54 Blarney Street

 

Timothy Joseph Barry of 54 Blarney Street was better known as Tadhg. He was a Republican, a Socialist, a GAA stalwart, a journalist and trade unionist. 

The home of Tadhg Barry at 54 Blarney Street.

A plaque recently unveiled at no.54

Tadhg Barry went to school locally at Blarney Street National School and from there he went to the North Mon. When he finished his schooling he worked as an attendant at Our Ladys Asylum. 

Blarney Street N.S today. 

Tadhg had a gra for writing and he became a journalist with The Cork Accent newspaper and The Cork Free Press. He wrote GAA articles under the name 'An Ciotog' and a column with The Southern Star called 'Neath Shandons Steeple.'

Tadhg wrote one of the first books on Hurling called 'Hurling and how to play it'. It was published in 1916 in a small batch just for the students of North Mon. Tadhg also enjoyed jotting down lyrical verses and in 1917 he wrote a collection called 'Songs and other rhymes of a gaol bird.'

Tadhg was also deeply involved in the GAA and he was a driving force in the development of Camogie in Cork. He was the first trainer of a Cork Camogie team and was a highly regarded referee in the game. 

Tadhg Barry at Croke Park.

He had a great passion for hurling and he was involved in setting up Sundays Well Hurling Club and Fainne an Lae Camogie Club on Blarney Street. 

Blarney Street today. 

Apart from sport and culture, Tadhg Barry became involved in politics and was known across the city as a great organiser. In 1906 he was a founding member of Cork Sinn Fein. He was there for the setting up of a local branch of Na Fianna Eireann, and in 1913 he was present at Cork City Hall for the founding of the Cork branch of the Irish Volunteers.

ITGWU (SIPTU) banner.

Aside from nationalist politics, Tadhg was involved in trade unionism. He was a leading member of the ITGWU in Cork and was a memebr of its No.1 Branch known as the James Connolly Memorial Branch. 

Barry, front row far left, with other high profile members of Corks revolutionary movement. 

In 1916 Tadhg was arrested for making a'seditious' speech at a Manchester Martyrs commemoration. In 1918 he was arrested again, this time his crime was being a  'conspirator' and he was sent to Usk Gaol in England where he battled the deadly Spanish Flu which was sweeping through the prison wings. 

When he was relased he flung himself back into the world of revolutionary politics. Tadgh led a farm labourers strike in 1919 and in 1920 he was elected to Cork City Council on a Sinn Fein ITGWU ticket. 

     Mugshot following his arrest in 1921. 

Tadgh was arrested by raiding crown forces at Cork City Hall during a meeting there in early Spring of 1921.  He was sent to Ballykinlar Prison Camp in Co. Down.  He used his time there to teach Irish to other internees and hold classes on socialism. He even flew a red flag on his hut!

Ballykinlar Camp.

On the 15th of November 1921 Tadgh was standing near a wire fence waving goodbye to some of his fellow internees who were granted their freedom. A sentry called Private A. Barrett took aim at Tadgh and shot him dead. 

The funeral of Tadgh Barry drew thousands of mourners to the streets of Cork. They lined the route from the train station on the Lower Glanmire Road to the North Cathedral. 

The remains of Tadgh carried from the train station.

The funeral procession being led by the Cork Volunteer Pipe Band over St Patricks Bridge. 

Michael Collins left the Treaty negotiations in London to attend the funeral. 

 After funeral mass in the North Cathedral on Sunday November 20th, the funeral procession went to St Finbarrs Cemetery where 33 year old Tadgh Barry was laid to rest in the Republican Plot. 

Grave of Tadhg Barry St Finbarrs Cemetery

A British report on Tadhg Barry described him as 'A mischievous socialist, a bolshevist Sinn Feiner and an utter disloyalist.'

 To put it simply - a true rebel!