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MARGARET ARRIVED IN DUBLIN IN 1902 TO TAKE UP A POSITION AS A TEACHER IN INNER CITY DUBLIN MARGARET WAS INVOLVED IN THE GAELIC LEAGUE (IRISH LANGUAGE REVIVAL) AND WAS RECOMMENDED FOR THE TEACHING POSITION IN DUBLIN • ST JOHNS LANE SCHOOL WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TENEMENT DUBLIN- ONE OF THE POOREST AREAS IN EUROPE. • MARGARET WAS BROUGHT IN TO TEACH IRISH LANGUAGE TO THE CHILDREN
• SHE LATER WENT ON TO TEACH IRISH TO NATIONAL SCHOOL TEACHERS AS THE IRISH LANGUAGE WAS REVIVING AFTER CENTURIES OF CONTAINMENT
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PETER AND MARGARET WERE MARRIED IN 1910 IN THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY AUGHRIM STREET DUBLIN
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MARGARET'S SISTER BRIGIT AND BROTHER THOMAS WERE THE WITNESSES.
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MARGARET'S OTHER BROTHER MICHAEL, WAS ALSO AN RIC OFFICER.
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MICHAEL WAS STATIONED IN CLONAKILITY IN CORK AND WAS FRIENDLY WITH MICHAEL COLLINS FAMILY- SO BOTH PETER AND MARGARET WOULD HAVE MET AND KNOWN MICHAEL COLLINS- PRESIDENT OF THE IRB AND DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE OF THE IRA
• SHOWS OUR GRANDPARENTS LIVING IN ST JOSEPH’S ROAD STONEYBATTER, DUBLIN • THE CENSUS SHOWS PETER, MARGARET AND MARGARET'S SISTER BRIGIT STAYING WITH THEM • PETER ALSO DESCRIBES HIS RANK OF “BLEACTAIRE, R.I.C”- MEANING DETECTIVE WHICH WOULD INDICATE A PROMOTION FROM CONSTABLE
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PETER WAS WORKING WITH THE DUBLIN CASTLE CLERICAL COMPANY - A CONFIDENTIAL RECORDS OFFICE BASED IN DUBLIN CASTLE
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STAFFED BY SEVERAL CLERKS, A DETECTIVE INSPECTOR AND A CHIEF INSPECTOR THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER SUPERVISION OF THE
“SPECIAL BRANCH” OR “G” DIVISION
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G DIVISION WERE THE BRITISH INTELLIGENCE SERVICES IN IRELAND AND PETER WORKED IN THE CENSORS OFFICE
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ESSENTIALLY PETER WOULD HAVE BEEN TRANSLATING PAPERS, STATEMENTS, SPEECHES AND ANY DOCUMENTATION WHICH WERE WRITTEN IN IRISH AND WHICH THE BRITISH FELT WERE OF INTELLIGENCE VALUE
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PETER WOULD ALSO TRAVEL AROUND IRELAND REPORTING ON MEETINGS BY IRISH VOLUNTEERS AND KEY INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE IRISH REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT
Note the windows on the left where Peter would have witnessed the shooting of Constable O’Brien in 1916 - also note the statue of Justice, “with her face to the Castle and her arse to the nation”
• PETER WAS PRESENT IN DUBLIN CASTLE WHEN IT WAS ATTACKED BY MEMBERS OF THE IRISH CITIZEN ARMY- THE ATTACK WAS REPULSED • LUCKILY HE DUCKED WHEN SHOT AT- OTHERWISE WE WOULD NOT BE HERE! • HE WAS CONFINED TO THE CASTLE FOR THE BEST PART OF A WEEK DURING THE EASTER RISING OF 1916- HE DESCRIBED GOING BACK TO WORK SORTING PAPERS AND COMPLAINED OF THE DRAUGHT FROM THE SHATTERED WINDOW IN HIS OFFICE!- TYPICAL FOLAN!
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FOLLOWING ON FROM THE 1916 RISING AND THE MANNER IN WHICH THE LEADERS WERE EXECUTED,
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POPULAR OPINION HAD MOVED TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITAIN AND A VICIOUS WAR BETWEEN IRISH REPUBLICANS AND THE BRITISH OCCUPYING FORCES BEGAN
IN 1919, SINN FEIN AND THE IRA CALLED FOR A BOYCOTT- POLICEMEN WERE TO BE SHUNNED BY THEIR NEIGHBOURS, WHO REFUSED TO TALK TO THEM, SIT BESIDE THEM AT CHURCH OR CONDUCT BUSINESS WITH THEM.
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MANY POLICEMEN, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE RIC REPORTED, OPTED TO RESIGN RATHER THAN BE “BOYCOTTED, OSTRACISED AND FORCED TO COMMANDEER THEIR FOOD”
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WHILE THE BOYCOTT APPLIED TO RIC & DMP OFFICERS, THE KNOCK-ON EFFECT WOULD BE FAMILIES OF OFFICERS WOULD ALSO BE IGNORED AND OSTRACISED- YOU CAN
WE ARE NOT SURE WHEN PETER DECIDED TO ACTIVELY ASSIST THE REPUBLICANS IN THEIR EFFORTS BUT IT WAS A DECISION THAT PUT HIM IN GRAVE DANGER OVER THE LENGTH OF THE ARMED CAMPAIGN FOR INDEPENDENCE. PETER WAS UNAWARE THAT HE HAD BEEN FOLLOWED BY MEMBERS OF THE IRA TO ENSURE THAT HE WAS WITH THE “CAUSE”
HE PERSONALLY SMUGGLED AND PASSED CRUCIAL INFORMATION AND MATERIAL ON TO THE IRA WHICH WITHOUT QUESTION ASSISTED THE REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT.
ONLY IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR MARGARET
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AS A PERSONAL FAVOUR TO COLLINS PETER SMUGGLED CAPTURED WEAPONS OUT OF DUBLIN CASTLE- AN ACT
WHICH IF HE HAD BEEN CAPTURED WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY LED TO A LONG PRISON SENTENCE OR WORSEEXECUTION
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HE ALSO POINTS TO HAVING WEAPONS STORED UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS AT HIS HOME IN STONEYBATTER
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• MARGARET CONTINUED TO TEACH- WOMEN TEACHERS UNLIKE OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS DID NOT
HAVE TO END THEIR SERVICE DUE TO THE MARRIAGE “BAR”- WHICH ONLY ENDED IN 1973!
• MARGARET SPECIALISED IN TRAINING NATIONAL SCHOOL TEACHERS AT THE “MODEL SCHOOL” MARLBOROUGH STREET- SHE RETIRED IN 1940
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HTTP://WWW.HISTORYIRELAND.COM/
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HTTP://ROYALIRISHCONSTABULARY.WEBS.COM/
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HTTP://IRISHCONSTABULARY.COM/
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HTTP://GARDA.IE/CONTROLLER.ASPX?PAGE=2283&LAN G=1
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HTTP://THEOLDRIC.COM/REPLY/5994/THE-1916-SPY-INTHE-CASTLE#.V8QADE0RLIU HTTP://WWW.BUREAUOFMILITARYHISTORY.IE/