The social side of the army
"Wi' merry songs and friendly cracks,
I wat they did na weary;
An' unco' tales an' funny jokes,
Their sports were cheap an' cheery."
- Burns
The daily and nightly routine Of the Citizen Army was sensibly relieved by many merry events which lightened the dull gloom of monotonous organisation. In a great marquee which had been erected in Croydon Park during the summer months, every Sunday evening, popular concerts were held, at which the members of the army, their sweethearts, friends and relatives held high revel. Dancing, singing and piping kept the night perpetually young, and, after a hard week's work of drilling, parading, and routine duties, these gatherings were a welcome change, when discipline was relaxed, and the officers remembered they were human and joined hilariauslY in the fun and frolic of the moment.
Jim Larkin was the life and soul of these gatherings, and frequently the audience would imperiously demand "a song from Jim," who, after some coaxing, would, like the shy boy he sometimes was, sing in a hoarse, tremulous voice, amid a tense and reverent silence, the " Red Flag" or "The Risin' o' the Moon." And the deafening applausw, that \vould utake the stained flaps of the marquee shake with terror after the song had terminated, would have gladdened the heart of even Caruso.
During this time Jim Connolly was busy writing Labour Songs, and "Freedom's Pioneers," "The Call of Eireann," and "The Watchword of Labour" shortly became favourite melodies during the many routine marches of the Army.
Many striking and original festivals were held in the beautiful grounds of Croydon Park. Features were introduced into these that were never seen before in Irish-Ireland Aeridheachteanna. The first event held was an astonishing and most embarrassing success. It had been splendidly advertised, and the crowds attending were so enormous that most of the items on the programme had to be abandoned, and it was only by the kind and herculean efforts of Messrs. Burke and Harty, of the Gaelic Athletic Association, that the committee succeeded in running the five miles Marathon race,which event provoked the wildest enthusiasm of the onlookers. It was amusing and humanly tragic to watch the despairing efforts of the stewards to evolve order out of hopeless und irremediable chaos. Everybody was looking for everybody else; no systematic communication could be kept up between the different workers, for between each was always a dense, surging and impassable crowd. Bands played, artistes sang, and children danced desperately at the same moment. Jim Larkin hurried frantically about from place to place, threatening the stewards that if they did not do something he would send the people home; and the gallant Countess Markievicz tried frequently to be in ten places at the one time. By superhuman efforts the "Citizen Army's Attack on a Cowboy Stockade " was carried through, and this spectacular event, with the advancing army taking cover and firing as they advanced, the little stockade fringed by swaying trees, from which came sharp and savage fusilades, the closing in on the defenders, and their ultimate capture from the midst of the blazing stockade was a scene that was rapturously acclaimed, and well repaid the disordered tedium of the early evening; and when the Park was emptied of its huge assembly, tired stewards crept towards Croydon Park House, and in the deepening shadows began to count the gains of the day, ever and anon ejaculating, "Thanks be with God that it's all over!"
During the summer Croydon Park was used by groups of the workers as a night camp, and this practice gave to the army life a realistic emotion that was pleasurable to many natures. The rank and file slept in the huge marquee, beside which were pitched two small tents, one for the Commandant, Jim Larkin, and the other for the use of the Council officers that elected to spend the week-end in that way.
Each member was charged a shilling, and for this on Sunday morning he received at 6 a.m. a substantial bowl of milk and porridge, to be followed at eight by a satisfying breakfast of bacon, eggs, bread, butter and tea.
Though situated well within the boundaries of the city, Croydon Park was singularly pastoral and peaceful. Here indeed one could rest at ease "far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife," and its restful influence had a powerful potency for good in bringing the workers closer to the warm, beautiful, pulsing heart of Nature.
It was beautiful to sit at the door of one of the tents on a camp stool, and dreamily survey the surrounding scene: The fading May-blossoms, the petals of which strewed the grass like confetti on the shimmering wedding garments of Summer. The tarnished gold of a laburnum tree, that gleamed redly in the rays of the declining sun. The tall chestnut trees whose waxy blooms, like fat and fairy candles, now "'gan to pale their diminished fires,” and to view, here and there, beneath the sheltering arms of the lusty hedge, the ruby saucer-like blooms of the scarlet poppies as yet untouched by the childish vandals of the Irish Transport Union.
The surrounding trees were swaying clumps of melody which sprang from the swelling throats of numerous finches and linnets, and, sometimes, one was forced to ask the question, was all the strife with which man's life was coloured a shining light or a gloomy shade?
At times the stillness would be so strange that one would wonder if it were not death to again associate with man's noisy, selfish effort to explain and manifest human existence.
Ah, this book of Nature is the best Bible from which to learn charity towards all men and love towards all things.
"Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
Save where the beetle wheels his drowning flight,
And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds."
Here, with one's head in the bosom of Nature, to what a small compass shrinks even the Constitution of the Irish Citizen Army! How horrible is a glistening, oily rifle to one of the tiny daisies, that cowers in a rosy sleep at my very feet, happy in itself, and giving to the world to which it has been born the fullest beauty and fragrance that its simple nature has to give.
And then rings out with exasperating shrillness, the bugle-call declaring that it is time to retire, and as discipline is very strict in the night-camp, and the officer of the watch will shortly go his rounds to see that all is well, we leave the presence of the still redly-tinted skv,and withdraw to our tent, stretch ourselves upon the stretcher-bed, pull the blankets over our bodies, and try to go to sleep - to sleep - perchance to dream, and to wait till the loud notes of the Reveille wake us up at six o'clock on Sunday morning to make ready for the morning church-parade.
--------------------------------
CHAPTER VII
SOME GENERAL EVENTS
"For in and out, above, about, below,
'Tis nothing but a magic shadow's show,
Play'd in a box, whose candle is the sun,
Around which we phantom figures come and go!"
- Omar Khayyam
For some time Captain White had expressed dissatisfaction with the members attending the various parades, and finally signified his intention of resigning if conditions were not improved. But the difficulties surrounding the assemblies of the Citizen Army were so great, owing to the singular hours of the men's employment, that no appreciable improvement could be maintained, and in 1914 Captain White definitely severed his connection with the Citizen Army, and Jim Larkin was elected to the vacant position.
It is only fair to say that a quiet reflection of past events convinces the writer that Captain White did not obtain the ready and affectionate co-operation his nature craved for.
His efforts to understand the mysterious natures of working-men were earnest and constant, and were never fully appreciated by those amongst whom he spent his time and a good deal of his money.
But we feel sure that he will never be forgotten by those who knew him and worked by his side for many months.
He was a gentleman according, as Mitchel says, "to the British State and Constitution," but he was also a gentleman according to the kindly and benevolent law of Nature, and those who sat with him on the Council, and differed from him most, now wish to express their sincere affection for one who honestly and unselfishly endeavoured to use his gifts, natural and acquired, to lift the workers to a higher plane of usefulness and comfort.
Event succeeded event in the progress of the Citizen Army. The banner, the ideal of which was given by a sympathiser, and executed by Mr. McGahey, was generally admired, and its symbolic design of the Plough and the Stars was indeed strikingly original. The tallest man in the army was selected as banner-bearer, and he was always proud of his work, though the carrying of the flag, which was of large dimensions, was no easy task, particularly upon a breezy day.
A rifle-range was erected in Croydon Park, and in the evening Volunteers and members of the Citizen Army vied with each other in trying to demonstrate the peculiar skill of their several organisations. The summer evenings in Croydon Park were peaceful no longer, and as the Park was approached, the cannonade of the terrible Howth guns smote the ear, and formed the impression that the place was the practice ground of batteries of heavy artillery.
In 1914 an elaborate plan had been sketched by Jim Larkin for the organisation of all Ireland, and he spent some weeks designing a suitable travelling caravan, which was to consist of a living room and two small bedrooms, in which he and a few chosen followers were to tour the country, and to form companies of the Army in every hamlet and village in Ireland. It was a pity that circumstances prevented this scheme from being definitely carried out, for it would have given to the Irish Labour Movement a strength and a cohesion which was sadly needed, and the results would have been tremendously more effective than even those attained by his celebrated "Fiery Cross" campaign throughout England.
For many years to come the Irish people will follow leaders rather than principles, and in Larkin Labour had a leader for whom the Irish rural workers were waiting.
But the proposed scheme never materialised, and the Labour Movement and the Citizen Army were left to flourish as best they could in the industrial districts and the rural parts of county Dublin.
The divided difference in Ideal still flowed freely between the Volunteers and the Citizen Army, though on many occasions fraternal minglings testified of the deeper mutual understanding that existed between the two orgarrisations. The incidents that took place during the celebrated episode of the Howth gun-running had engendered a fellow-feeling between the rank and file of both movenrents, which was very near akin to comradeship.
At the funeral of the victims that took place in Dublin, subsequent to the unfortunate shooting in Bachelor's Walk, the guards of honour around the funeral corteges were composed of alternate units of members of the Citizen Army and Volunteers.
----------------------------
CHAPTER VIII
MARKING TIME
" In such times as these it is not meet that every nice offence should bear its comment." - Julius Caesar.
By their action in surrendering to the demand of the Parliamentary Party for the inclusion of a large number of nominees upon their Provisional Executive, the Volunteers made the cleavage of principle between themselves and the Citizen Army deeper than ever. By this inexplicable action the last link of tacit sympathy and union was broken. Whatever hope Labour had of the evolution of a progressive policy from the Volunteer movement was now utterly abandoned, and the Citizen Army was forced in defence of the aims of militant Labour to become more antagonistic in thought and action towards the Volunteers than ever before.
Trenchant articles denouncing the compact appeared in the Labour Press from the pen of Jim Larkin, and biting cartoons illustrative of the situation were drawn and published by "E. K." pictorially ridiculing the union of opposite forces. All hope of an eventual junction between the Citizen Army and the Volunteers was shattered, and, day by day, it became increasingly evident that in aim and objects the two forces were marching towards opposite poles. The National Volunteers, through the action of their Executive, had definitely joined hands with Labour's bitterest enemies, and Labour's only attitude could be one of bitter suspicion and militant opposition towards the results that were expected from the new amalgamation.
But the new situation which had so unexpectedly been created caused a division in the Council of the Irish Citizen Army itself.
A special meeting of the Council was summoned by the Secretary to discuss the possibility of members of the Council being allowed to continue an active and sympathetic connection with the Volunteer Movement. This thrust was aimed purposely at the Countess Markievicz, whom the Secretary knew to be actively sympathetic with the Volunteers, and to hold an official position on the Committee of one of the branches of Cumann na mBan, the women's auxiliary movement, to advance the cause of the Volunteers. The Council assembled, and there were present : Countess Markievicz, Richard Brannigan, S. Rogan, J. Fitzpatrick, P. O'Brien, J. O'Leary, T. Blair, T. Healy, P. J. Fox, J. McGowan, H. Broderick, T. Foran, M. Mullen, Sean Shelly, who presided, and the Secretary, S. 0 Cathasaigh.
The following was the motion moved by the Honorary Secretary:
" Seeing that Madame Markievicz was, through Cumann na mBan, attached to the Volunteers, and on intimate terms with many of the Volunteer leaders, and as the Volunteers' Association was, in its methods and aims, inimical to the first interests of Labour, it could not be expected that Madame could retain the confidence of the Council; and that she be now asked to sever her connection with either the Volunteers or the Irish Citizen Army."
The Secretary briefly pointed out the reasons he had for bringing forward the resolution, and remarked that he felt it was the most honest course to pursue, to state frankly to the Council and to Madame Markievicz the thoughts that fillecd his mind respecting her connection with an association with which the Irish Citizen Army differed so widely.
The resolution was vigorously opposed by Messrs. Fox, Foran, Brannigan, Broderick and Rogan, and, after a warm discussion, a vote of confidence in the Countess was proposed by H. Broderick, seconded by P. J. Fox, and carried by seven votes to six.
It was then moved that the Secretary be called upon to tender an apology to Countess Markievicz, and to this the meeting apparently agreed.
The Secretary said he could not apologise for saying what he believed to be the truth, and wrote out his resignation, which was accepted at a Council meeting held a few days following.
The Commandant, Jim Larkin, was anxious to avoid all appearances of disunion, and he called a general meeting of members to consider the whole question, which meeting was held in the Concert Room, Liberty Hall, which was filled with the members of the Army.
Jim explained the whole circumstances of the attack made upon the Countess, and sincerely deprecated it. He appealed to the Secretary to withdraw anything he had said, and allow everything in the army to proceed smoothly without friction or unnecessarv contention.
The Secretary briefly said he was sorry he could not do as Jim suggested, and that his decision was definite and final.
After some warm remonstrance on the part of the Commandant towards those whom he said evidently lacked the broadmindedness one would expect from them, the meeting harmoniously concluded by all of those present, excepting two members, taking the pledge to only serve and obey in a military capacity the officers of an Irish Republic.
----------------------------------
CHAPTER IX