Tom Hales (Irish republican)
Tom Hales | |
---|---|
Teachta Dála | |
In office January 1933 – July 1937 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Knocknacurra, Ballinadee, near Bandon, County Cork, Ireland | 5 March 1892
Died | 29 April 1966 | (aged 74)
Resting place | Bandon, County Cork, Ireland |
Political party | Fianna Fáil |
Spouse(s) | Ann Lehane (m. 30 April 1927) |
Relatives | Sean Hales (Brother) |
Military service | |
Branch/service | Irish Volunteers Anti-Treaty IRA |
Battles/wars | Irish War of Independence Irish Civil War |
Thomas "Tom" Hales (5 March 1892 – 29 April 1966) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteer and politician from West Cork.
Biography
Early years and childhood
Born at Knocknacurra, Ballinadee, near Bandon on a family farm owned by his father, Robert Hales, an activist in the Irish Land War and a reputed member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.[1]
Irish War of Independence
Tom Hales joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913. He was a part of a group of Volunteers who planned to rise up in Cork during the Easter Rising of 1916, however they received last minute orders to stand down. By May 1916 Tom Hales and his brothers, Sean, Bob and William, were fighting with the IRA in west Cork during the Irish War of Independence.[1] A fifth brother, Donal, settled in Genoa from 1913, was appointed Irish Consular and Commercial Agent for Italy in February 1919. In this capacity he played a leading propaganda role; several letters from Michael Collins to Donal Hales still exist which were used by Hales to promote international awareness of the Irish conflict in Italian publications.[2]
Donal oversaw a failed attempt to import a substantial amount of weapons and ammunition (captured Austrian stock from the World War I) from Genoa in the spring of 1921, through the person of Gabriele D'Annunzio.[3] During the War, Tom was captured by the British Army in Cork and was badly beaten and tortured in an effort to make him disclose the whereabouts of prominent IRA figures, including Collins. He never broke, although his co-accused, Patrick Harte, suffered brain damage and died in hospital insane.[4]
Irish Civil War, against brother
During the Irish Civil War, Tom and Sean Hales fought on opposite sides, with Tom fighting against the Anglo-Irish Treaty with the "Irregulars" while Sean joined the newly formed National Army of the Irish Free State. Tom Hales commanded the Flying Column which attacked the Free State Army convoy at Béal na Bláth which resulted in the death of Michael Collins. Shortly thereafter, his brother, Sean, was shot to death under controversial circumstances connected with the Civil War.[5][6]
Fianna Fáil and later politics
Hales was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cork West constituency at the 1933 general election. Hales resigned from Fianna Fáil in June 1936 stated he could not support their policy on interning IRA members.[1] He failed to retain his seat as an independent candidate at the 1937 general election.[7] He also unsuccessfully contested the 1944 general election as an independent candidate and the 1948 general election as a candidate for Clann na Poblachta, he got 2,287 (7.93%) votes.[8][9] Hales died in 1966, aged 74.
References
- ^ a b c Cronin, Maurice. "Hales, Thomas (Tom)". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ Bureau of Military History, WS 292 (Donal Hales), p. 2
- ^ Mark Phelan, 'Prophet of the Oppressed Nations: Gabriele D'Annunzio and the Irish Republic, 1919-21', History Ireland, vol. 21, no, 5 (September 2013)
- ^ 1898-1980., Barry, Tom (1995). Guerilla days in Ireland. Boulder, CO: Roberts Rinehart Publishers. ISBN 1570980470. OCLC 33842983.
{{cite book}}
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has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Feehan, John M. "The Shooting of Michael Collins: Murder or Accident?", Cork, Mercier Press, 1981.
- ^ Coogan, T.P. Michael Collin, Random House, 1990
- ^ "Thomas Hales". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- ^ "13th Dail - Cork South First Preference Votes". ElectionsIreland.org. 4 February 1948. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- ^ "Thomas Hales". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
Sources
- Peter Hart, The I.R.A.& its enemies, violence and community in Cork 1916-1923, Oxford University Press, (1998), pages 187–201, "The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Family".
- Donal Hales, 'Witness Statement', Bureau of Military History (Dublin)
- 1892 births
- 1966 deaths
- Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) members
- Irish Republican Army (1922–1969) members
- Members of the 8th Dáil
- Politicians from County Cork
- People of the Irish Civil War (Anti-Treaty side)
- Clann na Poblachta politicians
- Fianna Fáil TDs
- Independent politicians in Ireland
- People of the Irish War of Independence