ROINN COSANTA. BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY, 1913-21 ...

STATEMENT BY TED O'SULLIVAN,GlenHouse, South Douglas Road,Cork.I was bornin Bantry on 26th July 1899. My parentswere. farmers. I was educated at Gurtycloon National Schoolwhere, on completion of my education, I was engaged as amonitor. I intended to enter the teaching profession.I joined the Irish Volunteers in Bantry in 1914. Thestrength of the unit was about 120. The pioneers in the workof organisation were:- Michael Murray, Michael O'Donovan,Michael O'Sullivan and James O'Callaghan. Training in theform of close order foot-drill was carried out under Gordona reserve officer of British Marines.When John Redmond, leader of the Irish ParliamentaryParty, appealed in his speech at Woodenbridge, Co. Wicklow,for recruits for the British army, saying that" would be aitdisgrace forever to our country reproach to her manhoodand a denial of the lessons of history, if young Irelandconfined their efforts to remaining at homeand shrinking from duty of proving on the field of battlethat gallantry and courage which have distinguished theirrace all through history" the members of the original IrishVolunteer Provisional Committee issued a manifesto to theIrish Volunteers repudiating Redmond's speech and expelling thenominees of the Irish Parliamentary Party from the IrishVolunteer Executive. This led to a split in the IrishVolunteers. The followers of John Redmond, to the number ofabout 30, now formed a new organisation The Irish NationalVolunteers. They were trained in the Redmondite Hall underDenis O'Shea. The majority of the original company continuedto serve as Irish Volunteers and trained in the Town Hall.