Spies, Informers and the 'Anti-Sinn Fein Society' The Intelligence War in Cork City, 1919-1921

by Borgonovo, John; O'Halpin, Eunan

• ISBN13: 9780716528326
• ISBN10: 0716528320
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Irish Academic Press

Summary

The book is a study of the shooting of suspected civilian informers by the Cork city IRA in 1920-1921. During a one-year period, at least twenty-four Cork civilians died at the hands of the IRA, including a two-week span that saw eight civilians shot. IRA sources claim some of the civilians were members of an Anti-Sinn Fein Society, a pro-British intelligence network operating in the city. The book analyses the existence of such a network, alleged IRA persecution of ex-soldiers, and the strength of the IRA intelligence efforts in Cork city. It places these trends in the context of both the British reprisal campaign in Cork city, and the IRA's guerrilla struggle. The book contains significant original research that focuses on events in Cork city in 1920-1921. Chapters on the British reprisal campaign, the IRA intelligence network, and the trends of the conflict provide unique evidence and conclusions regarding the situation in Cork city, which have not been published in any other work and directly contradicts some conclusions made in Peter Hart's The IRA and its Enemies.

Author Biography

John Borgonovo is the editor of Florence and Josephine O'Donoghue's War of Independence: A Destiny that Shapes Our Ends (also published by Irish Academic Press). His articles have appeared in various American Publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle. He received a BA in History from the University of Oregon and a Master of Arts from University College Cork. He lives in Cork while pursuing a PhD in History at the university.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. vii
Foreword	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
The 'Anti-Sinn Féin Society'	p. 3
The November Disappearances	p. 20
'Spies and Informers Beware'	p. 37
Trends and Explanations	p. 66
'The Murder Gang'	p. 105
British Intelligence in Cork	p. 117
IRA Intelligence in Cork	p. 134
A Theory	p. 167
Conclusions	p. 178
Bibliography	p. 183
Index	p. 193
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