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Life
[Rory Brady]; Chief in Staff of the IRA, issuing a cease-fire in 12 Dec. 1956; 11 years president of Sinn Féin to 1986; addressed his final Ard Fheis in these terms: ‘The destabilisation of this state, we are told, will result and the movement will be strengthened. Four times since 1922 it happened - all ended in failure and ultimately in the degradation and shame of collaborating with the British’ (on decision to enter representative politics, thus abandoning Dail abstentionism, Nov. 1986); issued The Story of Commandant General Tom Maguire (1998).
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Works
Dilseacht: The Story of Comdt. General Ton Maguire and the Second (All Ireland) Dáil (Dubin Irish Freedom Press 1998), 80pp.
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Commentary
Martin Mansergh, reviewing Dilseacht in Times Literary Supplement (10 July 1998), [q.p.], points out that Maguire’s blessing to the 1969 provisionals is taken as a basis for the legitimacy of the struggle and a denial of the legitimacy of the Irish state in default of Republican ideals [review covers a full page and a column.] Further, ‘to give a flavour of the legitimist and ne plus ultra flavour of the book, the two parts of Ireland are referred to as “statelets” … Leinster House is called a British institution.’
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Quotations
To the Irish People,: The leadership of the Resistance Movement has ordered the termination of the Campaign of Resistance to British Occupation launched on 12 December 1956 [...] All arms and other material have been dumped and all full-time active service Volunteers have been wtihdrawn. The decision to end the Resistance Campaign has been taken in view of the general situation. Foremost among the factors motivating this course of action has been the attitude of the general public whose minds have been deliberately distracted from the supreme issues facing the Irish People - the unity and freedom of Ireland.’ (Quoted in Dervla Murphy, A Place Apart, London: John Murray 1978, p.23.)
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