Tom Barry - Guerilla days in Ireland TG4

A documentary on the life of General Tom Barry, legendary IRA guerrilla leader of the Third West Cork Brigade. The programme deals with the controversies threatening the Barry legend, raised by the late Peter Hart, including the false surrender at Kilmichael ambush.
No copyright infringements intended, uploaded for educational purposes
Broadcast on TG4 Wed, 19 Jan, 2011

[@tomhayes316]

My Grandfather James Hayes fought along side Tom Barry. He promised Tom Barry he would name a son after him. He named my dad Thomas Barry Hayes who was born in 1941 in Boston. My name is Thomas Barry Hayes Jr. born in 1968 and my son is Thomas Barry Hayes III born in 1998. I have photos of my dad as a child sitting on Tom Barry’s lap. Great history.

[@IrishGalnProud]

Such a lovely way to respect someone and carry on their memory!

[@damenwhelan3236]

Thank you. We are survived in blood by our sons and daughters but memorialised in our stories and the affects we leave for those to come after. Thank you for sharing this story.

[@jamesorourke1075]

Glad we won't forget Tom Barry or the 1million Irish starved to death by you know who.

[@californiadreamin8423]

A gripping story from start to finish. “ May the troubles of Erin be over, May the bubble of peace be preserved, May the white dove inspire the people of Ireland, Peace is the least they deserve “……Vin Garbutt.

[@seanmurphy6096]

Thank you very much for uploading. I rewatch this a lot.

[@ogrebattle22763]

He was an interesting man... Barry took a militant line on the Northern Ireland conflict 1969, he felt at the time in 1971 that peaceful means would never achieve Irish unity and supported armed action... he remained opposed to IRA bombing of civilian targets however... by 1977, he appeared to have grown disillusioned with the IRA campaign, stating, 'the men who were carrying out the recent killings... could not be called IRA'. He refused in that year to lend his support to Provisional IRA hunger strikers in Portlaoise Prison. He was against the tactics of the Provisional IRA campaign, particularly their use of car bombs against civilians, though he did defend attacks on British soldiers on active duty in Northern Ireland. “I back the right of Republicans to shoot, kill and bomb British occupying forces. Nobody can deny that. But I do not back the bombing of obvious civilian targets like pubs and that bloody carry-on...They have a perfect right to attack occupying forces, but nobody has the right to bomb civilian targets. Nobody... I wouldn't have done the Birmingham job if it was going to set Ireland free and flowing with milk and honey.

[@davebrayfb]

I think Barry & Brendan Hughes were the best commanders the IRA ever had. When you say "Kilmichael" you instantly think of Barry, Bobby Sands wrote a poem dedicated to Barry when he died. Hughes & the Dogs of D-Company inflicted huge casualties on the British forces in the 1971 - 1975 period. Their records speak for themselves, but you really need to read their memoirs to understand how great they are. The ambushes at Kilmichael & Crossbarry, Hughes's D-company attack on the 4-square Laundry were perfectly executed ambushes. People like Ho Chi Minh & Vo Ngyuney Giap studied Barry's "Guerrillas Days in Ireland".

[@shutup2751]

also think barry was a nationalist more than anything, not a hardline nationalist but dont think he really was too keen on some of SF's left leaning policies

[@joehart7260]

@@davebrayfb Hughes was operational commander on Bloody Friday in 1972. Nine people were killed and 130 seriously injured. When the bombs started going off he said that he realised there were too many, but what a time for him to realise that! He suffered terribly after the Good Friday Agreement when all those deaths were on his conscience. Operationally he was a good commander but he wasn't smart enough to realise compromises would have to be made in the end.

[@bahamastarry3054]

I approve of this message.

[@WoodwoseTransmissions]

Great upload. Thanks.

[@Weegus]

Thoroughly enjoyed this bit of history.

[@damenwhelan3236]

Ruthless and kind aren't conflicting traits. But I suppose it is hard to reconcile the knowledge of such gentle kind nature to the awareness of the tactical calculating mind of deviousness. We would be lost without such characters and their kindness and ruthlessness both.

[@jimbobjimjim6500]

One IRA prisoner had his genitals burned and mutilated before being shot. Thats what Barry was referring to, when he said it was too revolting to mention at 15:04.

[@tinkereyeskelly9437]

Today I bought the General Tom Barry's cooker. From his relatives where his house in west cork rosscarbery sold within a short time. Cocofund.

[@gandersneck]

fair play.

[@torquemada3273]

TOM BARRY...A FECKIN IRA LEGEND....TOOK MORE PITY ON THE BRITS THAN THEY TOOK ON HIS BHOYS....FLYING COLUMS....FRANCIS HUGHES LOVED THOSE GUYS AND WOULD HAVE BEEN UP THERE WITH TOM BACK IN THE DAY...SLAINTE.

[@johnkinsella5358]

I don't know the details of the battle,nor the provenance of Hart's view (I haven't read his book, or Barry's) so I can't take sides. However 'taking the romance out of' this or any conflict is any historian's duty, not least because Tom Barry himself would not have seen any 'romance' in it. In considering the history of any war, put yourself in the shoes of those in it, especially those giving the orders.

[@seantheman1886]

how the fuck would that american guy, hart know that there was no false surrender trick?

[@celticlofts]

He was just trying to hock his book and TG4 were probably getting its cut out of it.

[@22grena]

Canadian

[@KernowekTim]

Aye. The B&Ts were animals; dogs of war, they'd use any trick or deception without pause for thought. We Real Cornish remember Michael Joseph; An Gof. Much English trash was written of him and us. And they called us 'Heathen Rebels'. FTA.

[@diarmuid850]

He was trained by the British army . He turned that around on them

[@billycaspersghost7528]

When he came back from the war he joined the veterans association and was active in it. He applied for a job with the British Civil service but was unsuccessful. Boy was he pissed off.

[@desmondhull5778]

I would call it turning his coat and an act of betrayal.

[@nipperparr6709]

Tom Barry the man!

[@tech9auto223]

Peter Hart thinks he knows better than eye witnesses and even Tom Barry himself I mean how would Hart possibly know the false surrender didn't happen all the people involved said it did why would they lie I'm inclined to believe the people who were there and Tom Barry himself

[@barriesandcream]

Instantly seemed like horse shit to me

[@romancatholicword528]

I think Hart is a bit of a know it all, someone who won’t accept when he is proven wrong, I don’t believe Hart, I think he is out of his league.

[@celticlofts]

How do you sell a book? Dream up some controversy that's how. Hart is full of shit and it's typical of TG4 that they would stab one of their own in the back and take the word of someone who is a proven liar.

[@brianmorgan5739]

Téann na luíonn amach a rinne Peter Hart thar chreideamh. Caithfidh duine a thuiscint go raibh na daoine i mbriogáidí an IRA ag troid fórsa i bhfad níos fearr trí chogaíocht Guerrilla a úsáid. Anois lig dom brí na cogaíochta Guerrilla a shainmhíniú. Guerrilla cogaíocht: Is cineál cogaíochta neamhrialta é ina n-úsáideann grúpaí beaga comhraiceoirí, amhail pearsanra paraimíleata, sibhialtaigh armtha, nó neamhrialta, tactics míleata lena n-áirítear sobhóga, sabaitéireacht, ruathair, cogaíocht pheataí, beartaíocht bhuailte agus rith. Peter Hart is a Westminster loyalist liar.

[@lmc4964]

Hart seems a bit too clever for his own boots, doesnt sound credible

[@billycaspersghost7528]

He isn`t the only one who isn`t convinced . To be honest I can`t see why or how it would have happened given the nature of the war and the ambush. It was intense and quick I expect and unusually close up ,most were at a greater distance. They certainly killed the one Auxie that got away and was captured a few days later. So what`s the difference? What would he have done with prisoners anyway?

[@YoutubeChannel-ol7zx]

@freebeerfordworkers that's a lovely imagination you have there. A tremendous work if fiction.

[@romancatholicword528]

I agree with you on that one, he seems to be almost like a troll, he seems to be someone who would argue if you said black he would say white, if you said left he would say right. I have to be honest and that is, the man is clearly out to discredit Tom Barry, and I do think that he is very much anti IRA. The fact is the IRA were right, the cause was right, now do I believe in the New IRA, no I don’t, they are the IRA their methods are sheer brutal and have no support of the majority if the Irish people North or South. Unfortunately on any organisation, especially such paramilitaries you will always find some extremists who use any method to a achieve the goals. I think that the majority the Irish Volunteers since 1916 to 1998 were fighting for a cause and most of them were decent in the way they conducted themselves. The Irish war if independence has never really finished, but now it must take on a political fight, guns and war allowed to the opening to use dialogue instead of bullets, and that is true, never would the British have come to terms or accepted power sharing on the North without the IRA resistance to British-orange rule. What people forget is that partition was wrong it allowed for a Protestant state for Protestant people, but in effect it was a loyalist state for loyalist people. Protestants are not and were not the enemy it was the tyranny of Loyalists who weee propped up and manipulated by the British government, because a people divided, is far better than a people United, because if they d allowed unification of all people to have a United Ireland they would lost it long ago !

[@phillysson7579]

​@freebeerfordworkers do you perform at Bar Mitzvahs and children's birthday parties also?

[@helenmurphy3143]

my dad was in the IRA the old IRA

[@MsSharon28]

who the fff is hart making money

[@andrewbarry6702]

People forget these men were barely in their 20's and under

[@helenmurphy3143]

my dad came to the us married and raised us us all in the bronx nyx usa

[@gulag8735]

We could do with a few of his men in Ireland 2021

[@user-ld3ud5jq4m]

🇮🇪. Tom Barry stood by the 1916 32 County sovereign Irish Republic and faithful to the IRA until the end 🇮🇪 God bless our General Republican Beal feirste 🇮🇪

[@willhovell9019]

What a vicious Officer Percival was, pity that he wasn't finished off in Eire , perhaps the British would have performed better in Singapore and not surrendered 100,000 Indian, Australian & British troops, and counter attacked the Japanese.

[@helenmurphy3143]

i think he was related to some one I knew on w 12st nyc usa tom barry

[@mikedeman5351]

Hart is not credible . . . . . . .

[@willie8976]

My uncle went to Spain as a volunteer,, my mam always told me about him ,,,,I was a young socialists of course ,,,,I grew up and obviously stopped being a socialists and my man. Then divulged and told me he went and fought for Franco against the anti Christian nihilists and never came home ,,,his name was Frank rayan. God bless ghem m3n ,,,amd curse yhe quislings sinn fienn ,,

[@andrewbarry6702]

Gilly gally goo

[@katmanclancy]

Who's the bloody yank? What the eff would he know about it trying to make money from our past!

[@jimbobjimjim6500]

He was Canadian, i believe. He died of cancer a few years ago.

[@mdwilliams79]

Prick.

[@paulustarsus]

Let his book die with him!

[@martinlong2804]

@@jimbobjimjim6500 two years after the interview.

[@jimbobjimjim6500]

@@martinlong2804 Thanks bud.

[@andrewbarry6702]

My late dad is from near Bandon. Moved to Birmingham England. He'd weep at Ireland today. He always said how kind the English people are. This put on Irish is stunted compared to a natural Irish speaker

[@magicmurphy]

that american lad is shitting it

[@KernowekTim]

Splann! Meur ras 👍