Paddy Daly
Encyclopedia
Paddy Daly sometimes referred to as Paddy O'Daly, served in the Irish Republican Army
during the Irish War of Independence
and subsequently held the rank of Major-General in the Irish National Army
in the period 1922 to 1924.
under the command of his namesake Ned Daly, leading the unsuccessful attempt to destroy the Magazine Fort in the Phoenix Park
. He was later wounded in the particularly vicious fighting near the Linenhall. He was subsequently interned in Frongoch
for his part in the rebellion until 1918, when he was released as part of a general amnesty for Irish prisoners.
' assassination unit.
On 19 December 1919, Daly along with Dan Breen
led an abortive ambush, at Ashtown railway station near the Phoenix Park
, on the British Viceroy
, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
and Supreme Commander of the British Army in Ireland, Lord French
, as he returned from a private party which he had hosted the previous evening at his country residence in Frenchpark
, County Roscommon
. Lord French
escaped the ambush but Martin Savage
was shot dead.
Daly and the men under his command were responsible for the killing of many British intelligence officers, in particular District Inspector Redmond, who had been putting increasing pressure on the squad. Daly himself personally killed several people, including Frank Brooke
, director of Great Southern and Eastern Railway, who served on an advisory council to the British military, in June 1920. He did not directly lead any of the attacks on Bloody Sunday
but was on standby in one of the Squad's safe houses. In the aftermath he was arrested and interned in Ballykinlar Camp in County Down
.
Daly, along with Emmet Dalton
, was also involved in the attempt to free Sean Mac Eoin
from Mountjoy Prison
on 14 May 1921. He and his men hijacked a British Army Peerless armoured car in Clontarf
at the corporation abbatoir, while it was escorting a consignment of meat to a barracks and shot dead two soldiers in the process. The plan involved Dalton and Joe Leonard to impersonate two British army officers (wearing Dalton's uniforms from his days as a soldier during World War I) and using forged documents "transfer" MacEoin to Dublin Castle
. They gained entry to Mountjoy, but were discovered before they could free MacEoin and had to shoot their way out. They later abandoned the armoured car after removing the Hotchkiss machine gun
s and setting fire to what they could. Towards the end of the war, in May 1921, the two principal fighting units of the IRA's Dublin Brigade, the "Squad" and the "Active Service Unit" were amalgamated after losses suffered in the attack on the Custom House
. Daly was put in command of this new unit, which was named the Dublin Guard
.
split the IRA, Daly and most of his men sided with the pro-treaty party, who went on to found the Irish Free State
. He was appointed to the rank of Brigadier
in the newly created Irish National Army
, which was inaugurated in January 1922. When the Irish Civil War
broke out in June 1922, Daly commanded the Free State's troops who secured Dublin, after a week's fighting
. In August 1922, during the Irish Free State offensive
that re-took most of the major towns in Ireland, Daly commanded a landing of 450 troops of the Dublin Guard at Fenit
, County Kerry
which went on to capture Tralee from the anti-treaty forces, acting with severe brutality in Kerry, Daly commenting that 'nobody had asked me to take kid-gloves to Kerry, so I didn't'.
As the Civil War developed into a vicious guerrilla conflict, Daly's men were implicated in series of atrocities against anti-treaty prisoners (see Executions during the Irish Civil War
), culminating in a series of killings with landmines in March 1923. Daly claimed that those killed were accidentally blown up by their own mines, but this has since been proved to have been fabricated.
. He volunteered his services for the Irish Army
again in 1940, but was appointed as a Captain to the non-combatant Construction Corps, due to something of a pariah status within the National Army. However, on his death in January 1957 he was buried with full military honours in Mount Jerome cemetery. He was survived by his brothers, Comdt Seamus O'Daly and Capt Frank O'Daly. His sons were Patrick and Colbert, his daughters, Brede and Philomena.
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
during the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
and subsequently held the rank of Major-General in the Irish National Army
Irish National Army
The Irish National Army or National Army was the army of the Irish Free State from January 1922-1 October 1924. Michael Collins, its Chief of Staff from June 1921 until his death in August 1922, was the last Chief of Staff of the IRA that had fought the Irish War of Independence...
in the period 1922 to 1924.
Easter Rising
Daly was born in Dublin in 1888. He fought in the 1916 Easter RisingEaster Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
under the command of his namesake Ned Daly, leading the unsuccessful attempt to destroy the Magazine Fort in the Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
. He was later wounded in the particularly vicious fighting near the Linenhall. He was subsequently interned in Frongoch
Frongoch
The village of Frongoch is located in Gwynedd, Wales. It lies close to the market town of Bala, on the A4212 road in north Wales.It was the home of the Frongoch internment camp, used to hold German prisoners-of-war during First World War, and then Irish Republican prisoners from the 1916...
for his part in the rebellion until 1918, when he was released as part of a general amnesty for Irish prisoners.
War of Independence
In the War of Independence (1919–1921), he served as leader of the "Squad", Michael CollinsMichael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
' assassination unit.
On 19 December 1919, Daly along with Dan Breen
Dan Breen
Daniel "Dan" Breen was a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. In later years, he was a Fianna Fáil politician.-Background:...
led an abortive ambush, at Ashtown railway station near the Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
, on the British Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
and Supreme Commander of the British Army in Ireland, Lord French
John French, 1st Earl of Ypres
Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres, KP, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCMG, ADC, PC , known as The Viscount French between 1916 and 1922, was a British and Anglo-Irish officer...
, as he returned from a private party which he had hosted the previous evening at his country residence in Frenchpark
Frenchpark
Frenchpark, historically known as Dungar , is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland on the N5 national primary road. It was the home of Douglas Hyde, the first President of Ireland....
, County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Lord French
John French, 1st Earl of Ypres
Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres, KP, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCMG, ADC, PC , known as The Viscount French between 1916 and 1922, was a British and Anglo-Irish officer...
escaped the ambush but Martin Savage
Martin Savage
Volunteer Martin Savage was an Officer in the Dublin Brigade of the Irish Republican Army, from Ballisodare, County Sligo....
was shot dead.
Daly and the men under his command were responsible for the killing of many British intelligence officers, in particular District Inspector Redmond, who had been putting increasing pressure on the squad. Daly himself personally killed several people, including Frank Brooke
Frank Brooke
Francis Theophilius "Frank" Brooke PC, JP, DL was an Anglo-Irish Director of Great Southern and Eastern Railways and a member of the Earl of Ypres' Advisory Council...
, director of Great Southern and Eastern Railway, who served on an advisory council to the British military, in June 1920. He did not directly lead any of the attacks on Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1920)
Bloody Sunday was a day of violence in Dublin on 21 November 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. In total, 31 people were killed – fourteen British, fourteen Irish civilians and three republican prisoners....
but was on standby in one of the Squad's safe houses. In the aftermath he was arrested and interned in Ballykinlar Camp in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
.
Daly, along with Emmet Dalton
Emmet Dalton
Emmet Dalton was an Irish soldier and film producer. He served in the British Army in the First World War, reaching the rank of Major. However, on his return to Ireland he became one of the senior figures in the Dublin Brigade of the guerrilla Irish Republican Army which fought against British...
, was also involved in the attempt to free Sean Mac Eoin
Seán Mac Eoin
Seán Mac Eoin was an Irish Fine Gael politician and soldier. He was commonly referred to as the "Blacksmith of Ballinalee".-Early life:...
from Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr...
on 14 May 1921. He and his men hijacked a British Army Peerless armoured car in Clontarf
Clontarf
Clontarf may refer to:Placenames:*Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland*Clontarf, New South Wales, Australia*Clontarf, Queensland, Australia*Clontarf, Minnesota, United StatesOther:*Battle of Clontarf, 1014...
at the corporation abbatoir, while it was escorting a consignment of meat to a barracks and shot dead two soldiers in the process. The plan involved Dalton and Joe Leonard to impersonate two British army officers (wearing Dalton's uniforms from his days as a soldier during World War I) and using forged documents "transfer" MacEoin to Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
. They gained entry to Mountjoy, but were discovered before they could free MacEoin and had to shoot their way out. They later abandoned the armoured car after removing the Hotchkiss machine gun
Hotchkiss machine gun
Hotchkiss machine gun:*Hotchkiss M1909, light machine gun also known as the "Hotchkiss Mark I" in British service*Hotchkiss M1914, medium machine gun*Hotchkiss M1922, light machine gun*13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun, heavy machine gun...
s and setting fire to what they could. Towards the end of the war, in May 1921, the two principal fighting units of the IRA's Dublin Brigade, the "Squad" and the "Active Service Unit" were amalgamated after losses suffered in the attack on the Custom House
The Custom House
The Custom House is a neoclassical 18th century building in Dublin, Ireland which houses the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government...
. Daly was put in command of this new unit, which was named the Dublin Guard
Dublin Guard
The Dublin Guard was a unit of the Irish Republican Army, in the Irish War of Independence and then of the Irish National Army during the Irish Civil War 1922-23.-Foundation:...
.
Civil War
After the Anglo-Irish TreatyAnglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
split the IRA, Daly and most of his men sided with the pro-treaty party, who went on to found the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
. He was appointed to the rank of Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
in the newly created Irish National Army
Irish National Army
The Irish National Army or National Army was the army of the Irish Free State from January 1922-1 October 1924. Michael Collins, its Chief of Staff from June 1921 until his death in August 1922, was the last Chief of Staff of the IRA that had fought the Irish War of Independence...
, which was inaugurated in January 1922. When the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
broke out in June 1922, Daly commanded the Free State's troops who secured Dublin, after a week's fighting
Battle of Dublin
The Battle of Dublin, a week of street fighting in Dublin from 28 June to 5 July 1922, marked the beginning of the Irish Civil War. The fighting began with an assault by the Provisional Government of the proposed Irish Free State on the Four Courts building which had been occupied by a hard-line...
. In August 1922, during the Irish Free State offensive
Irish Free State offensive
The Irish Free State offensive of July–September 1922 was the decisive military stroke of the Irish Civil War. It was carried out by the National Army of the newly created Irish Free State against anti-treaty strongholds in the south and southwest of Ireland....
that re-took most of the major towns in Ireland, Daly commanded a landing of 450 troops of the Dublin Guard at Fenit
Fenit
Fenit is a small village in County Kerry, Ireland, located on north side of Tralee Bay about west of Tralee town, just south of the Shannon Estuary. The bay is enclosed from the Atlantic by the Maharee spit which extends northwards from the Dingle peninsula...
, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
which went on to capture Tralee from the anti-treaty forces, acting with severe brutality in Kerry, Daly commenting that 'nobody had asked me to take kid-gloves to Kerry, so I didn't'.
As the Civil War developed into a vicious guerrilla conflict, Daly's men were implicated in series of atrocities against anti-treaty prisoners (see Executions during the Irish Civil War
Executions during the Irish Civil War
The executions during the Irish Civil War took place during the guerrilla phase of the Irish Civil War . This phase of the war was bitter, and both sides, the government forces of the Irish Free State and the anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army insurgents, used executions and terror in what...
), culminating in a series of killings with landmines in March 1923. Daly claimed that those killed were accidentally blown up by their own mines, but this has since been proved to have been fabricated.
Subsequent career
Daly married a sister (first name unknown) of Elizabeth Murtagh, who was the first wife of Michael Love who also served in the IRA and Irish Free State Army. Daly resigned from the National Army in 1924, after a scandal involving the alleged assault of a woman in KenmareKenmare
Kenmare is a small town in the south of County Kerry, Ireland. The name Kenmare is the anglicised form of Ceann Mara meaning "head of the sea", referring to the head of Kenmare Bay.-Location:...
. He volunteered his services for the Irish Army
Irish Army
The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...
again in 1940, but was appointed as a Captain to the non-combatant Construction Corps, due to something of a pariah status within the National Army. However, on his death in January 1957 he was buried with full military honours in Mount Jerome cemetery. He was survived by his brothers, Comdt Seamus O'Daly and Capt Frank O'Daly. His sons were Patrick and Colbert, his daughters, Brede and Philomena.