Bridget Mary Crowley

Bridget Mary Crowley (30 March 1902 – 1983) was an Irish revolutionary and member of Cumann na mBan. She played an important role during the Irish revolutionary period in the East Limerick area. She was a member of the Irish republican Crowley family of Ballylanders, the daughter of local Fenian leader Timothy Crowley, and the sister of Tadhg Crowley TD, Peter William Crowley and John Crowley, the latter of whom were the two longest hunger strikers in history.

Early life

Bridget Mary Crowley was born on Sunday 30 March 1902, the youngest child and only daughter of a family consisting of eight living siblings and their parents, Timothy Crowley, aged 54, and Ellen Ryan, aged 38. Throughout her life, she was known affectionately as “Bridie”. Bridie Crowley grew up in the family drapery in Ballylanders, Crowley's, which still stands today, and attended the Presentation Convent in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. She had a comfortable childhood, going to a boarding school across the country and living in a very well-off family.

Revolutionary activites

In the week starting with Sunday, 23 April 1916, and including the Easter Rising of 24 to 29 April, Bridie partook in “general services” with her unit in the Ballylanders District under her commanding officer W.P. Manhan. At the time, Bridie would have just turned fourteen years old. The Ballylanders unit of Cumann na mBan took part in no hostile engagements.

In the periods comprising the 1 to 22 April 1916 and 30 April 1916 to 31 March 1917, Bridie took part in active service under the command of Edmond Tobin, in which she carried despatches and raised “funds for Volunteers etc.” Once again, there were no combat engagements during this time.

In the period from the 1 st April 1917 to the 31st March 1918, Bridie took part in “general service” in Dublin and Ballylanders, again under the command of Edmond Tobin. Her work consisted of delivering arms to Ballylanders from Dublin. During this period, she was only fifteen. Bridie experienced her first military engagement when there was a clash between her unit and some others with the R.I.C at Galbally.

During the time from the 1 April 1918 to the 31 March 1919, Bridie served under a new commanding officer, William Sampson. Bridie assisted men injured at Knocklong with their general needs and observed enemy movements.

From the 1 April 1919 to 31 March 1920, Bridie, under the command of Edmond Tobin again, was tasked with the making and reloading of ammunition, and took part in the “Knocklong rescue”, wherein she cared “for the comforts of wounded men etc.”

In her service between 1 April 1920 and 31 March 1921, Bridie writes that she rendered service in “Ballylanders: Bombing of Premises and Ballylanders Street Fight”. This time, she was under the command of Patrick O’Donnell. Her service consisted of her preparing arms and equipment, and the carrying of despatches. Bridie was involved with a number of military operations during this period, including being part of the attack on both the Ballylanders and Kilmallock R.I.C barracks, and carrying arms to Kildorrery, to once again attack the R.I.C.

The next period of time in which Bridie gave her service was the 1 April to 11 July 1921, during which she had a new commanding officer, the aforementioned Denis Hannigan. She transported arms to Kilteely and Lackelly and helped injured I.R.A. men. As well as this, Bridie assisted in burying the fatally wounded.

Over the time between 12 July 1921 to 30 June 1922, Bridie, under the command of Denis Hannigan, rendered service at the East Limerick Brigade amp and battalion training camps, where she attended to soldiers. During this period, Bridie took part in “general training and re-organisation work”.

In the penultimate time period of 1 July 1922 to 31 March 1923, Bridie was part of two attacks, including one in Kilmallock. Her commanding officer was Patrick O'Donnell. Her Service consisted of collecting funds for Volunteers and prisoners. She was involved in fights in Ballintubber and Glenbrohane, and she removed casualties from there, William Sampson as well as taking care of members of the East Limerick Flying Column.

In Bridie’s final service from the 1 April 1923 to 30 September 1923, she catered for Volunteers “in dugouts etc.”, and catered for prisoners upon release, under the command of William Sampson.

Bridie's service was confirmed in later writings by her previous commanders, with Edmond Tobin, Vice Chairman of the East Limerick Brigade Committee writing: "This is to certify that Mrs Bridget O'Donnell was a most active member of Ballylanders Branch of Cumann na mBan since the cumman was established. She took part in all the activities of the cumman and was particularly active from the start of the Anglo Irish war, during the truce and again during the Civil war. She kept constantly in touch with the East Limerick active service unit taking despatches and arms etc in both periods and accompanying members of the Column on occasions when they were armed. She was a member of a family all of whom had active service in the two campaigns."

Another of her commanders, Patrick O'Donnell, wrote: "Concerning the application of Mrs Bridie O'Donnell Elton Knocklong Co Limerick for a Service Pension: I certify that Mrs O'Donnell joined Cumann na mBan at the inception of the movement and was one of the most active members of same during the Anglo Irish and Civil Wars. She was constantly in touch with the East Limerick active service units in both Periods. She devoted nearly whole time to activities of an important kind such as despatch carrying, bringing essential supplies to the column, attendance on Hunger Strikers in Cork Prison and carrying arms and ammunition to the prisoners etc."

The Military Service Pensions Board summarised her revolutionary activities in the a document. It references the different periods of service during the Irish War of Independence. It states the following:

She joined Cumann na mBan with the Ballylanders Branch at the inception of the Movement about 1916.

1st Period: She stood-to in case her services would be required. She lived in Ballylanders with her brothers and parents. Her brothers, Tadhg, Jack, Joe, Jim, Michael and Peter were members of the Volunteers and were subsequently in the I.R.A.

2nd Period: No special activities except that she helped to raise funds for prisoners after the Rising.

3rd Period: She took part in the reorganisation of the Cumann na mBan, attended all parades, learned First Aid. She delivered a parcel of arms to Ballylanders which she collected in Dublin in Lawlors. She was visiting her brother, Jim, who was in Dublin at the time, but she was asked especially to collect this parcel. She was in a clash with the R.I.C. at Galbally on the occasion of the trial of her brothers and other Volunteers. Her father got a stroke of a nation on the head on that occasion. She helped to render First Aid to him.

4th Period: After the shooting of Sean Hogan she attended wounded men including Dan Breen, at Knocklong, and helped in the removal of Hogan to Glenbrohane. She watched the movements of the R.I.C. in connection with the Knocklong men and helped to look after the needs of the wounded men in Glenbrohane for a few days until their removal.

5th Period: She helped her brothers at the making of shot-gun ammn., And reloading cartridges at her home a couple of times a week for possibly three to six months. There was a dump at the back of the house. She knew where it was and often put in stuff and took it out when required. It was there up to the time that her house was burned in the summer of 1920.

6th Period: In connection with the attack on Ballylanders R.I.C. Bks., early in the summer of 1920 she helped to prepare clothing, food, etc. for the attackers. She took her father away to another part of the town for safety. The house was used to attack the barracks which was about 25 to 40-yds. Away. Twenty or 30 of the I.R.A took up position there. The Barrack was at the end of the street but it was in view of her home. Other houses in the vicinity were also occupied including the Dispensary, O'Grady's, Condon's, etc. A good deal of shooting took place from her house which came under fire from the Bks. The Barrack was eventually captured and burned, the R.I.C. surrendering. During the fighting she was in Crawford's, 5 or 6 houses away from her own house. When the attack was over she attended to Jack Meade who was wounded. She helped to feed men who were in the house and assisted in the removal of arms that were taken some of which she put in the dump at the back of the house. She scouted the roads before the attack on Kilmallock Bks. She stopped in Glenbrohane the night before the attack about 5 or 6 miles from there. She did not actually go into Kilmallock. After the attack her home was bombed by the Black-and-Tans, about 2.30 a.m. All the shop windows and the goods in the windows we’re shattered and destroyed; also the upstairs windows. Two weeks later the house was burned down. She afterwards stopped with Fr. Humphries of Knocklong for about 18-mths. Or two years until her house was partially rebuilt. Before the house burned a fight occurred in the street in which Tom Crawford was wounded. She helped in his removal to Connery's and attended to him until he was taken away by the military. Three of her brothers were attested on that occasion. She helped to remove arms and ammunition from the house before it was burned. She collected arms from beds in rooms which had been occupied by the men. A hunger-strike occurred in Cork in which her brothers took part. She went there and visited them in prison. She was there part of the period during the strike which lasted for 96 days. She stopped there at night in case she might be required or that her brothers might be forcibly fed. One of them was very weak. Two of the nine men on strike died – Joe Murphy and Mick Fitzgerald. She was up and down between Cork and Limerick part of that time carrying dispatches. Her father also had been attested and was in gaol in Limerick. She brought revolvers and ammunition in a parcel from No. 82, Douglas Street, Cork to Sean Forde (or “Malone” as he was known then in Limerick.) She helped to remove rifles and ammunition after the attack at Ballinahinch in which Ned Tobin, D. O'Hannigan and her brothers Peter, Tadhg, Jack and Michael took part. She brought the rifles with other members of Cumann na mBan including May Moloney, N. Murphy and Maura Clancy to Glenbrohane about 6 or 7-miles. After Emly attack she removed the stuff captured after it was taken to Ballylanders. 15 rifles and ammn. Were seized on that occasion. She helped to remove them from Ballylanders for the Kildorrery ambush with the girls before-mentioned. Rifles and ammunition were taken in a pony-trap. She waited about a mile from Kildorrery during the ambush to help in case of wounded. She assists in the removal of eleven rifles and ammunition afterwards to Father Ambrose's of Glenroe where the column was stopping under D. O'Hannigan and her brothers. She was in wait in connection with the prepared ambush at Ballinamona. She helped to transport the stuff required including arms and ammunition and Volunteer equipment and afterwards brought it from Ballinamona to Ballycahill, about 5 or 6-miles away, in cars. She helped to scout the road in connection with the removal of the stuff. After the shooting of Tom Murphy and David Tobin on New Year’s Day at Glenbrohane she was stopping at Fr. Humphrey's of Knocklong and she went with him to render assistance. Murphy was wounded but Tobin was shot dead. For Drumkeen ambush she helped to remove arms and ammunition with Seamus Forde the night before from Knocklong in a pony-trap. She delivered the stuff to Sean Forde who was in charge. She came home before the attack took place. She escorted Sean Forde on a few occasions from Knocklong to Ballycahill in motor-car after the shooting of Sean Finn. Sean Forde can testify to a lot of her activities about this Period which she cannot recollect herself. She believes she had some connection with the Lackelly and Kilteely ambushes but cannot think of the details. Her memory is not now of the best. She continued to scout the roads, ran dispatches, about 3 or 4 per week on an average or more according to the activities in the area. She carried them for Seamus and Sean Forde, her brother Tadhg, D. O’Hannigan, Ned Tobin, etc. She was always alert for the movements of the Black-and-Tans and kept in touch with the column all the time. She did guard duty on one occasion for the column when at McGrath’s in Farren, Emly. She also watched for members of the column when they visited Fr. Humphrey’s house. She cooked for them when there and also washed and repaired their clothes.

7th Period: She attended Sunville camp a few times a week and did some cooking and washing for the I.R.A. there. She attended at Castlefarm camp two or three times and did the same class of work. She visited Massey Lodge on one occasion with Ernie O'Malley. She carried occasional dispatches during this Period. She helped to organise entertainments for funds, sold badges, attended Cumann na mBan training including First Aid and also all parades.

8th Period: When the Civil War broke out she carried on with the I.R.A. She was still staying with Fr. Humphrey’s for a time until her house was temporarily repaired. She helped in the retreat of the I.R.A. after the attack at Kilmallock Union by scouting the roads She helped after Glenbrohane fight when the area was surrounded by scouting the roads and escorting men until they left the area. Some of the I.R.A. who could testify to her activities during this Period are Paddy O'Donnell, Dan Moloney and Liam Manahan. She removed arms and ammunition after the ambush on Free State Forces at Emly. The arms were hidden in Garryspillane after she was in-formed by Tom O'Donnell after his arrest. She collected the arms and brought them to Glenbrohane in a pony and trap by herself. She attended to Hugh O'Donnell after he was wounded in the Glenbrohane fight.

9th Period: She attended members of the column in dug-outs at Cullane and other places which she cannot recall but will supply more definite particulars later. She collected funds for Volunteers and prisoners and sent parcels to prisoners in Harepark, Fintown, Wormwood Scrubbs, etc.

She carried on activities until the Cease Fire.

References

This article "Bridget Mary Crowley" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Bridget Mary Crowley. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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