed document (2 pages) dated 16 February 1942 entitled "No. 298 Joseph Robinson - Appeal to the Minister for Defence" outlining the case put forward by Joseph Robinson for the receipt of additional service and higher grade for pension purposes; handwritten notes relating to discussions held E. Mooney and unnamed verifying officers regarding subject's pension application; typed undated legal opinion (6 pages), with handwritten additions/notes/annotations, signed by Sean MacBride regarding Joseph Robinson's appeal against his original service pension award; typed copy of extract from "Nationality" newspaper of Saturday 29 January 1916 reporting arrest of Joseph Robinson and Seamus Reader in Glasgow and subsequent RIC raids in Dublin - including Surrey House, residence of Constance Markievicz - and also reporting arrests of Terence MacSwiney (sic) and Thomas Kent; typed copy of extract from the Royal Commission into Rebellion in Ireland (Appendix pages 121-122) entitled "Note on Unlawful Possession and Larceny of High Explosives Submitted by Sir Matthew Nathan" referring to the theft of explosives from an unidentified colliery in Scotland and the subsequent searches of premises and arrests of unnamed individuals by police in Scotland and Dublin; typed 10 page document signed by supporting Joseph Robinson's claim for the award of service for pension purposes in respect of his imprisonment in 1916; four page typed document signed by Cecil Lavery [Senior Counsel] and dated 4 January 1943 giving a legal opinion in support of Joseph Robinson's claim for the award of service for pension purposes in respect of his imprisonment in 1916; handwritten notes 21-22 July 1943 signed and initialled by [officials of the Department of Defence] regarding a signed typed letter of 16 July 1943 from Joseph Robinson to Oscar Traynor TD, Minister for Defence - regarding his appeal for the award of pension in respect of 1916 and which refers to an opinion given by the Attorney General regarding the service pension application of Eamon Martin - and querying whether a breach of Official Secrecy has occurred by which Robinson has become aware of the Attorney General's opinion and whether an investigation into this should take place; handwritten notes, dated 6 May and 11 May 1944 respectively, of telephone conversations held with [Oscar Traynor TD, Minister for Defence] and Ernie O' Malley regarding Joseph Robinson's rank as of 1 July 1922; handwritten notes dated 12 May 1944 of discussion held with M. Flanagan and E. Mooney regarding subject's service/activities; typed transcript (13 pages) of sworn evidence given by Joseph Robinson, Michael Flanagan and Eamon Mooney on 12 May 1944 before the Referee and Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934; material relating to Joseph Robinson's widow and brother; and material relating to query to Finance Branch, Department of Defence regarding information on file - closed.
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