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| File Reference |
MSP34REF33559
|
| Name |
John Patrick Brennan |
| Gender |
male |
| Address detail |
| Street |
Cloonacool, Tobercurry
|
| County |
Sligo
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Date of birth |
1894
|
| Date of death |
1974-03-21
|
| Associated files in MSPA |
34C407;
|
| Related files |
DP2527 Frank Scanlon
|
| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Irish Volunteers |
| Rank |
Unknown
|
| Unit |
6 (Tobercurry) Battalion
|
| Brigade |
Sligo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Frank Carty
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Unknown
|
| Unit |
6 (Tobercurry) Battalion
|
| Brigade |
Sligo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Frank Carty; J. O'Hara; Charles Gildea;
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Battalion Officer Commanding
|
| Unit |
6 Battalion
|
| Brigade |
Sligo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Liam Pilkington;
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Brigade Adjutant
|
| Division |
3 Western Division
|
| Brigade |
4 Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Frank Carty; Brian MacNeill; Liam Pilkington
|
| 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 3 and 19/72 years service for pension purposes in 1939 following appeal against award of 2 and 1/6 years service granted in 1937
|
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF33559 John Patrick Brennan.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34C407 John Patrick Brennan.pdf |
| File dates |
6 November 1934 - 21 May 1974
|
| Subject Information |
File relates to John Patrick (Jack) Brennan's receipt of a military service pension in respect of his service with the Irish Volunteers and IRA in the service periods between 1 April 1918 and 31 March 1923 during the War of Independence, Truce period and Civil War.
This file contains evidence of disagreement and dissension within 4 Brigade, 3 Western Division IRA in regard to the verification of John Patrick Brennan's claims regarding his (Brennan's) Civil War service. See in particular Frank Carty's (former Officer Commanding 4 Brigade, 3 Western Division IRA questioning and denying of some of Brennan's claims.
John Patrick Brennan claimed membership of the Irish Volunteers and IRA from about February 1917. During the War of Independence Brennan states that he served as Vice Battalion Officer Commanding, Acting Battalion Officer Commanding and Battalion Officer Commanding with the Irish Volunteers and IRA. From 1918 to 1919 Brennan states that he took part in administrative, organisational, training and election work as well as anti-Conscription activity. During the War of Independence he states that he also took part in or assisted in the organisation of: arms raids, the collection of the Dáil Éireann loan, enforcing the boycott of the RIC; the collection of rates; Belfast Boycott work; trenching and blocking of roads and destruction of bridges; the burning of Tobbercurry Courthouse (May 1920); the burning of the vacated Glenesk RIC Barracks (date not on file); the rescue of Frank Carty from Sligo Jail in June 1920; a number of aborted or unsuccessful planned IRA operations and attacks on British forces; exchanges of fire with British forces in Tobbercurry in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent British reprisals in the town in September 1920; the capture and imprisonment of an alleged unnamed spy; the Culleens Ambush in June 1921; the rescue of IRA officers Gildea, O'Beirne and Duignan from Sligo Jail in [June] 1921; and shooting at the car of an unnamed Tobbercurry businessman on 3 July 1921 who had allegedly given information to the Auxiliaries (Auxiliary Division RIC).
During the Truce period Brennan states that he took part in training at Glenasmole as well as supervising training camps in his own area. He also claims that he was involved in the construction of dug outs and a tunnel beneath the RIC Barracks and Auxiliaries quarters in Tobbercurry. He claims that he was appointed Brigade Adjutant (date not on file) and later Assistant Divisional Adjutant in January 1923. He states that he was placed under arrest by [National Army] Quartermaster General [Sean] McMahon in Dublin when sent for arms by his Divisional Quartermaster (date not on file). He also claims that he was arrested in Boyle Barracks but attacked the guard and and captured the Barracks there (date not on file). He further claims that he acted as IRA Adjutant in Sligo Barracks on Easter Sunday 1922 during Arthur Griffiths visit to the twon which the anti-Treaty IRA attempted to prevent. He claims that he carried despatches from the IRA Divisional Officer Commanding Liam Pilkington to Sean MacEoin of the National Army on that occassion. He states that he resigned from the IRA in May 1922 due to ill health.
John Brennan claims that he stayed in contact with the local IRA and that following the outbreak of the Civil War he went to the assistance of IRA forces under attack from National Army troops in Collooney in July 1922. He claims that he assisted IRA Divisional Adjutant Brian MacNeill when MacNeill moved his headquarters to Brennan's mother's home following the IRA evacuation of Boyle Barracks. He claims that he took over MacNeill's duties for a period following MacNeill's death in September 1922 and until the appointment of a successor - Frank O'Beirne. He also claims that he used information provided to him to save an IRA Active Service Unit from attack by National Army forces hidden in Tobbercurry when the IRA were due to enter the town to shoot an unnamed spy (date not on file), and also to save the armoured car the "Ballinalee" from National Army capture following the IRA retreat from fighting in the Lough Talt area. He also states that a neighbour of his named Frank Scanlon (see DP2527 Frank Scanlon) was shot in mistake for him by the National Army in November 1922. According to Brennan and references from National Army officers Alexander McCabe and John Finn, the National Army were raiding for prominent IRA leaders, including Brennan, following the killing of two unnamed men - alleged spies according to Brennan - when Scanlon was killed. Brennan claims that illness in November 1922 prevented any further activity by him.
File includes: original handwritten and typed material submitted and signed by John Patrick Brennan in support of his application and subsequent appeal; typed transcript (10) pages of sworn statement made by John P. Brennan on 9 December 1936 before the Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934; original signed handwritten and typed statements and letters regarding subject's service from F. O'Grady, Jack Walker, James Keaveney, Thomas Scanlon, James Hunt, M. Brennan, [C. McLynn], C. J. McCarthy, Dr. Henry, Thady McGowan, Patrick Mullarkey, Thomas Conlon, [James Gallagher], C. Gildea, Michael J. O'Beirne, Frank Carty TD, A. McCabe, John Finn, John P. Ginty, Hugh Nealon, John Leonard, Harold McBrien, Tomás Ó Cearnaigh (Thomas Carney), John Owens, Thomas Duignan, Peadar Glynn, Patrick McGowan, Patrick Brennan, Michael J. O'Donnell, Denis Cunleen, William Henry, Michael O'Donnell, James Duffy and Thomas Ruane; handwritten standard form Referee R. 15 showing details of claimant's rank and unit strength as of 11 July 1921 and 1 July 1922 from records supplied by the unnmaed IRA Brigade Committee - note that this states that Brennan was not serving on 1 July 1922; handwritten notes (undated and dated 30 September 1937, 21 and 22 September 1938 and 14 December 1938) relating to discussions held [by the Referee and Advisory Committee] with Frank O'Beirne, F. Carty, M. Brennan and unnamed "S[outh] Sligo officers" regarding Brennan's service and activities - these notes are difficult to decipher on occassion but provide evidence of disagreement between former 4 Brigade, 3 Western Division IRA officers regarding Brennan's Civil War service; handwritten letter dated 25 November 1938 addressed to the Secretary, Military Service Pensions Board and signed by James E. Mulholland, C. Gildea, T. McGowan, W. J. Houston and J. P. Brennan on 4 Brigade, 3 Western Division headed paper verifying various statements submitted by named references in support of subject's application particulartly in relation to his claimed Civil War service; and material relating to the settlement and closure of John Patrick Brennan's service pension account following his death on 21 March 1974.
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