Liam Tobin

Major General Liam Tobin (born William Tobin in 1890) was an officer in the Irish Army. Previously he had been an intelligence gatherer for Michael Collins' Squad.

Tobin was born in Cork and worked in a hardware store. As a participant in the Easter Rising he was detained in Frongoch internment camp.

The Intelligence War

Early in 1919, Tobin had become Collins' chief executive in the Intelligence Directorate, handling, amongst others, information from double agent David Neligan. Tobin constructed profiles for everyone remotely connected to the British Establishment, often using Who's Who, The Times, and The Morning Post.

Collins' intelligence operations were based at 3 Crow Street, Dublin, where Tobin had the assistance of Tom Cullen and Frank Thornton.

In October 1921, Tobin travelled with the Irish Treaty Delegation as part of Collins' personal staff.

Irish Free State

Following the Anglo-Irish Treaty, he was appointed Deputy Director of Intelligence in the new State and assigned to Oriel House. However Collins would soon replace him with Joseph McGrath.

With the outbreak of the Irish Civil War, Tobin remained loyal to Collins and took the Pro-Treaty side. With others, he formed an association called the IRA Organisation (IRAO) or "Old Irish Republican Army" to distinguish themselves from the anti-treaty fighters.

The Army Mutiny

In March 1924 Tobin, together with Colonel Charles Dalton, sent an ultimatum to President W. T. Cosgrave demanding an end to the army demobilisation following the end of the Civil War [Dáil Éireann - Volume 6 - 11 March, 1924] The cabinet, already wary of the army, ordered an inquiry and appointed Eoin O'Duffy, chief of police, to the army command.

On 18th March, the mutineers assembled with hostile intent at a Dublin pub. An order was made to arrest the mutineers and the cabinet demanded the resignation of the army council. The generals resigned, affirming the subservience of the military to the civilian government of the new state [Richard Mulcahy, Oxford DNB ] .

Ironically in later life Tobin would rebuild relations with the republicans, joining anti-treaty Fianna Fáil.

Tobin was portrayed by Brendan Gleeson in the film Michael Collins.

References

*"Michael Collins: A Life"; James Mackay.