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| File Reference |
MSP34REF34797
|
| Name |
Thomas Fox |
| Gender |
male |
| Address detail |
| Street |
Ardare or Ardanne, Clonbur (Home Address)
|
| County |
Galway
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
27 White Street, Hulme, Manchester (Address in 1921)
|
| Country |
England
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
Garda Síochána Station, Ballyfarnon
|
| County |
Roscommon
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
Civic Guards Barracks, Kerrykeel, Milford
|
| County |
Donegal
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
Garda Síochána Station, Achill Sound, Westport
|
| County |
Mayo
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
Church Street, Killala
|
| County |
Mayo
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
Rossport, Ballina
|
| County |
Mayo
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Date of birth |
1894-03-23
|
| Date of death |
1959-08-18
|
| Associated files in MSPA |
34E10465
|
| Civilian occupation |
Employee, Manchester Tramway Terminus, Manchester, England;
|
| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Private
|
| Unit |
Manchester Battalion
|
| Company |
No. 2 Company
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Patrick O'Donoghue; Charles Harding; Christopher Morgan
|
| Other Service Numbers |
1849 (Garda Number)
|
| 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 |
E |
| Notes |
Awarded 1 and 1/3 years service for pension purposes in 1956 following appeal
|
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF34797 Thomas Fox.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34E10465 Thomas Fox.pdf |
| File dates |
4 January 1935 - 15 November 1959
|
| Subject Information |
File relates to Thomas Fox’s receipt of a military service pension in respect of his service with the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the service periods between 1 April 1920 and 11 July 1921 during the War of Independence. Applicant also claimed unsuccessfully for service in the periods between 1 April 1917 and 31 March 1920 and between 12 July 1921 and 30 June 1922. Thomas Fox was awarded 1 and 1/3 years pensionable service at Grade E under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934.
Thomas Fox states that two unnamed brothers of his were also active in the IRA.
He claims that he joined the Clonbur Company, West Connemara Brigade, Irish Volunteers in February 1917 under the command of John Milroy (Company Captain), Pádraic Ó Máille (Patrick O’Malley) (MSP34REF16495) and Peter J. McDonnell (Battalion Commandant) (MSP34REF3420). Applicant states that he took part in an arms-raid on Ashford Castle and the burning of Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) huts. The Clonbur Company was transferred into the South Mayo Brigade in 1918 and he served under the command of Charles McDermott (Company Captain), Patrick Kyne and Thomas McGuire.
Thomas Fox states that he moved to Manchester, England in January 1920 and was transferred in August 1920 to No. 2 Company, Manchester Battalion, IRA under the command of Charles Harding (MSP34REF44092) (Company Captain), Sean Wickham (Lieutenant) and Sean Morgan (DP3419) (Section Commander). Subject noted that Charles Harding was from County Tipperary and a cousin of Sean Treacy (1D458) and that Sean Wickham was from County Wicklow [County Wexford?] and a cousin of Rory O’Connor (DP6664).
During the War of Independence, the applicant took part in IRA operations and general activity including: an operation at Aintree race course, Liverpool which was called off at the last minute (November 1920); setting fire to the Oldham Chemical Works with Charles Harding, James McGowan and Patrick Lee (February 1921); the burning of a farm haggard at Glazebrook near Bedford Leigh (February 1921); attending the court martial and dismissal from the IRA of Volunteer Andrew Gill of Claremorris, County Mayo who failed to turn up for the Glazebrook operation; an attack on Lockhart’s café, Manchester (April 1921); transporting arms to Salford Docks for shipment to Ireland; travelling to Birmingham with Thomas Morgan of Drogheda and Patrick Dempsey of Dublin to collect arms.
At this time, Thomas Fox was employed at the Manchester Tramway Terminus and was lodging in the home of Mr Fenton Bergin (of Callan, County Kilkenny) and his wife (of Tralee, County Kerry) at 27 White Street, Hulme, Manchester.
In early April 1921, the subject claims that he took part in the “burning of several hotels”. He recalled on file the names of several IRA members who were mobilised at the Erskine Street Club for the operation:
Patrick O’Donoghue
Sean Wickham
Sean Morgan
Charles Harding
James Cullen (Wexford)
Vincent Griffin (Limerick)
Christopher Morgan (Drogheda)
Theobald Kirwan (Dublin)
Daniel Seery (Dublin)
Peter Gilmartin (Dublin)
Seamus Barrett (Manchester) - a veteran of the “Manchester Martyrs days”
David Cullen (Tipperary)
Patrick Hayes (Clare)
Vincent Gunning (Manchester)
Frank McGuirk (Ballybay, Monaghan)
Daniel McNicholas (Manchester) – who later gave evidence against IRA members
Charles Murphy (Belfast) – a member of the British intelligence services
On 2 April 1921, the police raided the Erskine Street Club and in the ensuing firefight Sean Morgan was shot dead and Sean Wickham was shot in the face but survived. Thomas Fox claims that he managed to escape with six others: Christopher Morgan; Peter Gilmartin; Vincent Griffin; Thomas Morgan; Patrick Mullen (Blennerville, Tralee) and William McCombe (Kildare).
The applicant states that he attended the funeral of Sean Morgan at Moyston Cemetery where a volley of shots were fired and helped from May 1921 onwards to re-organise the No. 2 Company with Christopher Morgan (Company Captain) and Patrick Mullen (Lieutenant). During this period, Thomas Fox claims that he fired at a suspected police agent Michael Burke (of Leaf Street, Hulme) who was spotted at the window of his lodgings; cut telegraph wire in Reddish Vale and took part in attacks on signal cabins with Patrick Mullen, Christopher Morgan and Vincent Griffin.
Subject recalls the following Cumann na mBan members in Manchester; Miss [Ellen] Walsh (MD40062) Miss [Mary] Walsh (MD40063) of Peel Street; Miss Nora Mulhern of Dungloe, County Donegal [possibly Anne Mulhern, MD50104]; Molly [Byrne] (MSP34REF13570) of Dublin and Mary Forde of Dublin.
On 12 August 1921 during the Truce period, Thomas Fox returned to County Galway, Ireland and re-joined the Clonbur Company, [1 Battalion], South Mayo Brigade, IRA under the command of Thomas McGuire. He took no part in any IRA training camps and did not do garrison duty in barracks. Subject took part in felling trees; blocking roads and dispatch work. He recalls that in late 1921 a [British Army] Captain Barrett had his home Carrick House burnt in Clonbur, County Galway. He “fled across to England” and there was “no further trace of him until he claimed compensation in later years”.
During the Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923), the applicant claims that he provided some information on National Army movements to IRA forces. Thomas Fox joined An Garda Síochána (number 1849) on 6 October 1922.
File includes hand-written and typed references in support of the subject’s claim from William McMahon (1942; 1951); Patrick O’Donoghue (1942; 1956); Patrick Kyne (1942); Patrick Flynn (1942); Thomas Morgan (1942); Patrick Mullen (1942); James Cullen (1942); John Milroy (1942); Thomas McGuire (1942); James O’Sullivan (1942); Pádraic Ó Máille (1942); Charles Harding (1937); Thomas Collins (Undated) and P. Gilmartin (1956). Representations were made by John Scanlon (1942).
File also contains a summary of sworn evidence made by the applicant before the Advisory Committee on 14 January 1942.
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