Report of 17 February 1916

(NAI, CSO/JD/2/210)

The report of 17 February 1916 notes the absence of Thomas J Clarke from his shop at 75 Parnell Street. In his absence, the shop is visited throughout the day by Jeremiah Joseph O’Connell, Con Colbert, Edward Daly, Piaras Béaslaí, Diarmuid Lynch, James J Buggy and Thomas Byrne.

The departure of Joseph Murray by train to Dundalk [County Louth] is noted.

Michael O’Hanrahan and William T Cosgrave are observed together at the office of the Irish Volunteers, 2 Dawson Street, early in the day. At lunchtime, a meeting in the same location is attended by Bulmer Hobson, Seán MacDiarmada, Michael J O’Rahilly and John McGarry. A second meeting later that evening is again attended by Hobson, O’Rahilly and MacDiarmada, along with Éamonn Ceannt, Patrick H Pearse, Éamon de Valera, [James] O’Connor, John Fitzgibbon, Diarmuid Lynch, Laurence Raul and John E Lyons. Lyons is described as ‘a Printer who resides at 14 Portland Place, N.C. [North Circular] Road’.

The arrival of James Sullivan from Crossdoney [County Cavan] is noted.

Copies are included of the latest issues of The Irish Volunteer, The Hibernian, Nationality, The Gael and Honesty. A copy of The Irishman and No. 3 of the Bodenstown series of pamphlets referred to in the report are not present.

An annotation on the report states ‘Chief Secy [Chief Secretary] to see the papers. The Irishman [promises] not badly & is at present run [objectionable] ‘The Murder Machine’ [essay by PH Pearse on the education system] is interesting…Seen by C.Secy [Chief Secretary] who has kept the two papers to which you refer’.

For the full report please see Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) Detective Department report on the movement of Dublin extremists on 16 February 1916.