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The ‘mutiny’ of the Connaught Rangers in India on 28 June 1920 is one of the more eye-catching incidents of the Irish revolution. While small in scale, the mutiny acquired an iconic status, presenting as it did the unique spectacle of Irish troops in the British Army refusing to obey their superiors out of solidarity with the republican cause in Ireland’s War of Independence; 2020 marks its centenary.

The Connaught Rangers were one of the eight regiments of the British Army to recruit in Ireland prior to 1922 (as the name suggests, they did so mainly in Connaught). The unit can trace its origins back to units raised in the west of Ireland in the 1790s but was formally created in 1881, seeing service across various theatres of war across the British Empire, and on the Western Front and the in the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War.

Units of the Rangers were stationed in India after the war and, on 28 June 1920, a company based at Jullundar (Jalandhar) in the Punjab refused to obey orders in protest at the repressive policies of the British in Ireland at the time. Other members of the unit in the town of Solon followed suit and surrendered their weapons. When they attempted to get them back, two of the ‘mutineers’ were shot dead by the soldiers guarding the armoury in which they were held. Consequently, 61 members of the Connaught Rangers were convicted for their role in the mutiny and one, Private James Daly from Tyrellspass in Co. Westmeath, who was deemed to be the ringleader in Solon, was executed on 2 November 1920. The regiment itself was disbanded in 1922 following the establishment of the Irish Free State.

The National Archives of Ireland retains numerous files arising from the events of the mutiny. Many of these relate to the pensions awarded by the Irish government in the 1930s to some those who had been involved (they had forfeited their British pensions). One file, however, stands out: DFA 10/2/644. It deals with the repatriation from India to Ireland, in 1970, of the remains of the executed James Daly, along with those of Peter Sears and Patrick Smythe, who were killed during the mutiny. The file is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs collection in the National Archives.

The Department of External Affairs (as it was called prior to 1971) was centrally involved in arranging the repatriations. File 10/2/644 falls into the category of ‘Secretary’s Files’. These were the most sensitive files in the department and were compiled for the secretary (now termed secretary-general) of the department, who in turn was responsible for advising the Minister for External Affairs. Secretary’s files were the files that, more than most, informed both decisions that were made and policies that were adopted.

The possibility of repatriating Daly’s remains had been raised in various quarters in the 1950s, and the precedent set by the repatriation of the remains of Roger Casement from London to Dublin in 1965 gave a new impetus to the issue. The Fianna Fáil government led by Seán Lemass and (after 1966) Jack Lynch was reluctant to pursue the matter. This was partly due to avoid setting an example that might lead to further calls for the repatriation of the remains of dead republicans. They were also acutely conscious of the political implications of such events against the backdrop of increasing tensions in Northern Ireland. That said, Minister for External Affairs Frank Aiken agreed to look at the case for returning Daly’s remains, not least due to the considerable public interest in Daly and the impending fiftieth anniversary of the mutiny being marked in 1970. To cut a long story short, the Irish government agreed to look after the return of the remains from India and the National Graves Association (NGA), established in 1926 to mark and tend the graves of Ireland’s nationalist and republican dead, were responsible for arranging the funeral. In the circumstances this suited the state. While the focus had originally been on Daly, as he was the only one to have been executed, the remains of the two other Connaught Rangers who killed in the course of the mutiny, Peter Sears and Patrick Smyth, were also repatriated.

The Department of External Affairs had taken the lead in exploring how the repatriations might happen. They liaised with the Indian authorities and even inspected the grave sites in India. This process was aided by Ireland having opened an embassy in New Delhi in 1964. This brings us back to the file itself. The file contains a remarkably diverse range of material that brings together various strands related to the exhumations and repatriations (which was, after, the entire purpose of such a file). Within it can be found assessments of the conditions of the graves in India, of the cases for the individual repatriations, and of how best to tackle a sensitive subject at a sensitive time. The file provides an insight into the operation of diplomatic and state protocol, of how the machinery of the Irish and Indian governments could work together, and basic consular activities on the ground. It also contains a good deal of private correspondence, especially from the families of the deceased, that illustrate the intersections of the personal and the political. Most striking of all is the report on the exhumations themselves. They took place over the summer of 1970 to avoid the monsoon season earlier in the year.

Cumulatively, the documents in this file explain the rationale for deciding to repatriate the remains. They show how the decision was arrived at, what other options were considered, and what the process consisted of at every level, up to and including getting the remains from India to Ireland. The file reveals much of what lay behind the three funerals that took place in Ireland on Sunday 1 November 1970. Sears and Smythe were laid to rest in Glasnevin Cemetery. Daly was reinterred in Tyrellspass; 6,000 were in attendance. The next day, Monday 2 November 1970, was the fiftieth anniversary of his execution in India.

Further reading:

John Gibney, ‘The second funeral of James Daly, Connaught Rangers mutineer, 1 November 1970’, History Ireland, 28.3 (May-June 2020).

John Gibney is Assistant Editor with the Royal Irish Academy’s Documents on Irish Foreign Policy series

In the past few months the National Archives has welcomed new members of staff namely Director, Orlaith McBride, and Archivist, Rosemary King,  and we have also said goodbye, albeit virtually, to three of the longest serving members of National Archives staff.   It can only be a peculiar experience to start a new job in these very odd times where due to the Covid-19 situation there isn’t really anywhere to go to on your first day except to your own computer to be introduced to your new work. To leave a job that has been part of your life for 45 years must be even odder, it certainly feels most unsettling for us to say farewell to our beloved and esteemed colleagues at this time through email only.

It is a strange time to be finishing up ones working life having given so much service to an institution, with all three colleagues contributing an accumulated 105 years of experience.

Many of you who visit the National Archives will be familiar with Ken Robinson who in recent years took the helm of the reading room at Bishop Street.  Ken was one of our longest serving members of staff having spent over 40 years working in the National Archives and its predecessor, the Public Record Office of Ireland. During Ken’s long career he worked on an extraordinary variety of records and developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of our holdings, particularly court and other records at our off-site repository in the Four Courts where he was located for many years. Ken saw great changes during his 40 years, witnessing the enactment of the National Archives Act in 1986, the establishment of the National Archives and the disappearance of the Public Record Office and State Paper Office. More importantly, Ken has been at the centre of major developments in operations and services and an active participant in significant bodies of work, including the move from the Four Courts to our current premises at Bishop Street. He will also always be known as Robbo of the Reading Room.

Mick Mahony on the other hand, who served the National Archives for 2o years may not be familiar to our readers. Mick was a ‘behind the scenes man’ who was employed primarily in archives storage relating to the moving and rehousing of archives and ensuring that archives were correctly stored, produced for use by the public and then returned to their rightful place. He performed duties related to this work quietly, diligently and willingly. He was also known for his whistling and singing along the corridors and for serving his colleagues for many years as Union rep.

Finally we had to say goodbye to Paddy Sarsfield who joined the State Paper Office at Dublin Castle 45 years ago. If you use our archives at Bishop Street Paddy would be familiar to you as the ‘Duracell bunny’ with seemingly inexhaustible energy and good humour in productions and returns.   Paddy was one of the few who worked on the move of the archives from the Record Tower of the State Paper Office to our current quarters on Bishop Street after the National Archives Act of 1986.  Paddy’s work in the National Archives was varied, including public service duties and work behind the scenes.

Paddy saw the arrival and departure of many work colleagues over the years and was unfailingly kind to new and younger colleagues, happy to share his knowledge of the organisation and its holdings. In fact that can be said of all three. Personally, I recall once going to Ken Robinson and asking about a private collection which he wasn’t sure of the answer to so said ‘ask Paddy’ I duly went to Paddy who said ‘ask Mick’ I went to Mick and got the answer, all willing to impart their knowledge and help out an inexperienced colleague. I’ve lost count the amount of times I have gone to them in various configurations and always come away with the answer about something ‘obscure’ that only they have somewhere deep down in the personal archive of their brain.   It is apt that we do not have an image to accompany these staff members to hand at the moment, they were extremely modest and understated with their expertise. 105 years of experience has left us in the past few weeks, we will feel that loss of knowledge but most importantly we will miss our beloved and valued colleagues.

Natalie Milne, Archivist

Don’t neglect the ones you love- looking after family photos at home

We all love our family photos they provide us with so much; they refresh our memories, connect us to our past, make us smile and may even cause a tear to be shed. We know that to every one of us, they are precious.

In conservation terms the care for photographic collections is a vast and complex area, requiring knowledge about photographic process, the materials used to print the photographs and an understanding of the complex environmental conditions that can accelerate damage. Paper conservators tend to be the ones who, both through their training and working with collections, develop a strong familiarity with photographs and knowledge of what to.

A quick internet search will bring up lots of useful resources containing all the correct guidance useful for the conservator, archivist or heritage professional. However, it can be an overwhelming amount of information for someone who wants an idea of how to care for photographs at home.

So, here are five tips for looking after the family snaps that are loose in box and all mixed up.

1. Handle with care

I can never say it enough, carefully handling will reduce the wear and tear on your photographs. The surface of a photograph is quite a delicate thing.

We all know that clean hands are essential to prevent dirt or staining as we sort through our photos. We can protect our photographs by wearing gloves, and by holding the photographs at the edge. You can also create a barrier between your fingers and the photograph with a small slip of folder paper. (see image)

Don’t fold photographs, when that happens, they crack along the emulsion image layer and as the top layer breaks and flakes away you are left with a gap and can see the paper underneath the photo.

2. Who’s who, when and where?

My father was a great man for writing on the back of his photos in his spidery handwriting; to him he knew the value of dating and describing written inscriptions on the photos. Whilst is goes against all the best advice, which is not to write on photographs as it can cause damage to the photograph, he was doing us a favour. What is done is done, he started this habit long before I became a conservator! I did eventually manage to persuade him to write the details on a piece of paper and keep that with the photos, which worked equally as well.

3. Get organised

Group the photographs by events and people. Sort pictures into events such as holidays, school events, weddings, and birthdays. Sort each pile by date. Organize each of your piles chronologically. You may need to do some guess work, but don’t worry it’s okay not to be perfect. Separate duplicates. Place duplicates in separate piles, do you really need two of them? Have you a relative who might appreciate a gift of one? Discard the out of focus photographs or the ones of feet and the floor- we all have some like that mixed in with the others.

4. Pick what to digitize

Go through the piles, and identify the ones you want to scan; you might decided to start with the oldest photos or ones that you are having difficulty identifying – remember you can share the scanned image with other family members and puzzle things out together.

These days there are numerous apps available for smart phones and tablets, some better than others and so it can be a case of trial and error. Test the app with just a few photos, 5 or 6 that will give you a good enough idea of the results. Look for ones which have features such as automatic edge detection, perspective and that can reduce the glare.

Many photographers provide a digital restoration process which can give some excellent results; to clarify what they are doing, they will scan your damaged photograph and then using software will, digitally correct the fading, discolouration or areas of loss on the image. They will not and should not do anything to the original.

5. Paper folders- no glue or sticky tape required

Here is an easy folder to use to store, support and protect your photos. If you can get acid free paper, do, if not and you are doing this as a way of sorting and organising your photographs before deciding on what photograph albums to purchase (I think talking about photo albums is a topic for another blog post) then any paper will do.

We know that paper storage provides physical support and protection for fragile objects, a simple paper folder will keep the photos separate from each other.

• Take a A4 sheet and fold in half, that A5 size folder will protect most standard sizes of family snaps.
• You can secure the photos by simply cutting little slits in the paper to make a paper corner- no glue is required to keep them from slipping out.
• Write on the paper who, when and what the picture details. If you haven’t room to write it underneath; write it on the top flap but do that before you put the photo inside!
• If you keep the paper folders the same size, they will sit in neat stacks in your box and the small ones won’t get lost.

Remember, you do not have to do everything at once, but maybe just take down that box of old photos from the top of the wardrobe and see who is there. It is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon!

My letter is torn, what can I do?

Sometimes good intentions are mistakes; the most common one is the use of pressure sensitive tape, which has been applied to hold a tear together. Conservators spend a lot of time telling people – tape is evil, do not use sellotape! I have begun to realise that often the advice we follow this exclamation with is, ‘this is a job for a conservator’.  And yes, is it, but what can you do if you do not have access to a conservator?

The History bit…

By looking at our collections we can see that the first pressure sensitive tapes found their way in to archives and on to valuable documents soon after they became available in the 1920s. Tape quickly became a ready tool used for repair, tape was seen as a solution to a multitude of problems. By and large it is books and paper materials which have sustained the greatest amount of damage from pressure sensitive tapes. The removal of degraded tape from paper is certainly one of the most demanding processes performed in conservation.

Tapes are ephemeral by nature. Simply because they happen to be placed on a valuable or historic document does not mean that they were ever designed to function far past their chemical and physical capabilities.

The science bit…

Pressure sensitive tape consists of two main elements: the backing and the glue.

Tape backings or carriers can be made of plastic film, fabric, paper, metal foil and other materials that provide a flexible support for the adhesive mass (glue).

The two general classes of adhesive used on pressure sensitive tapes are made from rubber or from synthetic polymers such as acrylics. In general rubber-based tapes pose a larger threat to paper because of their greater tendency to oxidise and become acidic, these are the ones that turn yellow as they age, crosslink with the paper and discolour.

There are three stages of deterioration of the adhesive tape:

1. Due to exposure to oxygen the adhesive grows increasingly sticky

2. The tape becomes weak as the molecular chains of the rubber polymers break down. These small molecules which result can migrate into the paper, causing translucency.

3. As oxidation progresses, the adhesive becomes cross-linked, brittle and discoloured, creating deeply penetrating amber coloured stains in the paper.

Removal of pressure sensitive tapes

Papers have sizing, coating, and fillers, dyes and colorants, all of which add complexity to the interaction with tape. The presence of writing and printing inks can complicate or even preclude the removal process.

The job of removing historic pressure sensitive tape is a job for a conservator, that I cannot deny. In trying to remove the tape safely from the documents dry and mechanical treatments would be attempted first before progressing to use more complicated treatments involving solvent or solvent vapour.

Removal of any tape backing accelerates the rate of the adhesive oxidation due to the increase exposure to air and leaves a sticky residue behind. The backing should not be removed until the conservator is able to perform a full tape removal treatment.

So what can you use instead?

I had a friend recently who told me of a sad case a collection of letters that had been torn in two by accident. What should she do? Should they be taped them together? What tape should be used?

Whilst there are tapes that can are marketed archival quality, with a ph neutral adhesive on an paper tape, suppliers and manufacturers still say to remove the tape, contact a conservator. Hmmmm….

One of the key principals in conservation is to be able to reverse your actions; so if you repair something, you should be able to remove that repair, without causing any damage to the document, even 20, 30 or 50 years later.

‘Do nothing’ I said. ‘Take a photograph of them so you have a record of all the bits of the letters, set them out so that the letters can still be read. Keep the pieces clean, put them in a paper folder or envelope, they won’t get dirty and the pieces are kept together, also the pieces won’t become misplaced or mixed up.’

Yes, it is distressing to see something torn, and yes, it makes the document much more fragile and at risk of being lost but accept the damage and keep the pieces together. Damaged things become more damaged because we handle them, providing a copy in the form of a photograph will reduce that need and the temptation to get out the roll of sticky tape.

It is simple advice, but as professionals, we need to say it and to encourage people to shift their way of thinking.

Zoë Reid, Senior Conservator

Caring for you family papers – Handle with care 

In the first post I talked about how to store and organise your family papers at home; becoming organised and knowing where everything is located, is key to helping preserve your documents. Rummaging in the bottom of a wardrobe or pulling something out from the back of a drawer never ends well for the document.

Yet, we want to be able to look at our family papers and mementos. So how we do that without causing them damage or putting them at further risk? Here are a few easy to follow guides that bring the rules of the archive reading room into your home.

Wash those hands

Dirty hands transfer the dirt from one piece of paper to the next; a good example of this is a ‘well-thumbed’ book. The corners of each page are frequently greyer and softer than the rest of the page. This is often impossible to remove as it has become ingrained into the paper by the natural oils and acids on the skin.

So, before you start getting your paper out to look at them wash your hands, and if your hands become dirty, go and wash them again.

Clear away the dinner plates away!

It seems obvious to say but eating food whilst looking at documents, should not be something that happens at home, we are all messy eaters. Even a biscuit can result in crumbs, which can be greasy and may leave stains on the paper that are hard to remove. Drinks can spill and the paper will act as a sponge to soak up the liquid, which in turn will result in inks blurring and the paper becoming soft and wet and a whole set of other problems to deal with. Cups can be wet underneath, so setting a cup down on a document can often result in a coffee ring left on the page, never a pretty sight.

It is important to have a clean and clear space prepared, so wipe the crumbs off the table, finish that coffee first and remove the clutter that will just be in the way.

Also make sure that the table desk has enough flat space to be able to lay the documents out, without having to pile them on top of one another. If the table or desk space is limited, do not get everything out at once, bring out letters or documents as you need them and put them away again once you are finished with them.

Pillow talk

You have all seen pictures of the book pillows that we use in archives, you may even have use them when you have been in a reading room. We use book pillows to support the spine of an open book, when it is being looked at. The great thing about a pillow, as we all know is that it can be plumped and moulded to sit under the open book and support it as you look through the pages.

Guess what? We all have pillows and cushions at home, and there are no rules to say that book pillows are only for use in an archive reading room! Bring them out at home, when you are looking at that book that has been handed down from one family member to the next.

If book covers or spines are falling off or detached, try and keep everything together, in archives we used unbleached cotton tape, but you may not have that to hand, so a material tape in a pale colour about between 1-2 cm wide will work just as well. Remember to tie the knot on the side to prevent it causing damage to other books or papers that you might place on top of it! 

If the book is very severely damaged wrap it in paper to give it an extra layer of protection and reduce the number of times that it is used.

Marking your place

Never underestimate the value of a good old-fashioned bookmark, there are times when bookmarks are an essential tool to aid any researcher. Use a bookmark to help follow the text on a closely written document, it gives the eye a straight line making it easier to read the text. It can also help to avoid smudging the ink or printed text, which can happen when warm fingers are used to track the words. Also, if you find it difficult to turn the pages of a book, slide the bookmark between them and use that as turning aid, it is far better than licking your finger.

If you don’t have a bookmark to hand a wide strip of paper can also be used.

As you can see there is a time and a place for a bookmark, unfortunately unnecessary items placed into books, such as ticket stubs, flowers or newspaper clippings can cause damage, as acids that migrate can cause staining. Although they can often offer an extra piece of information, and a glimpse of the past, they should be removed. If the items are of interest, don’t discard them, note the location and remove them, keep them safe in an envelope or paper folder.

A bit of stiff support

A slightly damaged document can become more damaged through handling and fragile documents can be damaged easily, there is nothing worse than hearing the sound of a page ripping. But what do you do if the letter that you need to read is written on both sides but it is really tricky to turn it over. Do what conservators do, make a sandwich! A cardboard sandwich with the document as the filling, confused? Don’t be, its easy really if you follow these four steps:

1. Before you open up your letter to read it, put a piece of light weight cardboard down on the table and yes, the side of cereal box will do!

2. Open out your document with the cardboard support underneath, read the letter and learn all about the past.

3. Before trying to turn it over, take another piece of board and place it on top of the letter. Now take the ‘letter sandwich’ and carefully turn it over.

4. Remove the top piece of board and voila, you can read the rest of that letter!

When you are finished, remember to put it away safely. It is hard to admit, but the truth of the matter is that often the best way to minimise the risk of damage to our family papers is to reduce the number of times we take them out to have a look. Keep them tucked away and safe and future generations will thank you.

See here for part one where we learn about getting organised and how to store our records.

Zoë Reid, Senior Conservator

Tongs and tackets! How to remove rusty staples from old magazines and pamphlets.

Metal staples corrode over time due to environmental conditions and the resulting rust is easily visible and damaging to the paper, making it brittle as well causing discolouration. The best course of action is to remove the old staples, but often rust stains are left behind. Strong chemicals would be required to remove the rust stains and this can be a difficult treatment to carry out with little guarantee of success. Also, there are just too many staples, so it is not a good use of resources!

So what is the best course of action?

For this magazine from 1916 the staples in the centre of the folded pages were removed by opening out the ‘tongs’ of the staple. A flat headed tool called micro spatula was slipped under the staple and a small piece of thin archival card was used to protect the paper underneath. The staple was carefully removed from between the pages, making sure that no damage happened to the magazine.

Once the staples were removed the magazine pages were all loose; to hold them in place the staple was replaced with a single ‘tacket’. A single piece of thread was looped through the holes in the paper where the staple had been. The thread was secured with a flat knot which was tied on the outside central fold. The knot had to be secure but not too tight, to ensure that the paper did not rip or tear. A book binders’ linen thread, with a medium thickness 18/3 weight was used.

Easy really, when you know how!

by Zoë Reid, Senior Conservator

How we conserve fragments of a 1916 Flag

The National Archives’ building stands on the site of the former Jacob’s biscuit factory, a Dublin institution from the 1850s. The original factory survived the 1916 Rising, but was destroyed by fire in 1987.

During the rebellion of Easter Week 1916, the factory was occupied by a republican garrison. The factory survived the Rising relatively unscathed, as it was not shelled by Crown forces due mainly to its location within a densely populated area. The decision by the rebels to disclose the location of several bombs, to enable them to be disabled, also helped to preserve the building.

NAI, BRS/2005/168

A letter from Thomas A Grehan, employee of the Evening Herald, to a friend, Mr. Curtin, enclosing a fragment of the “Sinn Féin flag that floated over Jacob’s Biscuit Factory during the Rebellion of Easter Week last year.” The flag appears to have been cut up by Mr Grehan and distributed to various favoured individuals in November 1917.

Conservation of the flag fragment

The green, cream and gold/yellow fragments measure approximately 12cm in length and 3cm in diameter. The fragment was attached to a letter from Thomas A Grehan using a staple. This left puncture marks, and iron oxide staining had become visible on all three pieces of fabric.

Conservation work involved dry cleaning and using a smoke sponge to remove surface and ingrained soiling. The fragments were humidified to remove creases and distortions. They were then hand-stitched to a museum standard handmade padded board using Skala thread.

The work was carried out under the terms of the National Monuments Act, Licence No. 5969 by textile conservator Rachel Phelan AICRI.