Mick McEvoy packed a lot into his long service for Irish independence. From early raids for arms and explosives tests in the Dublin Mountains to Special Duty activities in Britain and operations with the Squad in Dublin, he soldiered for almost fourteen years. He was involved in a few notable IRA operations in England as well as in his native Dublin. Ironically he seems to have been well-in with Rory O’Connor and Mick Collins who would sadly become enemies in 1922 and both die before that year was out. He chose to follow Collins and survived that conflict. However, he is not among the most well-known Old IRA men and, sadly, lies in an unmarked grave.

Origin and Background

Burning of Dublin Custom House 1921
OSI Maps

Michael Christopher McEvoy was born 10 July 1896 at 18 South King Street to Dubliners Michael McEvoy, a Woodcarver and Roseanna neé Fleming. Nine McEvoy children survived from twelve born. The first four boys were born in Glasgow, Scotland where their parents had married in 1882. In the 1891 Census of Scotland they were recorded in the District of Calton, before returning to Ireland around 1894. A son named Michael (born in Glasgow in 1885) died in Dublin in 1895.

The subject of this article was named for that deceased brother, an old Irish custom. His other siblings known were: Edward, James, Joseph, Patrick, Thomas (died 1914), Richard (died 1919), Mary and Roseanna (died 1933).

In the Irish censuses of 1901 and 1911, the McEvoys were recorded at South King Street. In the latter, young Mick was aged 14 and working as a Telegraph Messenger for the Post Office.

An Early Volunteer

Mick’s father Michael senior passed away in 1915. He would be described as “I.R.B (’87)” in his widow’s Death Notice in 1944. Perhaps it was his father’s influence which, in the previous year, had motivated Mick to join the Volunteers A Coy, 3rd Battalion, Dublin Brigade.

In his Military Service Pension application (online Ref. 24SP7314), he says he was working in a Scottish shipyard in 1916 and was arrested at Greenock in April after he was found carrying a Volunteer Membership Card. He was court-martialled, escorted to Ayr and “put into” the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He deserted that August and returned to Ireland. Having lost his Post Office job, he said Michael Collins arranged work in Cavan for him. Other jobs he held were with Jacobs’ Biscuits, Dublin Corporation and the Post Office Telephone Branch as a Linesman.

Initial Actions

In early 1917 he rejoined his old unit in Dublin until transferring to what would become the 5th Battalion (Engineers) as Captain of No. 3 Coy, eighteen months later. He said general activities were initially routine – raids for arms and experiments with explosives. However, as hostilities increased he went on to take part in the wrecking of the Irish Independent’s printing machinery on 21 December 1919 (The paper was seen by the IRA as vehemently anti-Republican, given – among other editorial views expressed – its strong condemnation of the recent attempted assassination of Lord Lieutenant French at Ashtown and calling fatality Vol. Martin Savage and his comrades murderers).

Burning of Dublin Custom House 1921

The IRA replicated the censorship tactics of the British who, in that same timescale, had suppressed the Freeman’s Journal for its publication of seditious views. While the British action was condemned widely at home and abroad, the IRA’s operation received less odium and proved a propaganda coup as well as causing moderation of the Irish Independent’s views from then on.

In August 1920, McEvoy was in charge of a party of twelve who burned out the vacated Stepaside RIC Barracks; and later led a raid for arms on Dalkey Castle. He also prepared mines for the planned but aborted rescue of Kevin Barry, destined to be hanged on 1 November.

Death on a Mountain

On another sombre note, McEvoy says “one of his men”, Vol. Seán Doyle (19), was killed in the Dublin Mountains. This had occurred on 19 September 1920 when Auxies based nearby surrounded a large but unarmed Engineer Battalion party engaged in training at a camp set up in Kilmashogue and opened fire on a small group of the IRA men. The others were all arrested. McEvoy had kept up experiments with mines and bombs and, at the same time, he was with a second party of IRA further up the mountain observing tests on newly developed explosives, known as ‘war flour’ (said to have been invented by a Christian Brother who was present that day). Others there included senior men Rory O’Connor and Richard Mulcahy, with Liam Archer, Jack Plunkett, Liam Doherty and James Tully. They were not spotted by the Auxies who left the camp with their prisoners. McEvoy claims he “was responsible for getting Gen. Mulcahy, Major Archer, Peadar Clancy and Jack Plunkett away” from the area after the shooting.

Burning of Dublin Custom House 1921
Seán Doyle’s funeral procession passing the old Richmond (later Kehoe) Barracks (Courtesy of Diarmuid O’Connor)

It turned out the IRA had been forewarned by the Rathfarnham Coy’s intelligence of the Auxies’ presence but, nevertheless, it had been decided to proceed. Opinions are divided over who over-rode the tip-off. Jack Plunkett (BMH.WS 865) put it down to Rory O’Connor (Director of Engineering), while Liam Archer (BMH.WS0819) said Mick McEvoy had “derided” the warning. It is interesting that McEvoy is quoted as calling the fatality “one of my men” – in fact McEvoy was in no. 3 Coy while Doyle was in No. 4 Coy (both of 5th Battalion). Perhaps this showed a pang of guilt or remorse over the avoidable and sad loss of the teenaged Seán Doyle? But at least he had not forgotten his fallen comrade.

Back to Britain

In December 1920, McEvoy was picked by Rory O’Connor, newly appointed IRA O/C Britain (IRA Area No. 3), for a special mission to the North of England and Scotland to galvanise local Republicans into action and help with the exportation of arms and ammunition back to Ireland. His work led to a campaign of widespread arson attacks, starting around March 1921, in the Tyneside and Teeside areas. Targets ranged from haystacks and hay barns in the countryside to industrial warehouses, a waterworks and even an oil refinery in Newcastle. No lives were lost but property damage was extensive and costly.

And Home Again

McEvoy arrived back in Dublin in early 1921 and was living at 33 Erne Street (off Pearse Street). Around that time he joined up with the Squad. He said he was already a full-time paid IRA man under Rory O’Connor from his time in England. It appears he was also close to Michael Collins who had a keen interest in IRA activities in Britain.

That period in the War of Independence was a relatively quiet time for the Squad as the Dublin ASU carried on most of the offensive activities against the British in the capital. But one big job they did was the capture of an armoured car at the City Abattoir on 14 May in which Mick McEvoy played a part. Although not mentioned in any other sources traced, fellow Squad man Mick Kennedy stated in his pension reference that McEvoy was involved.

Not too long afterwards he was participating in the burning of the Custom House on the 25th when he was arrested and interned in Kilmainham Gaol. During his time there he did not sign any autograph books we know of and stayed under the radar again. Interestingly, he says he was released on 25 October (ahead of the general amnesty in December); and the following month was again sent by Rory O’Connor to England to re-organise IRA forces there, returning to Dublin in early 1922.

Civil War and Marriage

Mick rejoined his old comrades at the combined Squad/ASU base in Celbridge, Co Kildare and enlisted with the Dublin Guard, National Army. He was a co-signatory of the pro-Treaty Dublin IRA Mobilisation Order published in the press on 1 April 1922. During the Civil War he served in Limerick City. While based in Hanratty’s Hotel, the National Army’s local HQ, he married his fiancé Brigid Reid from Celbridge, Co. Kildare in St. Joseph’s Church on 6 September 1922. A photo of the wedding party appeared in the Irish Independent shortly afterwards. The couple set up home in Rialto, Dublin.

Burning of Dublin Custom House 1921
With thanks to John Dorins

In the November Army Census he is shown as a Commandant with the Army Ordnance Corps at Portobello Barracks, Dublin. He later moved to Islandbridge Barracks in the Quarter Master General’s Department and remained in that post until retirement in 1928.

He was awarded a Military Service Pension recognising eight-and-one-third years service which represented a good proportion of his time in the Volunteers and IRA in comparison to some awards to others.

Later Life

As far as is known the McEvoy couple had no children. After Mick left the Army they ran a pub in Newbridge, Co. Kildare for a while before suffering financial problems. They then went back to Dublin, first living at 22 Hollybank Road, then around the corner at 4 Shanganagh Road (now named Iona Avenue) in Drumcondra. He worked with the Department of Health as a Ward Master or Messenger.

Burning of Dublin Custom House 1921

His mother Rosanna passed away in 1944. Her Death Notice paid an interesting tribute to her long-deceased husband’s membership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. We can imagine that was drafted by his son Mick (who never mentioned being a member himself).

In 1950, Mick was awarded a Service Certificate for his role with the Squad but does not appear in any photos from that event. In fact we have not found any image of him other than the blurry wedding picture. He seems to have lived a quiet life, working in his last years before retirement as a Dispensary Porter for the Department of Heath. Michael McEvoy passed away at his home on 11 March 1959 aged 62, a married and retired Civil Servant.

Burning of Dublin Custom House 1921

Buried in Glasnevin Cemetery (plot TD62.5, St. Paul’s section), Mick was survived by his widow Brigid (until her death in 1981), a brother and a sister. Sadly, in death as in life, this member of the Custom House Fire Brigade remains out of view as he has no headstone to mark his resting place.

Des White