Liam Tobin
Encyclopedia
Major General Liam Tobin (born William Joseph Tobin in 1895) was an Irish statesman and officer in the Irish Army
. During the Irish War of Independence
, he served as an IRA intelligence officer for Michael Collins
' Squad.
, the eldest son of Mary Agnes & David Tobin, a Hardware Clerk. Tobin had two younger siblings, Katherine & Nicholas Augustine Tobin, also born in Cork City. Tobin's family moved to John St in Kilkenny and then to Dublin. Tobin went to school in Kilkenny and was an apprentice in a hardware
shop at the time of the Rising. As a participant in the Easter Rising
he fought in the Four Courts Garrison under Edward Daly. He was arrested and courtmartialed. He was sentenced to death and then had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. He was a prisoner in Kilmainham, Mountjoy, Lewes, Dartmoor, Broadmoor and Pentonville prison. He was released in June 1917.
. Tobin constructed detailed profiles of everyone remotely connected to the British Government, often using Who's Who
, The Times
, and The Morning Post. Tobin was involved in planning the assassinations of British soldiers, informants, members of the Royal Irish Constabulary
, the Dublin Metropolitan Police
, and operatives of MI5
.
Collins' intelligence operations were based at 3 Crow Street, Dublin, where Tobin had the assistance of Tom Cullen and Frank Thornton.
In October 1921, Tobin travelled with the Irish Treaty Delegation as part of Collins' personal staff.
, he was appointed Deputy Director of Intelligence in the new State and assigned to the Criminal Investigation Department
based at Oriel House
. However Collins would soon replace him with Joseph McGrath
. Tobin was made Director of Intelligence in September 1922 and joined the Army Council. He was removed from intelligence in November 1922 and transferred to be ADC to the new Governor General Tim Healy.
With the outbreak of the Irish Civil War
, Tobin remained loyal to Collins and took the Pro-Treaty side, where he led in the fight against the Anti-Treaty IRA in the south. Disillusioned with the continuing hostilities and in the aftermath of the death of General Collins he formed an association called the IRA Organisation (IRAO) or "Old Irish Republican Army
" to distinguish themselves from the anti-treaty insurgents. Tobin believed in the stepping stone doctrine which saw the Treaty as a stage towards full independence.
The cabinet, already wary of the Irish Army
, ordered an inquiry and appointed Garda Commissioner Eoin O'Duffy
to the army command.
On 18 March, the mutineers assembled with hostile intent at a Dublin pub. An order was made to arrest the mutineers and the cabinet demanded the resignation of the army council. The generals resigned, affirming the subservience of the military to the civilian government of the new state .
Party. Tobin joined up with Joseph McGrath to form the Irish Hospital Sweepstakes in the 1930s. Many other former army comrades found work in this lottery. Tobin left the Sweep in 1938. After World War II
, Tobin became Superintendent of the Oireacthas for the Irish Dáil.
in Neil Jordan
's biopic Michael Collins
.
Irish Army
The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...
. During the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
, he served as an IRA intelligence officer for Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
' Squad.
Early life
Tobin was born in 1895 CorkCork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, the eldest son of Mary Agnes & David Tobin, a Hardware Clerk. Tobin had two younger siblings, Katherine & Nicholas Augustine Tobin, also born in Cork City. Tobin's family moved to John St in Kilkenny and then to Dublin. Tobin went to school in Kilkenny and was an apprentice in a hardware
Hardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
shop at the time of the Rising. As a participant in the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
he fought in the Four Courts Garrison under Edward Daly. He was arrested and courtmartialed. He was sentenced to death and then had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. He was a prisoner in Kilmainham, Mountjoy, Lewes, Dartmoor, Broadmoor and Pentonville prison. He was released in June 1917.
The Intelligence War
Early in 1919, Tobin had become Collins' chief executive in the Intelligence Directorate, handling many spies in Dublin Castle, amongst others, information from double agent David NeliganDavid Neligan
David Neligan , known by his soubriquet "The Spy in the Castle", was an important figure involved in the Irish War of Independence 1919-1921, and subsequently became Director of Intelligence for the Irish Army after the Irish Civil War -Early life:David Neligan was born at Templeglantine, Limerick,...
. Tobin constructed detailed profiles of everyone remotely connected to the British Government, often using Who's Who
Who's Who (UK)
Who's Who is an annual British publication of biographies which vary in length of about 30,000 living notable Britons.-History:...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, and The Morning Post. Tobin was involved in planning the assassinations of British soldiers, informants, members of the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
, the Dublin Metropolitan Police
Dublin Metropolitan Police
The Dublin Metropolitan Police was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána.-19th century:...
, and operatives of MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
.
Collins' intelligence operations were based at 3 Crow Street, Dublin, where Tobin had the assistance of Tom Cullen and Frank Thornton.
In October 1921, Tobin travelled with the Irish Treaty Delegation as part of Collins' personal staff.
Irish Free State
Following the Anglo-Irish TreatyAnglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
, he was appointed Deputy Director of Intelligence in the new State and assigned to the Criminal Investigation Department
Criminal Investigation Department (Ireland)
The Criminal Investigation Department in the Irish Free State was an armed, plain-clothed counter-insurgency police unit that operated during the Irish Civil War. It was organised separately from the unarmed Civic Guard police force...
based at Oriel House
Oriel House, Westland Row
Oriel House, Westland Row is a building at the intersection of Westland Row and Fenian Street in Dublin.It was the headquarters of Dunlop Rubber, and the address at which the original pneumatic tyre patent was draughted in 1893 'for the wheels of Velocipedes and other Vehicles'.During the Irish...
. However Collins would soon replace him with Joseph McGrath
Joseph McGrath (politician)
Joseph McGrath was an Irish politician and businessman. He was a Sinn Féin and later a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála for various constituencies in Dublin and County Mayo and developed widespread business interests.-Political career:McGrath was born in Dublin in 1887...
. Tobin was made Director of Intelligence in September 1922 and joined the Army Council. He was removed from intelligence in November 1922 and transferred to be ADC to the new Governor General Tim Healy.
With the outbreak of the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
, Tobin remained loyal to Collins and took the Pro-Treaty side, where he led in the fight against the Anti-Treaty IRA in the south. Disillusioned with the continuing hostilities and in the aftermath of the death of General Collins he formed an association called the IRA Organisation (IRAO) or "Old Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
" to distinguish themselves from the anti-treaty insurgents. Tobin believed in the stepping stone doctrine which saw the Treaty as a stage towards full independence.
The Army Mutiny
In March 1924 Tobin, together with Colonel Charles Dalton, sent an ultimatum to President W. T. Cosgrave demanding an end to the army demobilisation following the end of the Civil WarIrish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
The cabinet, already wary of the Irish Army
Irish Army
The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...
, ordered an inquiry and appointed Garda Commissioner Eoin O'Duffy
Eoin O'Duffy
Eoin O'Duffy was in succession a Teachta Dála , the Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army , the second Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, leader of the Army Comrades Association and then the first leader of Fine Gael , before leading the Irish Brigade to fight for Francisco Franco during...
to the army command.
On 18 March, the mutineers assembled with hostile intent at a Dublin pub. An order was made to arrest the mutineers and the cabinet demanded the resignation of the army council. The generals resigned, affirming the subservience of the military to the civilian government of the new state .
Later life
In later years, Tobin would rebuild relations with his Civil War foes and joined De Valera's Anti-Treaty Fianna FáilFianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
Party. Tobin joined up with Joseph McGrath to form the Irish Hospital Sweepstakes in the 1930s. Many other former army comrades found work in this lottery. Tobin left the Sweep in 1938. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Tobin became Superintendent of the Oireacthas for the Irish Dáil.
In popular culture
Tobin was portrayed by actor Brendan GleesonBrendan Gleeson
Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor. His best-known films include Braveheart, Gangs of New York, In Bruges, 28 Days Later, the Harry Potter films, The Guard and the role of Michael Collins in The Treaty...
in Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
's biopic Michael Collins
Michael Collins (film)
Michael Collins is a 1996 historical biopic written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam Neeson as General Michael Collins, the Irish patriot and revolutionary who died in the Irish Civil War. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival....
.
Further reading
- Michael Collins: A Life; James Mackay.