Proinsias Mac hAodha, Soldier of Ireland.

[Cael]

Rugadh Francis Hughes ar 28 Feabhra 1956, i Co. Daoire. Chláraigh sé in Óglaigh na hÉireann ag aois a 16. Bhí sé ar cheann de na saighdiúirí ba chróga dá raibh riabh ag Éirinn. Chuir sé eagla i gcroithe an namhad agus dóchas i gcroithe na nGael. Fuair sé bas in aois a 25, ar an 12ú lá de bhealtaine 1981, tar éis 59 lá ar stailc ocrais. I measc laochra na nGael go raibh a anam dílis.


Among the Volunteers under his command Francis Hughes had a reputation of being a strict disciplinarian and perfectionist who could not tolerate people taking their republican duties less seriously, and selflessly, than was necessary. He also, however, inspired fellow Volunteers by his example and by always being in the thick of things, and he thrived on pressure.


During one night-time operation, a weapon was missing and Francis gave away his own weapon to another Volunteer, taking only a torch himself which he used to its maximum effect by shining it at an oncoming enemy vehicle, which had its headlights off, to enable the other Volunteers to direct their fire.


Francis' good-humoured audacity also showed itself in his republican activity. At the height of his 'notoriety' he would set up road-blocks, hoping to lure the Brits into an ambush (which by hard experience they learned to avoid), or he would ring up the Brits and give them his whereabouts!


See:

http://www.irishhungerstrike.com/francishughes.html


http://irelandsown.net/fhughes.html

[Cael]

See also:

http://irelandsown.net/fhughes2.html

[Cael]

Hughes, along with Dominic McGlinchey, Ian Milne and future Hunger Striker Thomas McElwee made up a unit in South Derry, which took the war to the foreign invader with such force that PIRA in Belfast actually had to ask them ease up on the enemy. Truely these were some of the finest soldiers that the Gael have ever put in the field against the Gall.

It was the stupid brutality of the brits themselves that brought this down on them. Hughes had watched his brother being beaten senseless by Crown forces when he was a young lad, he was later to recieve the same beating himself when only sixteen. McGlinchey was interned for ten months without charge when only 17. In 1973 he was again interned on trumpted up arms charges. But these were not men merely seeking revenge on a brutal and illegitimate foreign invader. They were Irish Republican Socialists, who were fighting for the same noble ideals as Pearse and Tone. They were soldiers of the Irish Republic, giving there allegiance to the Law of the Republic, and giving their unrelenting hostility to the death to English Crown law in Ireland.

[White Horse]

Cael, do you really believe in all this stuff?

[Cael]

Cael, do you really believe in all this stuff?

If you see any errors in what I have written, I will be glad to correct them.

[Leopold Bloom]

They was Irish Republican Socialists, who were fighting for the same noble ideals as Pearse and Tone.

Was they really? And what was noble about Eniskillen? Omagh? And the numerous Irishmen of Orange descent (Tone's people) brutally murdered at dead of night by these psychopaths?

Noble my backside! Pearse and Tone are turning in their graves!

[Cael]

They was Irish Republican Socialists, who were fighting for the same noble ideals as Pearse and Tone.

Was they really? And what was noble about Eniskillen? Omagh? And the numerous Irishmen of Orange descent (Tone's people) brutally murdered at dead of night by these psychopaths?

Noble my backside! Pearse and Tone are turning in their graves!

What had Hughes to do with Omagh and Eniskillen?

As you can read above, Hughes took on the Crown forces in direct combat, even calling them up to give them his location. Who did he murder in the dead of night?

Tone had no problem with killing Crown forces in combat. He was bringing an army from France to do just that.

[terry666]

Cael wrote:
They was Irish Republican Socialists, who were fighting for the same noble ideals as Pearse and Tone.



....Pearce was no socialist. He was a catholic reactionary the fact you claim he was, shows how ideologically dodgy republicanism actually is.

[limey]

"Irishmen of Orange descent (Tone's people)"

What is Orange decent?

[Leopold Bloom]

"...even calling them up to give them his location".

So he was an even bigger gob************************e than I thought?