The Life and Writings of John Doyle (Including the 1920-1922 War Diaries)

Here is a 42-minute interview I recorded with 88-year-old Michael Doyle from Glasheen, Cork City. Michael is originally from 13 Templeshannon in Enniscorthy, and he called to me yesterday to show me the diaries and writings of his uncle, John Doyle. In 1929, John set up the 1st Scouts group in Enniscorthy and kept all the records of the activities, newspaper cuttings, etc. However, it was a book from 1920 to 1922 that caught my attention. It appears John kept a diary of the incidents during the War of Independence and later Civil War years, and anything he heard or read via newspapers was accounted for. Every corner of Ireland was covered, from Belfast to Cork and from Sligo to his own native Wexford. Page after page was handwritten, and any account from Wexford was written in red ink so it stands out on the page. I never saw anything like it — accounts of everyone from the IRA to the RIC, and from civilians to the National Army during the Civil War years. Not only that, he cut out photos of some of the people, and they are as crisp and clear as the day they came off the printing press. On the front cover of the diary was a Memorial Card for Seamus Rafter, a local IRA Commandant from here in Ballindaggin who died in 1919. I couldn’t help but get my daughter Nellie to sing a song she has in honour of Seamus, and after we packed up all the camera gear, I took Michael up to the grave of Seamus in Ballindaggin graveyard. An incredible few hours, and fair dues to Johnny Doyle for keeping the records, and to Michael for preserving them. If you have 42 minutes, please listen to this interview. There is another video of the books too.