The Howth Gun-Running and the Kilcoole Gun-Running: Recollections and Documents

by F.X. Martin (Editor), Mícheál Ó hAodha (Introduction)

This unique compendium of historical documents dating from 1914 - and collected by F.X. Martin in 1964 - is considered the definitive history of the Howth & Kilcoole Gun-Running. Written by the chief protagonists, these are remarkable first-hand accounts and provide a running commentary on the momentous events of July / August 1914, when German weapons were illegally landed by sea in Ireland. The rifles procured for the Irish Volunteers transformed perceptions of the organization and convinced many ordinary Nationalists that London would be obliged to deliver on the long promised implementation of Home Rule. The complex seaborne operation was replete with acts of courage and endeavor. The fascinating letters, diary entries, eyewitness accounts, and reports in this remarkable volume provide an unrivalled perspective of the event as it unfolded, ultimately constituting a genuinely extraordinary record of one of the most significant events in modern Irish history. This comprehensive collection is an essential record of the time. It is also notable for charting the early militant activism of Eamon de Valera, Liam Mellows, Sean McDiarmada, and many others who left their mark on the evolution of modern Ireland. Originally published by Browne and Nolan (1964) and now available from Merrion, the book includes, along with the original foreword by Eamon de Valera, a new foreword by Eamon O Cuiv, and a new introduction by Ruan O'Donnell and Micheal O hAodha.

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2014

About the author

Rev. Father Francis Xavier Martin, OSA