Aubane Historical Society Book Launches

cork | history and heritage | event notice Friday February 09, 2007 19:30 by jack lane - Aubane Historical Society jacklaneaubane at hotmail dot com aubane, millstreet, co. cok

2 new books on the War Of Independence in Cork

BOOK LAUNCHES
by Brian P Murphy osb and the authors
Venue:
Thomas Davis Room
CORK CITY LIBRARY
(Grand Parade)

Saturday, 3rd March 2007

3.00 pm

“Spies, Informers And The 'Anti-Sinn Féin Society':
The Intelligence War in Cork City, 1919-1921”
by John Borgonovo

&

“Seán O’Hegarty: O/C 1st Cork Brigade, IRA”
by Kevin Girvin
All Welcome
Book signing by the authors and Brian Murphy from 12.00
at Liam Russell’s bookshop, 50 Oliver Plunkett St., Cork city,
before the launch on 3rd March, 2007

“Seán O’Hegarty – O/C 1st Cork Brigade, IRA”
Published by the Aubane Historical Society
by Kevin Girvin
A first and long overdue biographical study of Seán O’Hegarty, Officer Commanding, First Cork Brigade, Irish Republican Army, during the Irish War of Independence. O’Hegarty was one of the most effective military commanders in the Cork area during the period of greatest strain and activity from 1920 to 1921. A direct successor of Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney, his significance has long been overshadowed by his martyred comrades.

As a leading member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican Army, Seán O’Hegarty’s life personifies the national independence movement. The quality of his leadership was an inspiration to those who served with him. His contribution to the struggle for national independence stands proudly alongside those of Tom Barry, Seán Moylan, and Liam Lynch.

‘Seán O’Hegarty was responsible more than any other individual for the aggressive and militant activities which placed Cork No.1 Brigade amongst the leading Brigades in Ireland’. Tom Barry

‘Seán O’Hegarty was a man whose leadership was an inspiration to us all, whose sense of honour and integrity was a shining example’. Florrie O’Donoghue

Kevin Girvin is a native of Cork and is a graduate of UCC. He received a BA in history and Greek and Roman Civilisation in 2002 and an M.Phil in history in 2003. He is currently employed at the University.

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“Spies, Informers And The 'Anti-Sinn Féin Society': The Intelligence War In Cork City, 1919-1921”
Published by the Irish Academic Press (IAP)
by John Miller Borgonovo
His new book is a study of the shooting of suspected civilian informers by the Cork city IRA in 1920-1921. IRA sources claim some of the civilians were members of an Anti-Sinn Fein Society, a pro-British intelligence network operating in the city. The book analyses the existence of such a network, alleged IRA persecution of ex-soldiers, and the strength of the IRA intelligence efforts in Cork city. It places these trends in the context of both the British reprisal campaign in Cork city, and the IRA's guerrilla struggle.
The book contains significant original research that focuses on events in Cork city in 1920-1921. Chapters on the British reprisal campaign, the IRA intelligence network, and the trends of the conflict, provide unique evidence and conclusions regarding the situation in Cork city, which have not been published in any other work and directly contradicts some conclusions made in Peter Hart's "The IRA and its Enemies".

John Borgonovo is a writer currently living in San Francisco. His articles have appeared in various American publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle. He received a BA in History from the University of Oregon, and a Master of Arts from University College, Cork. Last year his book “Florence and Josephine O'Donoghue's War of Independence” was published by IAP.

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Brian P Murphy osb

Dr Brian P. Murphy is a member of the Benedictine Community at Glenstal Abbey, county Limerick. He is a graduate of Oxford University, Trinity College, Dublin, and the National University of Ireland (UCD). He is the author of ‘Patrick Pearse and the Lost Republican Ideal’ (1991), ‘John Chartres the Mystery Man of the Treaty’ (1995), ‘St Gerard's School, Bray, an Educational Initiative’ (1999), ‘Michael Collins - some original documents in his own hand’ (2004), ‘The Catholic Bulletin and Republican Ireland’ (2005), “The Origin and Organisation of British Propaganda in Ireland 1920” (2006) and various articles.