Ennis Postcard

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lenc
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:31 pm

Ennis Postcard

Post by lenc » Mon Feb 24, 2014 2:20 pm

.

I recently bought this postcard off ebay for the piccie on the front.

Image

I was intrigued by the inscription on the back. What do you guys think,is this real or faked?


Image

Would be interested to hear opinions!

pwaldron
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Location: Ballina, Killaloe
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Re: Ennis Postcard

Post by pwaldron » Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:12 pm

As I said at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/countyc ... 334742061/
this sounds plausible. The first fatality reported by Padraig Óg Ó Ruairc in Blood On The Banner was John Ryan, shot in the back by the RIC during a cattle raid on 24 Feb 1918, who died in Ennis infirmary on 1 Mar 1918.

murf
Posts: 365
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Location: Qld Australia

Re: Ennis Postcard

Post by murf » Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:20 pm

Rowan Tree2.jpg
Rowan Tree2.jpg (597.31 KiB) Viewed 18526 times
I thought this building looked familiar. It's where I stayed on my last visit to Clare.

lenc
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:31 pm

Re: Ennis Postcard

Post by lenc » Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:54 am

.

Thanks folks.

I actually bought the postcard for the piccie,so the writing on the back was a bonus. Handwriting looks a bit shaky and the ink looks genuinely faded to my untrained eye.

Wonder what the writer was referring to with "where I got these from" ? Any thoughts?

Will deffo look up that book!

pwaldron
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Re: Ennis Postcard

Post by pwaldron » Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:51 pm

"these" = postcards ?

lenc
Posts: 78
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Re: Ennis Postcard

Post by lenc » Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:08 pm

pwaldron wrote:"these" = postcards ?

Yeah, I wondered could it be that Paddy. Only thing is the writer without drawing breath [so to speak] says the shop lady was very interested in the troops. mmmm Curious!

topdog
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:17 pm

Re: Ennis Postcard

Post by topdog » Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:45 pm

This is a very nice card and a piece of history. The date ties in nicely. In my opinion it is quite genuine.
This being The Clare Club, the activity referred to would have been at the Police Barracks just cross the bridge which was in the foreground of this postcard.

Here are some items from papers of the time:

State Of Clare
Martial Law
The following communiqué by the General Officer Commanding-In-Chief in Ireland was issued on Tuesday Evening [26 February]
The outbreak of lawlessness which has occurred in County Clare rendered it necessary on Sunday [24 February] to send additional troops into the county to assist the police. The county has been declared a Special Military Area, within the meaning of the Realm Regulation 29B, and all the powers hereby conferred on the Commandant will be enforced so long as it is necessary for the restoration of order.
From: The Saturday Record newspaper 2 March 1918

An Arrest
Troops line the streets in Ennis
Mr Michael Brennan, of Meelick who lead the Ennis Volunteers on their march through the town on Tuesday night [26 February], was arrested on Wednesday night at the railway station, on arriving from West Clare.
Mr Brennan who wore the Volunteer uniform, was conveyed under a heavy military guard to the Ennis police barracks. Troops lined the streets when the prisoner was being conveyed to the barracks.
He went on hunger strike in the morning.
From: The Saturday Record newspaper 2 March 1918

Military Control Of County Clare
Last night's London Gazette (Tuesday 5 March) contains an Order, dated February 25, made by the Army Council, under the Defence of the Realm Regulations, with the concurrence of the Secretary for War, by which county Clare is declared a special military area. The effect of the Order is that "no person shall without lawful authority or excuse enter the area without permission from the commandant".
From: The Times (London) newspaper Wednesday 6 March 1918

Look up:
CCSMA / County Clare Special Military Area;
D.O.R.R. / Defense of the Realm Regulations
D.O.R.A. / Defense of the Realm Act

Regards Tony C

topdog
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Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:17 pm

Re: Ennis Postcard

Post by topdog » Fri Mar 28, 2014 4:00 pm

Ref Posting a few minute ago
I said Clare Club - I meant Country Club. It is now the Rowan Tree restaurant.

CCSMA is an interesting subject. The County Clare "lockdown" lasted about one month and uniquely included one week where all mail coming into and going out of the county passed through a local censorship office. This card was not put into the post or it may have suffered, though the author says little more than was being published in the national newspapers.

Tony C

murf
Posts: 365
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Location: Qld Australia

Re: Ennis Postcard

Post by murf » Mon Mar 31, 2014 1:01 am

The following appeared in the Zeehan and Dundas Herald, (Tasmania), Thursday 21 Feb 1918
apparently repeated from the London press.

SINN FEIN ACTIVITY
EXTRAORDINARY COURT SCENE
PRISONERS QUIT DOCK AND ESCAPE
London, Tuesday Night
There was an extraordinary scene in the Police Court at Ennis, County Clare, Ireland
when twenty youths were charged with cattle driving. A Sinn Fein leader
in uniform made a dramatic appearance in court, blew three blasts of a whistle,
and ordered Sinn Feiners to follow him. The prisoners climbed out of the dock and escaped.

Murf

topdog
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:17 pm

Re: Ennis Postcard

Post by topdog » Mon Mar 31, 2014 3:00 am

Ref my last posting. I have probably caused further confusion by calling the subject of the postcard the Country Club rather than the correct County Club.

Here is another item, referring to cattle driving among other things, from a newspaper of the time. The police barracks mentioned would have been on the other side of river via the Club Bridge which was located just off the bottom of the postcard

Lawless Ireland
A collision which occurred yesterday between police and cattle drivers in the Castlefergus district of County Clare resulted in the shooting of two men. A crowd of 3,000 men, one of whom wore Volunteer uniform, drove the cattle off a large grazing farm. Six policemen who were present were unable to do more than caution the men of the illegality of their action. Afterwards the crowd went towards the police barrack, and some one shouted "Close in and kill them". The police threatened to fire, but the crowd continued to advance, and the police were obliged to fire. Two men were wounded, one in the head and the other in the neck. The crowd immediately dispersed, but they carried off the wounded men.
From: The Times (London) newspaper Wednesday 27 February 1918

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