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Photocopy of a letter from General Eoin O’Duffy of Irish Brigades, “Farney”, Merrion Park, Blackrock, county Dublin, to Tom Hayes, noting that he has sent Hayes’ certificate and the annual anniversary mass, ‘18 members of the Brigade have gone to their eternal reward R.I.P. & many others are in poor health since their [return]’, and also states ‘it would have been proud day for the Irish Bde to lead in the victorious march into Madrid yesterday: But it not to be. The British & Irish governments insured that. Concludes ‘“Time will justify our motive, we seek no praise, we did our duty, we went to Spain”’.

Photocopy of a letter from Frank B. Fitzgerald, Apartment Number 1, “Transvaal”, Fauvic Grouville, Jersey C1, former non-commissioned officer in Company of Irish Brigade to Des Ryan, noting why he chose to go to Spain, and stating ‘One of my first achievements was to blow up the armoured train which came from Madrid almost everyday’.

Photocopy of a letter from former Irish Brigadier, Frank B. Fitzgerald, Jersey, to Denis O’Shaughnassy, Corbally, county Limerick, complimenting his article in the Limerick Leader and outlining his life after returning from Spain, which included joining the R.A.F. In relation to Spain, notes the first casualty of the Irish Brigade, ‘It was Tom Hyde from Middletown Co Cork one of the flour milling family’, and also describes an attack on the railway line from Madrid noting ‘We blew the train off the track and all the train crew were killed’. In addition, mentions losses to the company and outlines a rescue operation of one of his men, stating ‘I raced up the left bank hoping I might save him. I grabbed his arm while I held on to a small bush on the bank three of my men pulled me and the man out. We wouldn’t have lasted another 30 secs.’ Also records training in base at Cáceres. Also contains section entitled ‘GENERAL FRANCO’S PART IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS’. Paginated.

Photocopy of a manuscript letter from [Flight Lieutenant] Mackay [to Lieutenant Colonel J. M. MacCarthy], confirming that he has been ‘treated with every possible consideration and respect’ by the IRA from the time of his being taken prisoner. Also a typescript copy of same, undated but post 1948. Also see P46/1/4/1/2.

Photocopy of a letter from Welsh landowner, Evan Morgan, Lord Tredegar, to Louis [La Fleur], as he made his way to the Canary Islands referring to his travelling companions on board the SS Alondra as ‘the vanguard of Genl. O’Duffy’s Greenshirts’, and stating ‘some of these gentlemen were by no means easy in their minds respecting the adventure into Spain. They had just received orders to go, so they went. Some had thrown up good job. One of the youngest, a certain Connolly, had had to leave a £12 a week job at the Ford car place at Dagenham… Connolly was endeavouring to work himself up to a bloodthirsty mood by studying the poems of Thomas Davis… This was a fine young fellow, far too good to be wasted on that affair’. Notes also reception at Las Palmas and Santa Cruz, military precautions, popularity of General Franco in the area, troops training in the Canaries and his interest in folklore. Copy of next page is missing.

Photocopy of a handwritten poem in memory of Joseph Cunningham, entitled Lest We Forget, which begins ‘He is gone but not forgotten, for his memory lingers still’, with an accompanying note celebrating the memory of Joseph Cunningham who ‘LEFT KNOCKBEG on Friday Nov 20th 1936. As an OFFICER IN THE IRISH BRIGADE WHO VOLUNTEERED FOR FRONTLINE SERVICE ON THE SIDE OF THE SPANISH INSURGENT CATHOLIC AGAINST THE OPPRESSIVE COMMUNISTIC GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN’.