Item 5 - Sound recording of an interview with Jimmy Kavanagh

Original Digital object not accessible

Identity area

Reference code

IE 2135 P13/1/3/5

Title

Sound recording of an interview with Jimmy Kavanagh

Date(s)

  • [1992] (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent and medium

1 item

Context area

Name of creator

(Fl. 1980s-2000s)

Biographical history

Robert Arthur Stradling is professor emeritus of history at Cardiff University, Wales, and a leading authority on the Spanish Civil War. He has published extensively on the topic and made a number of documentaries for Spanish television and BBC Wales.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

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.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

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

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • Béarla

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Original number

    P13/104

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    Status

    Level of detail

    Language(s)

      Script(s)

        Sources

        Digital object (Master) rights area

        Digital object (Reference) rights area

        Digital object (Thumbnail) rights area

        Accession area