Papers of Captain P.M. Moynihan, I.R.A. postal intelligence officer, afterwards Director of C.I.D. at Oriel House, Dublin,
1911-1946.
Collection comprises of mainly material relating to the I.R.A. and Free State postal censorship including intelligence operations in period 1918-23. Collection includes correspondence, newscuttings and recollections by Moynihan.
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| Main Creator: | |
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| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | |
| Notes: | Physical description: 3 folders (37 items). |
| Arrangement: | Fonds |
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Papers of Captain P.M. Moynihan, I.R.A. postal intelligence officer, afterwards Director of C.I.D. at Oriel House, Dublin,
1911-1946.
| In Collection: | Papers of Captain P.M. Moynihan, I.R.A. postal intelligence officer, afterwards Director of C.I.D. at Oriel House, Dublin, 1911-1946. |
|---|---|
| Description: | Collection comprises of mainly material relating to the I.R.A. and Free State postal censorship including intelligence operations in period 1918-23. Collection includes correspondence, newscuttings and recollections by Moynihan. Patrick Michael Moynihan was born in Clonakilty, Co. Cork, and was appointed "blind" clerk at the Post Office in Cork. His duty was to interpret the illegible addresses on envelopes to help postal clerks sort the mail. In 1910 he was dismissed from the Post Office because of his political activities and nationalist sympathies. Thomas Clarke got him a position in the G.P.O. in Dublin as a translator of Irish addresses (previously such addresses had been regarded as "Blind"). By 1918 Moynihan earned the confidence of Michael Collins who made him IRA Chief Intelligence Officer in the GPO. When the British authorities tried counter espionage, they went to Moynihan not realising he was already a spy for Collins. He was known both to the IRA and the British authorities as "Number 118". Eighty IRA men on the GPO staff were under his direction and they captured hundreds of thousands of Government letters. All Government letters were passed on to Moynihan who passed them on to Michael Collins at Kirwan's or at the Knocknagow Dairy in Parnell Street. There were three separate offices in the city where the "confiscated" letters were opened and dealt with. Moynihan did undercover work posing as "George Moreland". After the signing of the Treaty, Moynihan was appointed Director-General of the CID at Oriel House and later the Chief Investigation Officer of the GPO. He died in April 1947 with his wife after being gassed at their home at 1 Ulster Terrace, Stillorgan Park, Blackrock, Dublin. |
| Main Creator: | |
| Language: | English |
| Extent: | 3 folders (37 items). |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Call Number: |
MS 18,466
(Manuscripts Reading Room) |
| Rights: | Reproduction rights owned by the National Library of Ireland. |