An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir March 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie 48 | BY CAPTAIN DANIEL AYIOTIS, OFFICER-IN-CHARGE, THE MILITARY ARCHIVES A s the former Officer-in-Charge of the Military Archives Comdt Stephen MacEoin observed in an article published in the Defence Forces Review 2016, commemoration, memory and history are three different things. Connecting all of them however, is the fact that they are affected by the avail- ability, or absence, of archives – those records deemed to be of enduring value as sources of documentary evidence. The Decade of Centenaries has not only seen a broadening of the availabil- ity of good primary sources but increasing equality of access to those records. At a talk in 2016 as part of the Imperial War Museum's Centenary Partnership Programme Comdt MacEoin described this phenomenon, aided by the internet and digitisa- tion of records, as a 'democratisation of history.' The State centenary commemorations of 1916 – encompass- ing both the Rising and the Somme – were confident, mature, nuanced, meaningful and commendable. This was thanks in no small part to the excellent work of Irish heritage professionals and institutions. In particular the Defence Forces and Dept. of Defence's own heritage institution, the Military Archives, played a very significant supporting role in these commemorations. (Be- fore I get accused of self-aggrandisement I was undertaking my archival training at the time so do not claim any credit!) We have now entered the centenary of the War of Indepen- dence, which will be followed closely by the cen- tenary of the Civil War. These com- memorations, as we have gotten used to hearing, will be more 'dif- ficult.' Personally, as an archivist at least, I think 'uncomfortable' is a better term. We have al- ready seen, for example, the discomfort in some quarters surrounding the commem- oration of the Soloheadbeg ambush. There is noth- ing difficult for archivists in making the documentary evidence of such episodes available, but there is evidently a natural discomfort in confronting them. The broadening and democratising of archival sources can and will reveal uncomfortable truths. Professor Michael Laffan, for example, has written on the subject of the War of Independence that 'as always happens in such conflict the poor were exploited and old scores were settled in the name of principle or patrio- tism. Warfare produced thugs as well as heroes.' That said, such instances shouldn't be over stated; the War of Independence was a defining event in the struggle for Irish freedom and indepen- dence, and the heroism and sacrifices of those who played a part serves to inspire pride and strengthen the nation to this day. Regardless of discomfort or difficulty, remembering and com- memorating our nation's history is important, and in order to do it properly and inclusively a thorough and nuanced understanding of that history is vital. In his book 'A Nation and Not a Rabble,' on the subject of Irish revolutionary commemoration Professor Diar- maid Ferriter references Catriona Crowe's comment that 'history, if it is to be in any way accurate, depends on good primary sourc- es.' As we have done to date, the Military Archives will continue to preserve and make available as broad a range of documentary evidential sources, both previously available and newly released, on the War of Independence and Civil War. If you are interested in researching the War of Independence, the following are some of our major resources at the Military Archives. If any readers have specific areas of interest our Duty Archivist can be contacted at militaryarchives@defenceforces.ie. The Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection (MSPC): Brigade Activity Records. The MSPC is the country's single most significant collection of archival material in relation to the War of Independence and the revolutionary period in general. The collec- tion consists of over a quarter of a million files, tracing their origin to the decision of the Oireachtas in June 1923 to compensate combatants and dependents of deceased combatants. The proj- ect began in 2008 and the first online release of material was in 2014. Given the extent of the collection, the records are released in tranches and to date well in excess of a million individual pages have been digitised and made available online. February 23rd seen the launch of the much-anticipated Brigade Activity Files series. These 151 files were compiled between 1935 and the mid-1940s by Brigade Committees, tasked with compiling the material in order to assist the Referee and Advisory Commit- tee in the consideration of pension applications made under the Military Service Pensions Act. This material will provide unprec- edented insight into the War of Independence and will transform local history research and commemoration. A full article dedicat- ed to the Brigade Activity Reports by the project manager, Cécile Gordon, will feature in an upcoming issue of An Cosantóir. The MSPC can be accessed at www.militaryarchives.ie. and the War of Independence Letter from Sinn Féin offices at 6 Harcourt St. in relation to Soloheadbeg ambush, Bureau of Military History, Contemporary Documents.

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