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Constance Cowley speaks initially about her mother, Mollie O’Reilly, and the O’Reilly family background. Mollie’s father came from Virginia, Co. Cavan, and with his widowed father and his sister he moved to Dublin after his mother’s death. When he finished his schooling, Constance’s grandfather had begun work as a stonemason with James Pearse at his monumental stoneworks business. Constance describes her grandparents as an unlikely couple. Her grandfather had no interest in the struggle for Irish independence. From the age of 9, his daughter Mollie attended Liberty Hall for lessons in Irish dancing where she was also to hear James Connolly’s speeches. Her father was unaware of the fact that other activities besides the teaching of Irish dancing were taking place at Liberty Hall as he was often away from home working on churches around the country. Constance explains that her mother would work with the Connolly children at Liberty Hall and would also be involved in fundraising. She ran messages between James Connolly and the shop stewards down at the quays, and at the age of 15 she was chosen by Connolly to hoist the Irish flag over Liberty Hall. It was assumed that if Madame Markievicz was chosen she would have been shot by the British. Constance describes the sequence of events after Connolly presented Mollie with the green flag emblazoned with the gold harp. Constance’s parents were founder members of the Roger Casement Cumann in Cabra and she recalls the meetings at their home or at Dick Gogan’s next door. Mrs Green, Mrs Sheridan and Mrs Lumley attended these meetings, and they would talk about their activities. Constance explains that it was from these ladies that she learned much of what she knows. In 1916, Mollie O’Reilly marched with the Irish Citizen Army under James Connolly to the GPO, and she acted as a despatch carrier between the GPO and the City Hall men who were commanded by Seán Connolly of Gloucester Street. Constance explains how Mollie would gain

Tom Meaney recalls his grandmother who was born in 1855, and explains that she had retained vivid memories of men returning from the raid on Mallow Barracks in 1867. Her cousin, Diarmuid Kelleher, had been sentenced to death in 1822 for his activities with the Whiteboys, and Tom describes the place in Carriganima where he and the thirty others were executed. Tom’s father, Con Meaney, would have heard about these events from history while growing up. Tom also discusses Seán Roibeárd Ó Súilleabháin (known as The Bard) who was sentenced with a man named Con Meaney, and research has established that Meaney escaped to America. Tom’s maternal family, the McSweeneys of Gortnafunshion in Ballymakeera, Co. Cork and their connection with the Old IRA in the revolutionary period is recalled. The Meaney family from near Millstreet is also recalled. Con Meaney was very much involved in the Gaelic League and he attended any GAA events within cycling distance. Tom explains that his father was one of the few members of the IRB in the Millstreet area, which he joined in 1912. Two Fenian men who were still active at the time are recalled, as are Jerry Twomey and Séamus Ó hIcí, two members of the IRB from the area. The link between Millstreet and P. H. Pearse is discussed. Pearse visited the town in August 1915, three weeks after he gave the oration at the grave of O’Donovan Rossa. Tom explains that it is planned to unveil a plaque at the Railway Hotel building, now Corkery’s Bar, to commemorate this occasion. Pearse then travelled from Millstreet with Volunteer members to Carriganima and on to Cork city where he addressed a gathering. On November 1st 1915, Terence MacSwiney had addressed a public meeting in Millstreet with a view to forming the Irish Volunteers. Three companies were then formed at Millstreet, Rathduane and Mushera, with a fourth company being formed some days later. Con T Meaney was Captain of the Mushera Company. Tom mentions that his father was never asked to attend