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| File Reference |
MSP34REF30117
|
| Name |
Charles Gildea |
| Gender |
male |
| Address detail |
| Street |
Moylough, Tobbercurry
|
| County |
Sligo
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Date of birth |
1894
|
| Date of death |
1967-07-29
|
| Associated files in MSPA |
34C396; DP11042;
|
| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Irish Volunteers |
| Rank |
Battalion Quartermaster
|
| Unit |
6 Battalion (Tobbercurry Battalion)
|
| Brigade |
Sligo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
John Brennan;
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Battalion Quartermaster
|
| Unit |
6 Battalion (Tobbercurry Battalion)
|
| Brigade |
Sligo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
John Brennan;
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Battalion Officer Commanding
|
| Unit |
6 Battalion
|
| Brigade |
Sligo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Frank Carty; Liam Pilkington;
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Divisional Quartermaster
|
| Division |
3 Western Division
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Liam Pilkington;
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Command Quartermaster
|
| Division |
Western Command
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Sean Hyde
|
| 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 and 5/12 years service for pension purposes in 1938
|
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF30117 Charles Gildea.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34C396 Charles Gildea.pdf
Scanned/digital copyDP11042 Charles Gildea.pdf |
| File dates |
11 November 1934 - 11 August 1982
|
| Subject Information |
File relates to Charles Gildea'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 1919 and 30 September 1923 during the War of Independence, Truce period and Civil War. Applicant also claimed unsuccessfully for service in the periods between 1 April 1916 and 31 March 1919.
The file contains considerable evidence of controversy between former Sligo IRA officers regarding both the nature and extent of their service and claims made regarding same to the Military Service Pension Board - with allegations of serious misconduct in some cases. For example see: letters of Charles Gildea on file dated 3 October 1936, 1 March 1937, 8 December 1937, and 19 October 1941; letter from Frank Carty TD dated 5 April 1937; letter from John Leonard dated 12 April 1937; and evidence given before the Advisory Committee by Father [?] McCartan.
Charles Gildea claims membership of the Hibernian Rifles in County Sligo from 1915. He claims to have mobilised at the time of the 1916 Easter Rising but had no active service. He states that he served as a Battalion Quartermaster with the Irish Volunteers and IRA from early 1917. Between 1917 and 1920 he claims to have been involved in organisational, training and intelligence work as well as in the acquiring of arms and amunition and that he used his employment at Tobbercurry railway station to assist the IRA. During 1920 and 1921 Gildea states that he: was heavily involved in the reorganisation of his battalion; took part in raids for mail and poteen and Belfast Boycott work; was present at the disarming of four RIC members at Keevins (sic) in August 1920; travelled to Dublin to get arms in August 1920 and took charge of their subsequent delivery at Tobbercurry railway station; mobilised for unsuccessful efforts to prevent British reprisals in Tobbercurry in September and October 1920 following the Chaffpool ambush which he also claims to have taken part in; became Battalion Officer Commanding in November 1920; organised a "shock squad" which carried out an attack on RIC in Tobbercurry in January 1921; took part in attacks at Ballymote, Ballaghadereen and Oldrock; and mobilised for a number of planned operations and attacks which did not come off at Tirreagh (sic) and Carrignavat.
Gildea states that he was arrested by British forces on 28 February 1921 and imprisoned at Sligo Jail until his escape with two other IRA officers on 28 June of that year. During his imprisonment he claims he organised [IRA] prisoners there and was involved in the planning and organisation of the prison escape. Charles Gildea resumed his IRA activities following his escape. During the Truce period he claims to have taken part in an IRA officers training camp at Glenasmole as well as supervising training in his own area. He claims to have been appointed Brigade Vice Officer Commanding (date not on file) and later Divisional Quartermaster in the autumn of 1921. Served with the anti-Treaty IRA following the split of March 1922 and claims to have traveled to Limerick with contingent from Sligo during stand off there in mid March. He also claims to have led an attack on Boyle Barracks in [May] 1922 when the Barracks O. C. gave his support to the Provisional Government and arrested and imprisoned Divisional IRA officers there.
Charles Gildea claims involvement in figting against National Army forces in Collooney, County Sligo from early July 1922 during the Civil War. He claims that he acted as Divisional O. C., in the absence of the actual Divisional O. C., during the fighting there. However these claims are contradicted by other former IRA officers who claim that Gildea was one of a number of senior 3 Wester Division IRA officers, including Divisional Officer Commanding Liam Pilkington and Divisional Adjutant Brian MacNeil, who were initially reluctant to engage in actual fighting following the outbreak of the Civil War. Gildea also claims: to have taken part in an attack on Ballymote Courthouse in September 1922; the capture of petrol for the "Ballinalee" armoured car (August/September 1922); to have taken over the role of Divisional O. C. during an illness of Liam Pilkington (date not on file); to have been appointed Command Quartermaster following the creation of the Western Command IRA (date not on file); and to have attended a number of senior IRA meetings in his Divisional/Command area including one at Newport, County Mayo in November 1922 when Michael Kilroy was captured.
Charles Gildea states that he continued his service until his capture by National Army forces on 24 April 1923. He claims that he was imprisoned/interned until December 17 of that year at Tobbercurry, Claremorris, Castlebar and Newbridge.
File includes: original signed handwritten and typed material submitted by Charles Gildea in support of his application; original and copy signed handwritten and typed statements and letters regarding subject's service signed by Thomas Duignan, F. O'Grady, Patrick Brennan, A. MacCabe, Thady McGowan, Dr. Henry, John Owens, John [Marren], M. Brennan, James Keaveney, Jim Hunt, Jack Walker, Frank O'Beirne, Stephen Flynn TD, P. J. Ruttledge TD, Minister for Justice, T. Ó Deirg TD, Richard Walsh TD, Liam Pilkington, Frank Carty TD, R. Bradshaw, Joseph Pilkington, Michael Nevin, Charles Dolan, John P. Brennan and John Leonard; typed transcript (8 pages) with handwritten notes of sworn statement made by Charles Gildea on 1 October 1936 before the Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934; copy typed letter dated 2 October 1936 addressed to the Secretary, Military Pensions Board from Frank Carty, Jim Hunt and J. P., Brennan of 4 Brigade, 3 Western Division IRA committee regarding the holders of officers' ranks in 6 (Tobbercurry) Battalion, Sligo Brigade between May 1920 and 11 July 1921; two handwritten standard forms Referee R.15 dated 26 September and 23 October 1936 showing details of subject's rank and unit strength as of 11 July 1921 and 1 July 1922 from records supplied by Charles Gildea and the IRA brigade committee; handwritten notes [relating to discussions held regarding subject's service] with Frank Carty, M. Brennan on 20 January 1937 and 21 and 22 September 1938; representations on behalf of Charles Gildea from P. J. Ruttledge TD, Minister for Justice and [Sean Lemass TD], Minister for Industry and Commerce; copy typed transcript (12 pages) of evidence given on behalf of "Dr. Henry" and Charles Gildea on 21 April 1938 by "Rev. Father McCartan" before the Advisory Committee; original signed handwritten and copy typed correspondence (23 January 1945 - 18 May 1949) involving Charles Gildea and the Department of Defence regarding Gildea's request that the service pension legislation be amended to raise the grade awarded to divisional staff officers from Grade C; material relating to the settlement and closure of Charles Gildea's service pension account following his death on 29 July 1967 - partly closed for reasons of data protection; material relating to the awarding of a widows' allowance to Annie Gildea, including representations on her behalf from Eugene Gilbride TD; and material relating to the settlement and closure of Annie Gildea's widows' allowance following her death on 6 July 1980 - partly closed for reasons of data protection.
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