Item 5 - Sound recording of an interview with Jimmy Kavanagh

1 item

Sound recording of an interview with Jimmy Kavanagh, Dublin who served in ‘C’ Company of Irish Brigade in Spain, by his son, James. Notes getting word from the Blueshirts about going to Spain, the trip to Galway, the storm at sea and the rescue operation, the journey to Spain, and impressions of Salamanca: ‘That’s where we were entertained. We were given lovely sandwiches, tea… cigarettes, everything’ and back on the train to Cáceres. Also records being fitted out in German uniforms at the barracks, their arrival at Ciempozeulos, and states of the Brigade, ‘the Irish Brigade did not see actually action, we were too small a company to go into action for a start, but we didn’t know that. We were really a garrison.’ Also recalls being on outpost duty, ‘we used to see movements… and I seen this movement and I said… “Hey look… there’s a Russian out there”… as the dawn broke… what was it?… It was an umbrella’. Notes also life in La Marañosa, and visit to a German battery, ‘the Germans that were there, there was no infantry… and they were a very proud lot, the Germans, ’cos they were nearly all officers, they wouldn’t speak to you… we didn’t know German’. In addition, records return to Cáceres before coming home, and on the subject of staying on, notes ‘those who wanted to could’ve stayed there but I was frightened to stay along with a good many more because in Cáceres when we were doing our training the Irish wasn’t all heroes, there was a lot of them very drunk and caused a lot of old trouble there and we became more or less unpopular.’ Records journey home to Dublin, and response of people in Ireland. Recording is poor quality and inaudible in parts.

This item comprises magnetic tape and is too fragile to be safely handled.

• Béarla