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The Michael Collins/Kilkenny Council Papers

18/10/21 11:34

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“Supported by the Department of Tourism,  Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative.”

Author and Historian Eoin Swithin Walsh explores two sources for the War of Independence, the Michael Collins Papers and Kilkenny Council Papers

Michael-Collins-Papers-and-Kilkenny-Council-Papers.mp3 (size 23 MB)

'In this podcast we delve into two sets of records in the archives to find some Kilkenny related stories. These sources are the Michael Collins papers, held by the Military Archives, and the records of the Kilkenny councils, held by the National Archives. These records give us a good oversight of what was going on around County Kilkenny in the day to day lives of people; the revolutionary years weren’t always dramatic, the mundane parts of life still went on! For instance, Michael Collins received information about every post office in Kilkenny, highlighting which ones could be ‘worked on’ in order to glean intelligence.  We also see how Collins’ department were writing to the Kilkenny IRA looking for money that went missing, that was supposed to be sent to a bank in Thomastown. Collins also received a list of ‘enemy social institutions’ in Kilkenny which included the golf and tennis clubs! The Council records give us an insight into everyday life in Kilkenny in 1921. Everything from compensation for hay burning to public health are discussed in these files. Find out more in this podcast!'

 Michael Collins                                                          

                  Michael_Collins_1921

    Castlecomer Rural District Council                    Notes on Enemy Social Institutions

Castlecomer-Council-1921---Public-Health-Meeting  Enemy-Social-Institutions-Kilkenny 

Notes on Post Offices                                                                    Thomastown District Council - Auxiliaries' Compensation Claims

Intelligence-about-Kilkenny-postoffices  Thomastown-District-Council---Auxiliaries-Looking-for-Compo