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TRAINING

Well we continued the training in Guard Mounting and they were very smart after gruelling we gave them in Moorepark. So it waas the new fellows coming in that got most of the hard training .We were stil getting in fellows from the companies and doing a spell in the barracks. We were living in the New Barracks and there were about 120 of us, all ranks. I was staying in an upper room in a building near the gate. That building is still there, it is now a factory.T hat was the was the main gate and next to it was the guard room at that time. I stayed in the west gable with Jack Daly. We had a bunk there and we had a Hotchkiss gun and Thompson guns in the room at all times. I suppose we stayed near the gate in case anything went wrong and we could get out quick. That was a Library and coffee bar in the British times. I'd say it was at one time also a Barrack Warden's office quarters just inside the main gate there. The Building around the Square,clock and all were there at that time.

'Talking of the Thompson Gun. They came in from America during the truce if you like. They were a great weapon, there was a Major Murphy and a Colonel Prout, he was General Prout after, well they came over from the States for Training the I.R.A. in use of the gun. They told me on a course at Mourneabby, this Murphy man I think that the gun was capable of firing 1200 rounds a minute. Now listen to this ,I averaged then that that was 5 and half seconds for a hundred rounds. If my calculations were right. So one day in the Barracks we were arguing about it at the back of the gymnasium, thats where the soccer pitch is now There was a little miniature range there. A couple of officers and myself were arguing about it and they said it couldn't be done. I said alright. We'll put up a target and I'll chance it with a 100 round drum and I emptied the drum in 5 and half seconds. It was only about 28 inches long, but there were two hand grips, they were a grand weapon. You can be sure there are some of them around the country yet'.

'We had a Republican Police force in the town. The late Charlie Payne was a police officer here and the Brigade police officer was a man by the name of Liam Roche, he was from the Mitchelstown side. They had their quarters up in the Barracks too. The officers quarters there were just near where the clock was,at the right facing the block. Of course the police would do duty in the town at night.They also had a place over in Abercromby place, the nearest place,St Anne's it is now, where the guest house is. The old R.I.C and it had to be taken over from them'.