Extract from a report from Seán Ronan to Seán Murphy (Dublin)
(Secret)

[matter omitted]

II. SYMPATHY FOR THE IRA IN IRISH-AMERICAN CIRCLES

There is no support for IRA activities among the membership of the Irish Fellowship Club which is the largest and the most responsible organization of Irish-Americans in Chicago. Their attachment to Ireland is largely sentimental and it is even doubtful if the bulk of the membership is very well informed about Ireland’s partition problem. Members of the AOH are more interested in Catholic action and it may be said that as an organization in Chicago this group is not particularly interested in IRA activities. However, people who are interested in Irish Organizations here very often are members of several societies so it may well be that certain individual members of AOH groups are sympathetic to the IRA. It can definitely be stated that the members of the ALUI and the Irish Ulster Liberty Legion are actively and openly sympathetic to what is termed the Republic Movement. They are not, however to be identified with IRA Clubs. The people who are active in these political Irish-American organizations are motivated by a strong British antipathy and they consider Irishmen taken prisoner by British or Six Counties police as heroes and martyrs. About a month ago I attended by invitation the monthly meeting of the Patrick Pearse Council, ALUI, ostensibly to endeavour to interest the membership in Irish products, but really to observe activities. Before I spoke, discussions were held on supporting demonstrations and appeals on behalf of Hungarian refugees and on the question of sending Christmas cards to IRA prisoners in England. It appears that last year a number of cards sent by the group to these prisoners were not delivered and the matter was taken up with the US post office. No action was forthcoming as receipts were not obtained for the post cards. This year the Secretary reported that she had dispatched a number of cards to the prisoners and obtained receipts therefore at a local post office. If the cards are not delivered on this occasion, the group will complain to the US post office and to the United Nations that their international rights as American citizens have been infringed.

At a meeting, a man named H. O’Neill Quinn who is an active IRA organizer in Chicago, distributed a large number of copies of the September and December issues of the ‘United Irishman’. I estimate that he must have had about 200 copies of each issue at the meeting. I enclose a copy each of these issues which I was able to obtain discreetly, and which are presumably available to the Department. This newspaper is widely distributed by O’Neill Quinn at meetings of other Irish-American political type organizations. It may also be said that these groups are not especially active in purchasing Irish products, and their interests lie more in supporting the so-called Republican movement. At the meeting I also noticed two men discussing a letter headed ‘The Fenian Society’ which was signed by a Mr. McGuigan of Philadelphia whose name and address were given in a recent Court case against IRA members in Dublin.

Another indication of the sympathy in these circles towards IRA activities is the number of letters written by Mr. Peter Hoban and others to the daily newspapers here recently openly supporting IRA acts of violence, in the Six Counties.

There are also about five radio programs in Chicago which broadcast for one or two hours each, weekly. Some of these from time to time laud the ‘Republican movement’ and advertise functions held to raise funds for the IRA. One of these, devoted its entire program early in January to playing Irish rebel songs, etc. as a tribute to the Republican prisoners in the Six Counties.

I have also been informed that certain Irish priests who are active in Irish circles have been attacked by individuals on the recent condemnation of IRA activities by the Church in Ireland.

At ALUI and Ulster Liberty Legion meetings, the IRA raiders in the Six Counties are referred to in glowing terms as ‘Irish Freedom Fighters’, and parallels are drawn between the Hungarian Revolt and the raids in the Six Counties.

III – FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE IRA

Since last summer there has been a vigorous drive by the political type clubs to collect funds for IRA purposes. Previous to that, functions were held to collect funds for Prisoners’ Aid and Dependents’ Relief. More recently funds were being solicited openly for direct IRA activities. A priest told me that at a Patrick Pearse Council meeting he saw H. O’Neill Quinn show another man a check stub for $2000.00 which had been sent to the IRA in Dublin. Last September, the Old Irish Republican Army Veterans Social Club sponsored a carnival from September 5th to 16th to raise funds for the IRA. The Consulate was even invited to participate and I attach correspondence for your information. On one of the Irish radio programs last December, the Secretary of the Chicago Irishmen’s Association boasted that his group collected $1500.00 for the Republican movement.

I was also informed by a member of the Kevin Barry IRA Club, whom I met quite by accident that these clubs have been in existence for a long time and that as occasion demands, levies of $50.00 and $100.00 are made on members. In addition, people who have been active in the National movement in Ireland from 1916 onwards, and who have emigrated to Chicago are expected to be members of these clubs and to contribute financially as occasion demands. I have also been informed that when the Illinois State Council of ALUI was wound up some months ago, Mr. Harford donated a balance of funds of about $300.00 held by the Council to the Republican movement.

Since the summer funds have been solicited widely for the so-called Republican movement from Irish born and Irish-Americans in Chicago. Even Irish doctor friends of mine who are not members of any Irish societies here have been approached.

Some of the Labor Unions in Chicago are also a source of funds for the IRA although I would say that this is entirely due to the influence of Mr. Peter Hoban. He has been responsible for the adoption by the Chicago and Illinois State Councils of the American Federation of Labor of resolutions favouring Irish unity. He is also in a very strong position to solicit funds from the Irish members of his Union and from Irish born and Irish-American officers and members of some other Labor Unions in Chicago. I estimate that in the last six months of 1956 at least $6,000.00 must have been collected in Chicago for IRA purposes.

You will probably have noticed reports in the New York Irish Echo early in January of combined meetings of Irish Clubs in New York and California to aid the so-called Republican movement. About three weeks ago a similar meeting of Irish groups was organized on the south side of Chicago. I was informed by one source that about $3,000 was raised at the meeting for the IRA. Another source stated that Peter Hoban presented a check for $500.00. A second check for $500.00 was presented and a pledge for a further $250.00 was made. Also smaller subscriptions totalling $300.00 were received. According to this information the total amount raised was $1550.00. Plans were also adopted for the holding of a series of dances at the West End Ballroom to raise further funds. It is intended that six such dances should be held there this year. The first such dance was held there last Sunday and the attendance numbered 967 persons. I heard that buses were hired to bring groups from the south side of Chicago to the dances. The facilities of the Hall were provided free of charge and one source estimates that between raffles and collections, about $2000.00 was raised. I was informed indirectly by another source that about $9000.00 had been raised mainly through a special collection at the dance. The response was stated to have been most enthusiastic and sums from $20.00 to $5.00 were being dropped on the table. The special collection was stated to have been earmarked for the procurement of arms.¹

I also noticed an appeal directed to the Irish in Ohio published some time ago in the Cleveland Irish Bulletin seeking contributions for the so-called Republican movement.

IV. EFFECT OF PRO-IRA ACTIVITIES ON THE ATTITUDE OF IRISH-AMERICANS TOWARD THE IRISH GOVERNMENT

I find that in Chicago Irish-Americans who are not members of Irish societies are friendly and well disposed towards the Irish Government. Members of the Irish Fellowship Club to whom I have spoken from time to time take the correct view that since the Irish State was established, the Irish Government is the legitimate body to deal with Irish domestic and foreign affairs, including partition, and this group is always anxious to meet and where possible, hold banquets for visiting members of the Irish Government. However, their support in the work of promoting Irish products is not as active or as keen as might be expected. They tend to take the view, probably correctly, that Irish products should find their own markets on a price and quality basis. I would say, however, that such groups are good potential from the tourist point of view. It may be said briefly that their interest in Ireland is now largely sentimental and on the local scene it is important to them to demonstrate their racial origin. >From this point of view they are very proud to be known as Irish. I might mention in this connection that in recent years the Irish Fellowship Club has devoted most of its surplus funds to the bringing to Chicago and putting on display in the Museum of Science and Industry here, the only German submarine which was captured during World War II.² Admiral Gallery, an Irish-American is credited with the capture. The Club has refused to donate funds for cultural scholarships or defraying the expenses of Ireland’s presentation in the ‘Christmas Around the World’ series held here each year. More recently they have rather reluctantly agreed to circulate a retail list of Irish products available in the United States to their members provided, however, that CTT³ defrays the cost of circulation. Several members of the Board objected to this proposal on the grounds that their membership should not be exposed to Commercialism, and it was only through the influence of Mayor Daley⁴ that they agreed to proceed with the project.

The political type organizations and IRA Clubs on the other hand are highly critical of successive Irish Governments. They take a somewhat standard view that somewhere along the line since the Irish State was established, the traditional spirit of Irish nationality lapsed and they feel that the educational system in Ireland and the way in which Irish history is taught are at fault. It is their view that Irish Governments have not been sufficiently active or aggressive in the matter of partition. Considering that the Irish State was established through recourse to arms they believe that the partition problem can only be solved in the same way. They also point out that rebellions occurred at intervals over the last couple of centuries and that the generations since 1916-1921 have been rather useless. They feel that the time has now come again to start a strong campaign of violence to achieve Irish unity. Although this was envisaged before the Hungarian Revolt, the example of the latter gave strong impetus to the notion.

V. EFFECT OF IRA ACTIVITIES ON THE ANTI-PARTITION CAMPAIGN

Irish-Americans in the Irish Fellowship Club usually take the view that the United States Congress has no business meddling in the affairs of other countries. In this connection, of course, it should be borne in mind that isolationism is still a force in the mid-west. Generally speaking such Irish-Americans are not particularly sympathetic towards the Fogarty resolution. However, because of anti-British feelings which are particularly stronger in the Midwest than any other part of the United States and with a view to attracting Irish votes, several Congressmen and Senators from this area have supported the Fogarty and Dirksen resolutions in the US Congress and Senate respectively. Senator Dirksen is of course the Republican Senator for Illinois and it is of interest to mention that he still resents the fact that while in Dublin during the Rebellion in 1916 he was arrested in his US Army uniform by British forces for a breach of curfew.

One of the manifest aims of the ALUI has been of course to solicit the support of Congressmen and Senators for the above resolutions. In years gone by, the Illinois State Council under Mr. Harford did very good work in approaching US Congressmen and Senators in the mid-west on the subject. Members of the ALUI Councils also wrote to their elected representatives about the matter but it is clear that the interest of the rank and file in Chicago in these resolutions was never particularly strong. The position now seems to be that there is no great active support from Irish groups here for the resolutions and those who are active in anti-partition work in Irish political, etc., and labor groups in Chicago are actively sympathetic to, and support the IRA. These are of course quite a small but active minority.

VI. ESTIMATION OF FUTURE TRENDS

There is no doubt that since the summer of 1955 sympathy and active support for IRA activities has been intensified in Chicago among the membership of political type organizations. An objective observer who has been here for many years has told me that in his opinion, since World War II, support for IRA activities has never been as strong in Chicago as during the past eight months. There are indications that in the present year the movement is gathering momentum and support here. I have heard that people who have never been particularly active in such matters are now attending meetings and speaking on behalf of the IRA. It is noteworthy that many younger emigrants of the tradesman type are active in the movement. In the course of time, the older elements will disappear but it may be expected that the tradition will be carried on by younger sympathisers who have settled here. At present the activities are at their highest pitch for many years and will continue for the present year or more as long as the IRA exists in Ireland. Nevertheless, you will see from the Survey of Irish Organizations above⁵ that in my opinion, the active supporters in Chicago can number no more than about 1,000 persons who, when organized, can raise funds for the IRA at the rate of approximately $10,000 to $15,000 a year. The total Irish-born population in Chicago according to the last US census in 1950 numbered 30,000 persons approximately and it is estimated that there are about 300,000 to 400,000 of Irish descent here.

I might add that I was informed by a person who came here from New York a short while ago that in his opinion pro-IRA activities are much stronger in New York than in Chicago. This opinion certainly is substantiated by accounts of pro-IRA activities published in the New York Irish-American newspapers.

Finally, I should like to mention that there is reason to believe that IRA sympathisers in Chicago are extremely sensitive to reports of Communist support of the IRA. Mr. Peter Hoban recently sent a long letter to the New World – the official Catholic newspaper of the Archdiocese of Chicago – denying any connection between the IRA and Communism. Having regard to recent statements of sympathy for IRA activities published in Pravda, it is interesting to recall that in instructions which he issued to Congress of the Internationale in Geneva in 1870, Karl Marx stated that England was the country where a real socialist revolution could be achieved, and to this end the first blow should be struck in Ireland where they were ready to begin the work (The Secret History of the Internationale by Onslow Yorke, p.156).

I am sending a copy of this report to the Ambassador at Washington.