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| File Reference |
MSP34REF746
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| Name |
Hugh Early |
| Gender |
male |
| Address detail |
| Street |
49 Shelmartin Avenue, Fairview (Marino), Dublin
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| County |
Dublin
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| Country |
Ireland
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| Address detail |
| Street |
43 Tyrconnell Park, Inchicore, Dublin
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| County |
Dublin
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| Country |
Ireland
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| Date of birth |
1898-01-29
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| Date of death |
1969-03-29
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| Associated files in MSPA |
34C449; DP220;
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| Civilian occupation |
Tea Blender, Custom House Docks, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland;
Employee, Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, Liverpool, England;
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| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Lieutenant
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| Unit |
Liverpool Battalion
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
Michael O'Leary; Thomas Kerr; P. Rowland;
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| Other Service Numbers |
8550 (Garda Síochána number)
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| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Battalion Officer Commanding
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| Unit |
Liverpool Battalion
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
Sean Flood;
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| Other Service Numbers |
8550 (Garda Síochána number)
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| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Unknown
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| Brigade |
Dublin Brigade
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
Oscar Traynor;
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| Other Service Numbers |
8550 (Garda Síochána number)
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| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Unknown
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| Unit |
2 Battalion
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| Company |
C Company
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| Brigade |
Dublin Brigade
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
Thomas Burke; Oscar Traynor (Internment);
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| Other Service Numbers |
8550 (Garda Síochána number)
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| 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 |
C |
| Notes |
Awarded 6 years service for pension purposes at Grade C in in November 1940 following appeal against original award of Grade D granted in 1935
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| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF746 Hugh Early.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34C449 Hugh Early.pdf
Scanned/digital copyDP220 Hugh Early.pdf |
| File dates |
3 March 1928 - 9 March 1976
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| Subject Information |
File relates to Hugh Early's receipt of a military service pension in respect of his service with the IRA in the service periods between 1 April 1920 and 30 September 1923 during the War of Independence, Truce period and Civil War. Applicant also claimed unsuccessfully for service from January 1917 to 31 March 1920.
Hugh Early claims membership of the Irish Volunteers in Dublin from January 1917. He states that he was arrested there on 24 March 1917 for posting seditious literature. In late 1917 he travelled to Liverpool and served with the Irish Volunteers there during the War of Independence. He claims that in December he was involved in the raiding of a British Territorial Army training hall in Everton Valley, Liverpool and was involved in fomenting industrial unrest among [Irish] workers in Liverpool to disrupt the British government there. During this time he was also heavily involved in the reorganisation of the Irish Volunteers in Liverpool and the surrounding area. He claims involvement in the planning and carrying out of an IRA arson attack on warehouses and timber yards in Liverpool on the night of 27 November 1920 and states that in December 1920 he became Officer Commanding the Liverpool Battalion IRA. During 1921 he was involved in IRA arson attacks on farms, attempts to burn/attack homes of 'Black and Tans' (members of the RIC) living in Liverpool, tracking members of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries, named Porter and Bannerman respectively, for possible attacks which did not come off, the cutting of telephone and telegraph communications in Liverpool, and seizing of passports of emigrants from Ireland attempting to leave Britain from Liverpool. References also state that in 1920 and 1921 Early was involved in the planning of major IRA sabotage operations to take place in Liverpool area which did not come off. These included the destruction of the tidal gates at Liverpool docks, blowing up of Liverpool water supply stations at Halton and Rivington and burning of Liverpool Cotton Exchange and cotton brokers and shipping offices in that city. Arrested in June 1921 Early was brought to Scotland Yard in London and interned in Mountjoy and Ballykinlar until December 1921. Following the outbreak of the Civil War on 28 June 1922 Hugh Early served with the anti-Treaty IRA forces in Dublin in the Marlborough, North Great Georges and O'Connell Street areas. He was arrested/captured by National Army forces while serving as one of an IRA party under Sean MacEntee attempting to dig a tunnel into Mountjoy Prison, Dublin to facilitate rescue/escape of IRA prisoners there. He states that he escaped from Gormantown in [September] 1922 but was recaptured the same day and interned until December 1923.
File includes: material signed and submitted by Hugh Early in support of his service pension application; signed handwritten and typed statements regarding subject's service from Eamon Price, Sean MacEntee, Oscar Traynor, Eamon O'Connor, [P. G. Ó Dáilaigh], M O'Laoighaire and Padraig Supple; typed transcript (3 pages) of sworn statement made by Hugh Early on 10 May 1935 before the Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934; newspaper cutting from "An Phoblacht - The Republic" of Saturday 3 March 1928 including article reprinting letters received by that publication from P. Daly and Hugh Early regarding a book entitled "Secret Service Work in England" by a Mr. Brady; handwritten notes of discussions held with Messrs Daly, Early and Horan regarding subject's service, activities in Liverpool and Early's pension grading; material referring and relating to claimant's membership of An Garda Siochana from 27 March 1934 (Garda number 8550); reference to subject’s receipt of a Service (1917-1921) Medal with Bar; and material relating to Hugh Early's widow and surviving children - partly closed for reasons of data protection.
File also includes material relating to an application from Hugh Early under the Army Pensions Act, 1932 which he subsequently withdrew.
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