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| File Reference |
MSP34REF59806
|
| Name |
Mary Catherine Lalor |
| Gender |
female |
| Maiden/Other names |
Hyland
Mollie
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
47 Elwood Avenue, Ranelagh
|
| County |
Dublin
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Notes |
No information on file but claimant was still in school during Easter 1916
|
| Notes |
No information on file
|
| Associated files in MSPA |
34D2019
|
| Civilian occupation |
Typist / Clerk, British Forage Corps, Marshalsea Barracks, Thomas Street;
Duffys, Westmoreland Street;
Whiteside’s, George’s Street;
|
| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Cumann na mBan |
| Rank |
First Lieutenant
|
| Company |
Ranelagh Branch
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Phyllis Ryan (Mrs Kelly);
|
| Organisation |
Cumann na mBan |
| Rank |
Secretary
|
| Company |
Whole Organisation
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Sighle Nic Amhlaoibh;
|
| Organisation |
Cumann na mBan |
| Rank |
Member
|
| Company |
Executive Council
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Countess Markievicz
|
| Pension Claim |
Yes |
| Award Pension |
Yes |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1924 |
No |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1934 |
Yes |
| Grade |
D |
| Notes |
Awarded 5 ½ years of service for pension purposes in 1942.
|
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF59806 Mary C Lalor.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34D2019 Mary C Lalor.pdf |
| File dates |
29 December 1941 - 21 November 1962
|
| Subject Information |
File relates to Mary Lalor's receipt of a military service pension in respect of her service with Cumann na mBan which was successful for the service periods between 1 April 1920 and 30 September 1923 during the War of Independence, Truce period and the Civil War. She also claimed unsuccessfully for service in all other periods between 1 April 1917 and 30 September 1923.
Mary Lalor states she assisted her father and brother, both members of Na Fianna, during Easter Week 1916 while still in school, and joined the Ranelagh branch of Cumann na mBan in 1917. Applicant and references state she assisted in organising safe houses for meetings, and in 1918 she claims she collected for arms, attended courses in signalling and first aid and helped secure and dump arms.
When the War of Independence commenced, claimant states she was working as a typist/clerk in the British Forage Corps at Marshalsea Barracks and used her position to purchase arms and ammunition with money she received from her father. She also states she obtained and passed on intelligence regarding the movements of the enemy and knew by sight important members of the “S” Branch of the police and reported on same when they were in the city. References state she was the only woman to know the location of secret arms dump in Rathmines Church, and regularly conveyed arms and ammunition from and to Irish Volunteers. In early summer 1920 she states she went on a job with Leonard and McNeill from the IRA Squad, to identify Detective Officer Bruton, and on 19 September 1920 visited homes of 14 members of IRA who had been arrested to remove arms and other items before the houses were raided and to pay their dependents on instruction of Officer Commanding of the Engineers, Dublin Brigade. Her home address was used as a cover address for Richard Mulcahy, and she regularly carried dispatches for him. She was arrested on 28 June 1921 at her workplace (then Whiteside’s of George’s Street), was interrogated by British intelligence officers King and Hardy in Dublin Castle in relation to the ranks and activities of various IRA men including the shootings of two Auxiliary policemen on Grafton Street, two days previously, and was kept isolated from other prisoners. She claims her employer sent his solicitor on several occasions but she refused to discuss the case with him. She was released after six weeks.
On claimant’s release in August 1921 she states she was sent to Cavan as an organiser, and also organised Kilkenny, Waterford and Clare. She was appointed to the full time post of Secretary of the Cumann na mBan Organisation in September 1921 and membership of the Executive in November 1921, was paid and held the position until 1925.
On the outbreak of Civil War on 28 June 1922 applicant states she was courier for the Officer Commanding of Dublin Brigade [Oscar Traynor] until the evacuation, took "An Taoiseach" [Éamon de Valera] out of Dublin to a safe house , was Director of Intelligence for Cumann na mBan and worked closely with Con Lucey, and Michael Carolan, both Directors of Intelligence for IRA, was in charge of all IRA Funerals including arranging firing parties, visited enemy posts to ascertain how many prisoners had been taken, visited IRA posts during the week of the Four Courts attack [by National Army, 28 June 1922?] to ascertain supply levels, helped men to escape Portobello Barracks, arranged counsel for relatives of men murdered, received and delivered dispatches from Officer Commanding IRA London to IRA General Headquarters (IRAGHQ), arranged meeting places for Company, conveyed arms daily, arranged for training of Cumann na mBan members in care of arms, assisted in censoring of mails and carried arms and other materials for attack on houses of Hugh Kennedy and Professor Alton. In March 1923 claimant was arrested and states she became Adjutant on the prisoners’ council in Kilmainham and the North Dublin Union, successfully contacted soldiers to act as a communications line, was in touch with Michael Carolan, IRA GHQ while in both prisons, succeeded in escaping but was recaptured and was released in September 1923 in time to make funeral arrangements for Noel Lemass (MD915).
File includes: original handwritten material submitted and signed by Mary Lalor in support of her application; representations made on behalf of claimant by Séamus Ó Riain, Minister for Agriculture (30 December 1941 – 16 January 1942); handwritten and typed statements regarding claimant’s service activities from John J Budds (Sean Budds), Mr S McGoran, Patrick McDonnell, Augustine Connolly, Joseph Butler, Jim Ryan, Patrick Stephen Morrissey, Aodh MacNeill, Oscar Traynor, Phyllis Ryan (Mrs Phyllis Kelly), Mr T Walsh, TJ Morrissey (6-26 March 1942); handwritten notes relating to discussions held with unidentified verifying officers regarding claimant's service and activities (18 March 1942) and typed transcript of summary of sworn evidence given by claimant before interviewing officer (11 March 1938).
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