Thomas P. Irwin

Life
1901-?; b. Dublin, son of trade union leader; ed. Synge St., Irish Volunteers 1918-23; joined the Dublin Brigade of the IRA; interned; released after 12-day hunger strike; worked 40 years as Dublin Corporation maintenance foreman; four television plays; wrote Benson’s Flying Column: A Story of the Anglo-Irish War (1935) - i.e., the war against the Black and Tans - ded. to his brother in the IRA; other titles cited incl. The Gun; The Man They Could not Buy; The Blonde and the Beast; Electric Moments. IF2 DIW

Works
Benson’s Flying Column: A Story of the Anglo-Irish War (Dublin: Talbot Press 1935), 303pp.

Commentary
Richard Hawkins, Letter to the Editor, in History Ireland (March-April 2005) - writing in response to W.J. Lowe’s ‘Who were the Black-and-Tans?’ (HI, Autumn 2004) which raised the question of Irish membership of that force: "[...] A popular novel about the ‘Tan war’ from much closer to that time is Thomas P. Irwin’s Benson’s flying column (1936), in which one character, Lily O’Neill, uses her position at Dublin Castle to spy for the IRA. After her death, her brother Ernie, who works for the land commission, joins the Black-and-Tans (and is duly killed in an ambush by Benson and his men). As historical evidence, Benson’s flying column is not to be unreservedly recommended, but it shows the idea of an Irishman joining the Black-and-Tans as appalling (mainly because Ernie was the brother of the martyred Lily) but by no means incredible.’

References
Desmond Clarke, Ireland in Fiction: A Guide to Irish Novels, Tales, Romances and Folklore [Pt. 2] (Cork: Royal Carbery 1985), lists Benson’s Flying Column (1936, 1945), a pop. novel of the Black and Tan period; ded. to a brother (Sam Irwin) ‘who gave the best part of his youth to the Irish cause’ (Ded.) [DIW var. 1935]. There is a sequel, Murder from Headquarters.

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