The Unknown Vice-Commandant: A Grandson’s Account of Johnny Mc Sweeney, Vice-Commandant of the 2nd Battalion, Mid-Limerick Brigade IRA

The story of a Limerick City mid-ranking IRA Volunteer's experiences in the struggle for Irish independence.Penned by his grandson, this well-illustrated book delivers a detailed account of Johnny Mc Sweeney's various activities and experiences throughout the Irish revolutionary period. A Company Captain and later Vice-Commandant of the 2nd (City) Battalion of the Mid Limerick Brigade, his selfless service in the fight for Ireland's freedom extended across many frames of influence. From player, referee, and County Treasurer of the GAA, Mc Sweeney was also Head Centre of a Limerick IRB Circle, a figure in the establishment of Na Fianna Eireann and the Irish Volunteers in Limerick City.Mc Sweeney was one of the six men outvoted at the crucial brigade meeting to determine whether to proceed with the planned 1916 Easter insurrection in Limerick. His activities brought him into contact with nine of the executed leaders of the Rising and other nationally renowned waymakers of the period.Interned during the War of Independence in Wormwood Scrubs, London where he participated in the hunger strikes that garnered international attention. He was subsequently held in Ballykinlar Internment Camp, Co. Down. Mc Sweeney took the Republican side in the Civil War, assuming his station with the Anti-Treaty IRA Chief-of-Staff, Liam Lynch, in the New (Sarsfield) Barracks during the battle for Limerick City.While primarily a portrait of Mc Sweeney's selfless contributions, the book also presents a concisely parallel yet informative account of all the major events in the Irish struggle for independence, which makes no assumptions on the reader's knowledge of the period. It also highlights the understated role that Limerick played in this period. Drawing on his own fresh research, the writer also explores the city's famed Republican Plot's history. Presenting for the first time authoritative information of each person interred in the plot which was first opened following the Curfew Murders.

About the Author :
Patrick Mc Sweeney is a registered Architect, Accredited Conservation Architect and Building Surveyor. He holds a master's degree in Building Conservation and is a partner in his own architectural practice in Limerick. Patrick has a keen interest in history which is not only confined to the Irish revolutionary period. His broadhistorical appetite also includes our built heritage, the history of architecture and art. Mc Sweeney'shistorical interest is also reflected in his professional architectural activities, where he has gained significantexpertise specialising in the conservation of historic buildings.A proud Limerickman born and raised in the city, his hometown's rich historical and often overlooked background has always inspired Pat, and the endearing connections his late grandfather shared with the city eventually combined and blossomed into the book he pens today.Pat is a keen cyclist, which he actively pursues in his free time and is a member of the Limerick CyclingClub.

Review :
This publication not only details the life of Johnny Mc Sweeney but the atmosphere in Limerick during the revolutionary period from Easter 1916 to the Irish Civil War. It is wonderfully illustrated and easily accessible to the general audience.The chapter on those interred in the Republican plot, Mount Saint Lawrence cemetery, is a treat for those interested in graveyard studies. This chapter contains an image of the plot in 1922. Sharon Slater Historian It is an excellent local history story which goes into great detail on all the events that occurred in the city during this revolutionary period and highlights Limerick's understated role in the national struggle for independence. It also includes some great photographs some of which are colourised. In the recounting of Johnny's activities, the whole story of the Irish struggle for independence is also told/ explained in parallel through events that occurred both locally and nationally. It is told in an easy to understand, condensed but descriptive manner which makes no assumptions about the reader's knowledge of the period. Therefore, although primarily a biography, this book is also an easily understood reference guide for those wishing to gain a better understanding of this important period in Irish history. The book also includes an interesting chapter on the history of the city's Republican Plot and those interred there. The Irish War https: //www.theirishwar.com/the-forgotten-vice-commandant/?fbclid=IwAR0T2An3R7gTMCdknukRKH02sgHfOzyN-Lb4x4PqAd4xGiTEzY5wfpCCLok