At almost 02.00 a.m on the morning of 14/08/1922, Barrack St was rudely awakened by the sound of breaking glass resulting from the explosion of a mine on the steps outside the Civic Guards Barracks. Amost every window in Barrack Street was broken. A mans shoe lay on a nearby windowsill. There was also a fatality, one of the men who had planted the mine was caught in the shrapnel blast explosion of the device after it had been placed on the top steps of the Barracks entrance. His name was James (Jimmy) Nolan.

 

Jimmy was one of nine children, born in Cunnahurt, outside of Nenagh to James Nolan and Lizzie Reidy on 06/03/1889. Jimmy was the only son from his fathers first marriage. Lizzie died in April 1890 of Tuberculosis and Jimmy's elder sister Alice died in May of the same year.

Jim senior was a farmer. However, Jim Jnr was no ordinary farmers son. He attended St Flannan’s College in Ennis and at one time was training for the priesthood. Deciding he wasnt suitable as clergy, he graduated from St Flannans and returned to Nenagh where he became a Rent Collector working at Nenagh Courthouse. While working in the CourtHouse, Jimmy is credited in 1917 Nenagh Guardian as being the Hon. Secretary for North Tipperary Coursing Club (Kilruane & Ballintotty).

 

According to the Rates Books for Nenagh, Jim leased the Corner House at Chapel Lane opposite the Hi-B, where he is noted as being a Wool Merchant, Barley buyer for Murphys Stout and agent for Killaloe Slates. In later years we would know this premises as Harty’s later Ryans Chemist. Jim also ran a Public House at 37 Castle Street. This was renumbered 41 on the Rate Book. It was later to become Annette Ayres Hair Salon.

 

After the death of Thomas Ashe who was forcibly fed while on hunger strike in Mountjoy in September 1917, the order was given that the Irish Volunteers were no longer to parade in secret at O’Briens at Solsboro but rather to form up outside the Courthouse. This led to the arrest of Frank McGrath and Bill Hoolan. Jimmy succeeded next as commandant and was in turn arrested himself under D.O.R.A. (Defence of the Realm Act) and sent to Cork Prison. The Nenagh Guardian of 23/02/1918 also records Jimmy and his father contributing financially to the Ashe memorial Fund.

 

William Gill, IRA Intelligence Officer, attested in 1933 that Jimmy devoted practically his whole time on active service with Tipperary No1 Brigade enduring both imprisonment and Hunger Strike. This was also confirmed by Frank McGrath, his fellow inmate and hunger striker. Jimmy was released from Cork Prison in December 1917 and a small party was given at the Courthouse in his honour. Later in June 1918, Jimmy found time to marry Mary Morrissey at St Mary’s R.C, Nenagh.

Jimmy continued his activities and is recorded in 1920  as having been one of the party who raided Hayes' house in Ballintotty for arms and ammunition.  He was accompanied by both Martin and Patrick Nolan. The same house was later raided a second time by Jimmy and Pat on 04/09/1920. That same night Jimmy led another raid on Breretons House, Rathurles once again accompanied by Pat.

 

When Terence McSwiney died on 25/10/1920 on hunger strike in Brixton Prison, the order went out that R.I.C. members were to be targeted as a reprisal. The local casualty was Constable McCarthy who was badly wounded in the leg on 02/11/1920. 

 

It was expected that Crown forces would retaliate and the IRA were prepared for this expecting an immediate attack on Nenagh Creamery. Jimmy was part of the 'A' Coy contingent defending the premises. As luck would have it the British never turned up but this may have been partly due to the accidental discharge  of a weapon by one of the IRA defenders. With the element of surprise taken from the would-be ambushers and defenders of Nenagh Creamery, they disbanded and retired to their respective billets. However, later around 07.00 a.m the following day, the Police and Army resurfaced and set fire to J.D. Flannery’s and both of Jimmy’s business premises in Castle St. To call a halt to the Arson, what is surprising is that it took a telegram from Major Dease, a former Nenagh resident who wrote to the War Office expressing concern at the increase and level of reprisals in Nenagh by the Crown.

 

Other casualties arising from the escalation in activity were the ambushing and shooting of the Crown Intelligence Officer Lieut Henry Hambleton on 04/11/1920 followed by the bayoneting and shooting of the O’Brien cousins, Thomas and John at Knigh on the 5th. Later that month, Dinny Carey, an IRA Lieutenant from Templederry would  be kidnapped from his lodgings in Nenagh and shot and fatally wounded in Wolftone Terrace on the 26/11/1920. 

 

In the meantime, Jimmy and his family were left without any place to live and bereft of income. A relative on his wife Mary’s side came to the rescue and put the family up in a flat in Graces St. The pub at 37 would be rebuilt in 1926. On the 08/04/1922 Jimmy and Mary welcomed a new addition to their family - Elizabeth Mary (Lil). On the Birth Register, the family were still living in Graces St and Jimmy still has Merchant as his trade. 

 

On 07/01/1921 – The Anglo-Irish Treaty is passed in the Dail by 64 votes to 57. A Truce came into effect ending hostilities between the IRA and the Crown on 11/07/1921 at noon. This effectively saw an end to the War of Independence. However, in Nenagh on 30/06/1922, fighting broke out between the Pro-treaty Free staters and the IRA Irregulars who were determind to continue the War. An uneasy peace had been in place previously with both sides taking turns to patrol the town. The National Army held the Military Barracks and the IRA held the former RIC station. Jimmy was one of the IRA Police who maintained law and order in Nenagh. Sinn Fein Arbitration Courts were already in place and were more popular in justice meted out than the Crown Assizes.

 

A case in point was when the new police collared a Black and Tan who had reneged on his debts to a local trader. He was compelled to honour said debts. Some other enterprising entrepreneurs thought that they could take advantage of the truce and the end of the R.I.C. but the IRA Police put them right on that score. One gang in particular had raided the 5 Alley Bar on the Limerick Road, but they were not only put to flight by the owner James Burke but were also recaptured by members of  ‘A’ Coy.

 

The local priest, Fr O’Halloran, tried to persuade Jimmy to continue in his role as Police but under the banner of the N.A., however Jimmy was having none of it and eventually the Barracks was abandoned leaving it to be occupied by Freestate Police.

Numerous attempts were made to persuade Jimmy to join the Freestate side but he declined. Eventually he was arrested by the Freestaters but subsequently released later by his cousin Ned O’Leary. Jimmy wound up in Birr attached to the IRA Garrison there, however this was soon after burned down to deny it to Free State forces. 

 

Back in Nenagh, Jimmy renewed the struggle. It was planned to place an explosive device against the Barrack Doorway, detonate it and then then rush the dazed occupants of the building seizing whatever they could. There were 26 men stationed at the Barracks at the time. Jimmy was in command of 14 men that night, all armed wth rifles and an Improvised Explosive Device. After the device was placed by Pat Nolan on the top step against the door of the Barracks it could be remotely detonated from the safety of a gateway entrance near Hassey’s Barbers.

 

Unfortunately the device initially failed to explode. After several attempts, when it eventually detonated Jimmy was caught in the blast and killed almost immediately. His body was carried to the steps of the Ormond Hotel by Pat but it was too late as Jimmy was already dead (the steps at that time were beside the gateway arch to the rear). A later inquest on 14/08/1922 would determine that Jimmy died from a piece of shrapnel that pierced both his heart and lung. This was confirmed by Dr Courtenay who was in attendance.

 

A trail of blood ran down Barrack St with a Battery being found ouside Hassey's Barbers. A neighbour woken by the blast is reported as having removed a hand grenade from Jimmy's pocket. Later a loaded revolver and spare ammunition were found on his body. Significantly, Jimmy was wearing his boots which led to the conjecture that the man who planted the device was barefoot which also accounted for the large spare shoe found on a nearby windowsill. Its owner was well used to tramping fields based on the condition of the shoe. One wonders therefore if there was more than one casualty.

 

In statements on the Pension Files of George Gleeson and John Ryan, it was customary for the removal of shoes for the reconnoitring of targets barefoot which might explain the prescence of an errant shoe. An abandoned rifle would also suggest that the leaderless, would be attackers gave up on their task and regrouped elsewhere. The IRA memorandum mentions nothing of what happened next or what the outcome was. On the day of Jimmy's funeral, Free State troops attempted to prevent any show of respect by trying to prevent the people of Nenagh from joining the cortege. They were unsuccessful.