Decoding the IRAHistorian Tom Mahon, with the aid of cryptologist and code breaker James J. Gillogly, has spent the past few years breaking the IRA's secret communications code, used to pass messages back and forth between Ireland and America from the 1920s until the 1930s - and the results are explosive. From discussions about matters to considerations of deals with the USSR and China, the IRA letters delve into just about every matter conceivable for a paramilitary organization. Some of the ideas are discussions about money and the likelihood of infiltration but others, like the proposal to source nerve gas for use in Ireland, are a dangerous and unnerving insight into how the organization saw itself and conducted its business. With the eye of a historian and the tools of a professional code breaker, Thomas Mahon and James J. Gillogly have together created a wonderful and engrossing read. |
Contents
Key Characters | 7 |
Introduction | 9 |
Breaking the Ciphers | 22 |
The IRAs system of communications | 50 |
A New Leadership 19261927 | 66 |
The IRAs local units | 122 |
Intelligence | 138 |
The IRA in Britain | 158 |
Conclusion | 281 |
Epilogue | 283 |
Organisations groups and technical terms | 285 |
The Mystery Woman | 288 |
Notes | 292 |
| 332 | |
Acknowledgements | 335 |
| 338 | |
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Common terms and phrases
20 April adjt adjutant agent America Andy Cooney Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish War Army Council Army Executive arrested attacks barracks bombs British Chairman chief of staff cipher Civil Clan na Gael communications Communist Connie Neenan County courier Dáil December decryption despatches director of intelligence documents Dublin Dublin brigade Éamon de Valera election encrypted Fianna Fáil Frank Aiken Free gardaí George Gilmore Hanley Ibid intelligence officer IRA officers IRA's Ireland Irish Republican Irish-American James January Jones Kerry keyword later leadership letter Liverpool London MacEoin McGarrity MD to HS Mick Price military Moss Twomey MTUCDA MTUCDA P69 Neenan November OC in Britain October organisation papers passport Peadar O'Donnell Phoblacht plain text police political prison raids reported Russians Seán MacBride Seán Russell secret sent September 1926 Sinn Féin smuggling Soviet Special Branch tear gas Timthire tion Twilight Twomey wrote Unsigned weapons York