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George Gilmore
George Frederick Gilmore (5 May 1898 – 1985) was a Protestant Irish republican and communist who became an Irish Republican Army leader during the 1920s and 1930s. During his period of influence, Gilmore attempted to shift the IRA to the political left, but alongside Peadar O'Donnell and Frank Ryan he was expelled for his efforts. After leaving the IRA, Gilmore attempted to unite Irish republicanism under the banner of the Republican Congress, but ideological debates split the group apart. Afterwards, Gilmore removed himself from public life.
Born at Hillside Terrace in Howth, County Dublin, he was the second son of Philip Gilmore, an accountant originally from County Antrim, and Fanny Angus. Despite his father primarily working for Unionist landlords, and being educated at home, George and his brothers Harry and Charlie all turned towards Irish Republicanism. By 1916 Gilmore had become a member of Fianna Éireann, the Republican boy scouts, and later a member of the South County Dublin battalion of the Irish Volunteers.
He fought in the Irish Republican Army in the Irish War of Independence and in the Irish Civil War on the Anti-Treaty IRA side. During the civil war Gilmore was captured and imprisoned, but he managed to escape custody in August 1923, the aftermath of which caused riots as the remaining prisoners were placed in solitary confinement.
Following the end of the civil war, Gilmore served as the secretary of future Taoiseach Seán Lemass, as well alongside Frank Aiken. During the early 1920s Lemass, Aiken and Gilmore regularly meet with the IRA army council to represent the emerging political leadership of Irish republicanism that would coalesce as Fianna Fáil in 1926. The trio regularly sat opposite IRA leaders Frank Ryan, Peadar O'Donnell, and Seán Russell.
In October 1925 he and Lemass organised the escape of 19 IRA prisoners from Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. As part of the jailbreak, Gilmore impersonated a member of Garda Siochana. None of the 19 escapees were subsequently recaptured, and their escape served as a major propaganda coup. However, the next month, Gilmore was involved in a riot that took place on Armistice Day and he was subsequently arrested and sentenced to eighteen months in prison. Gilmore resisted the entire duration; first resisting the arrest and then, once imprisoned, refused to wear a prison uniform and went on hunger strike. Early in 1928 members of the IRA attacked Mountjoy Prison where Gilmore was held and shot the warden after a story emerged that Gilmore had previously been the victim of a vicious beating by the guards. Gilmore was released in 1929 but re-arrested and re-imprisoned almost immediately, resulting in a retaliatory beating by the guards that left Gilmore unconscious.
Sometime between 1929 and 1930, Gilmore was sent by the IRA to Russia to receive military training and to seek aid.
Gilmore was arrested yet again upon his return to Ireland in April 1931, charged with having resisted arrest ten months previously. In October tried to escape with the help of his brother Charlie and almost succeeded, using a plot involving mock pistols wrapped in silver to intimidate the guards. In the aftermath of the failed escape, his treatment in Arbour Hill prison from 1931-32 was abysmal. Gilmore once again refused to wear prison clothing because of his political status and remained naked in a windowless cell from October 1931 until February 1932. In June 1931 of a cache of weapons were discovered near Gilmore's home at Killakee in the Dublin mountains, which resulted in George and his brother Charlie being placed before a military tribunal which sentenced George to five years in prison and Charlie to three (in 1932 Fianna Fail came to power and the brothers were released). Neither recognised the authority of the court, with George stating "I do not want anybody to think I excuse myself for such a charge as having arms, I am admittedly hostile to British imperialism and international capitalism".
Gilmore's fortunes were dramatically altered when Fianna Fáil emerged victorious in the February 1932 general election. In the aftermath Frank Aiken, former Chief of Staff of the IRA and new minister for defence went to see Gilmore on March 9 and on the next day all republican prisoners were released as part of a general amnesty. 30,000 supporters greeted the prisoners at College Green, Dublin.
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George Gilmore
George Frederick Gilmore (5 May 1898 – 1985) was a Protestant Irish republican and communist who became an Irish Republican Army leader during the 1920s and 1930s. During his period of influence, Gilmore attempted to shift the IRA to the political left, but alongside Peadar O'Donnell and Frank Ryan he was expelled for his efforts. After leaving the IRA, Gilmore attempted to unite Irish republicanism under the banner of the Republican Congress, but ideological debates split the group apart. Afterwards, Gilmore removed himself from public life.
Born at Hillside Terrace in Howth, County Dublin, he was the second son of Philip Gilmore, an accountant originally from County Antrim, and Fanny Angus. Despite his father primarily working for Unionist landlords, and being educated at home, George and his brothers Harry and Charlie all turned towards Irish Republicanism. By 1916 Gilmore had become a member of Fianna Éireann, the Republican boy scouts, and later a member of the South County Dublin battalion of the Irish Volunteers.
He fought in the Irish Republican Army in the Irish War of Independence and in the Irish Civil War on the Anti-Treaty IRA side. During the civil war Gilmore was captured and imprisoned, but he managed to escape custody in August 1923, the aftermath of which caused riots as the remaining prisoners were placed in solitary confinement.
Following the end of the civil war, Gilmore served as the secretary of future Taoiseach Seán Lemass, as well alongside Frank Aiken. During the early 1920s Lemass, Aiken and Gilmore regularly meet with the IRA army council to represent the emerging political leadership of Irish republicanism that would coalesce as Fianna Fáil in 1926. The trio regularly sat opposite IRA leaders Frank Ryan, Peadar O'Donnell, and Seán Russell.
In October 1925 he and Lemass organised the escape of 19 IRA prisoners from Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. As part of the jailbreak, Gilmore impersonated a member of Garda Siochana. None of the 19 escapees were subsequently recaptured, and their escape served as a major propaganda coup. However, the next month, Gilmore was involved in a riot that took place on Armistice Day and he was subsequently arrested and sentenced to eighteen months in prison. Gilmore resisted the entire duration; first resisting the arrest and then, once imprisoned, refused to wear a prison uniform and went on hunger strike. Early in 1928 members of the IRA attacked Mountjoy Prison where Gilmore was held and shot the warden after a story emerged that Gilmore had previously been the victim of a vicious beating by the guards. Gilmore was released in 1929 but re-arrested and re-imprisoned almost immediately, resulting in a retaliatory beating by the guards that left Gilmore unconscious.
Sometime between 1929 and 1930, Gilmore was sent by the IRA to Russia to receive military training and to seek aid.
Gilmore was arrested yet again upon his return to Ireland in April 1931, charged with having resisted arrest ten months previously. In October tried to escape with the help of his brother Charlie and almost succeeded, using a plot involving mock pistols wrapped in silver to intimidate the guards. In the aftermath of the failed escape, his treatment in Arbour Hill prison from 1931-32 was abysmal. Gilmore once again refused to wear prison clothing because of his political status and remained naked in a windowless cell from October 1931 until February 1932. In June 1931 of a cache of weapons were discovered near Gilmore's home at Killakee in the Dublin mountains, which resulted in George and his brother Charlie being placed before a military tribunal which sentenced George to five years in prison and Charlie to three (in 1932 Fianna Fail came to power and the brothers were released). Neither recognised the authority of the court, with George stating "I do not want anybody to think I excuse myself for such a charge as having arms, I am admittedly hostile to British imperialism and international capitalism".
Gilmore's fortunes were dramatically altered when Fianna Fáil emerged victorious in the February 1932 general election. In the aftermath Frank Aiken, former Chief of Staff of the IRA and new minister for defence went to see Gilmore on March 9 and on the next day all republican prisoners were released as part of a general amnesty. 30,000 supporters greeted the prisoners at College Green, Dublin.