History Question

**sonofstan** · 03/01/2007, 2:37 PM

Just watched a drama- doc thingie on the life and death of Kevin O'Higgins. It was stated in the commentary that his three assassins - Coughlin, Doyle and Gannon - were on the way to a football match at the time and spotted O'Higgins by chance and, happening to be armed, seized the opportunity... so my question is; does any one know what class of a football match they were going to, and if it was the Associationist code, who was playing? (wiki no help before anyone goes looking)

**WeAreRovers** · 03/01/2007, 2:44 PM

Originally Posted by sonofstan

Just watched a drama- doc thingie on the life and death of Kevin O'Higgins. It was stated in the commentary that his three assassins - Coughlin, Doyle and Gannon - were on the way to a football match at the time and spotted O'Higgins by chance and, happening to be armed, seized the opportunity... so my question is; does any one know what class of a football match they were going to, and if it was the Associationist code, who was playing? (wiki no help before anyone goes looking)

What a loaded post.

No idea of the answer but I do know that if you walk from Booterstown Dart station up to Mount Merrion you pass the very spot where it happened. To my reckoning that makes the 3 boys either Rovers or UCD fans.

KOH

**DmanDmythDledge** · 03/01/2007, 2:46 PM

So they're Rovers fans then.

**BohsPartisan** · 03/01/2007, 2:48 PM

So when did it all go wrong for Rovers fans?

**sonofstan** · 03/01/2007, 2:56 PM

Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

What a loaded post.

No idea of the answer but I do know that if you walk from Booterstown Dart station up to Mount Merrion you pass the very spot where it happened. To my reckoning that makes the 3 boys either Rovers or UCD fans.

KOH

that's what i figured, but it was about ten in the morning. i think. so they could've been heading to Dalyer leaving time for a few on the way.....

Come to think of it, one of them -Coughlin? - was taken out a year later ........ on the Milltown Road

**Dyl10** · 03/01/2007, 2:57 PM

Originally Posted by sonofstan

Just watched a drama- doc thingie on the life and death of Kevin O'Higgins. It was stated in the commentary that his three assassins - Coughlin, Doyle and Gannon - were on the way to a football match at the time and spotted O'Higgins by chance and, happening to be armed, seized the opportunity... so my question is; does any one know what class of a football match they were going to, and if it was the Associationist code, who was playing? (wiki no help before anyone goes looking)

It was two IRA men who assinated him on booterstown Avenue while O'Higgins was on his way to mass. The men were on there way to a GAA match in Wexford

**sonofstan** · 03/01/2007, 3:02 PM

Originally Posted by Dyl10

It was two IRA men who assinated him on booterstown Avenue while O'Higgins was on his way to mass. The men were on there way to a GAA match in Wexford

There was 3 of them - but being on their way to Wexford would explain the time of the morning, alright - so loaded revolvers were de riguer at the stick fighting then?

**Dyl10** · 03/01/2007, 3:10 PM

Originally Posted by sonofstan

There was 3 of them - but being on their way to Wexford would explain the time of the morning, alright - so loaded revolvers were de riguer at the stick fighting then?

Hmm, it would seem that way but for the time that was in it, im sure IRA men being armed for no particular reason wouldnt have been uncommon. After this assaniation illegal organisations(IRA) were banned with the introduction of the Public Safety Bill

**WeAreRovers** · 03/01/2007, 3:16 PM

Originally Posted by sonofstan

Come to think of it, one of them -Coughlin? - was taken out a year later ........ on the Milltown Road

Now if you'd said Doyle's Corner......

And Dyl10, please stop ruining this perfectly good thread with historically accurate posts.

KOH

**Dyl10** · 03/01/2007, 3:21 PM

Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

Now if you'd said Doyle's Corner......

And Dyl10, please stop ruining this perfectly good thread with historically accurate posts.

KOH

Sorry

**OwlsFan** · 03/01/2007, 3:36 PM

One of O'Higgins grandsons is actually a personal friend of mine. If you would like more information, I can find it out for you.

**stann** · 03/01/2007, 4:25 PM

Don't have to be so sharp, Sheep, it's quite obvious where he got stick fighting from. Someone mentions Wexford now you think hurling automatically. In fact, at the time they were a better known footballing than hurling side, and I also think it was, indeed, a football match the boys were heading to.

**sligoman** · 03/01/2007, 9:54 PM

Don't know if this is connected[or was a seperate incident altogether] but theirs a song about Aidan McAnespie and he was shot on his way to a gaelic ground.

**Magicme** · 04/01/2007, 8:53 AM

Afaik McAnespie was up my neck of the woods. Thought he was coming back from a game tho.

**Strabane_Harp** · 04/01/2007, 3:35 PM

McAnespie was shot at the Aughnacloy border crossing. Shot by a british army unit from behind. He was unarmed and not a member of any branch of the republican movement.

**sonofstan** · 06/01/2007, 4:50 PM

Now that we've sorted out that they were Gah-men and not the Milltown Casual Irregulars, does anyone have any info about small but crucial parts played in Irish history by football players or fans? as apocryphal as you like...

**stann** · 06/01/2007, 8:52 PM

Well not very small, but the obvious one, so it suits me

, would be Oscar Traynor.

Don't know about his playing career, but President of the FAI for 15 years, lead the attack on the Custom House during the Tan War, ticks both boxes I'd have said!

Wiki-ed here...