The Squad (IRA unit)

The Squad also known as the Twelve Apostles, were an Irish Republican Army unit founded by Michael Collins to counter the British intelligence efforts during the Irish War of Independence, principally by means of assassination.

Background

On Chronology of the Irish War of Independence
10 April 1919, the First Dáil announced a policy of ostracism of Royal Irish Constabulary men. At the time Sinn Féin official policy was against acts of violence. Boycotting, persuasion and mild intimidation succeeded against many officers. However others escalated their activities against republicans and in July 1919 Collins asked Dick McKee to select a small group to form an assassination unit. ["Michael Collins: A Life";James Mackay Chpt 8]

Assassination

The founder members were Paddy Daly (leader), Mick McDonnell, Ben Barrett, James Conroy, Sean Doyle, Joe Leonard, Pat McCrae, Jim Slattery and Bill Stapleton. They were employed full time and received a weekly wage. ["Michael Collins: A Life";James Mackay p132]

On 30 July 1919 The first assassination authorised by Michael Collins was carried out when Detective Sergeant "the Dog" Smith was shot near Drumcondra, Dublin ["Michael Collins: A Life";James Mackay p132] . The Squad would continue targeting plainclothes police, members of the G Division of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, and - occasionally - problematic civil servants. Organisationally it operated as a subsection of the Collins' Intelligence Headquarters.

Further members included Mick Love, Gearoid O'Sullivan, Charlie Dalton, Mick O'Reilly, Vincent Byrne, Sean Healy, Francis Healy, Tom Keogh and Tom Cullen. Seán Lemass and Stephen Behan (the father of Irish writers Brendan Behan and Dominic Behan) have also been put forward as members of the Apostles. Understandably, there is no hard evidence to support many of these names; however, those that subsequently served in the Irish Army have their active service recorded in their service records held in the Military Archives Department in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines. Dr. Andy Cooney is also reported to have been associated with "The Squad".

Bloody Sunday

One of the Apostles' particular targets was the Cairo Gang, a deep cover British intelligence group, so called since it had largely been assembled from intelligence officers serving in Cairo and the Middle East. The Cairo Group was brought in during the middle of 1920 by Sir Henry Wilson explicitly to deal with Michael Collins and his organisation. Given carte blanche in its operations by Wilson, the strategy adopted by the Cairo Group was to assassinate members of Sinn Féin unconnected with the military struggle, assuming that this would cause the IRA to respond and bring its leaders into the open.

The most well-known operation executed by the Apostles occurred on "Bloody Sunday", November 21, 1920, when British army officers, linked to the Cairo Gang significantly involved in intelligence or spying, were shot at various locations in Dublin {11 killed/1 Died of wounds/4 wounded}. In addition to the "Twelve Apostles", a larger number of IRA personnel were involved in this operation. In response to the killings, the Black and Tans retaliated by shooting up a Gaelic football match between Dublin and Tipperary at Croke Park, killing 12 bystanders including one of the players, and wounding 68.

Dublin Guard

In May 1921, after the IRA's Dublin Brigade took heavy casualties while burning the Customs House, the Squad and the Brigade's Active Service Unit" were amalgamated into the Dublin Guard, under Paddy Daly. Under the influence of Daly and Michael Collins, most of the Guard took the Free State side and joined the Irish Army in the Irish Civil War of 1922-23.

References

Bibliography

*"The Squad and the Intelligence Operations of Michael Collins" T. Ryle Dwyer