History lesson on Martin Corry

The TV3 documentary, In the Name of the Republic, highlighted for a new generation the role of the late Martin Corry in the War of Independence.

Martin Corry was born in 1889. His father was a chief inspector in the RIC, based in Tuckey Street in Cork City, where Martin grew up. He was a committed, physical-force Irish Republican who made no apologies for his actions during the War of Independence, which he saw as necessary.

However, those actions have been exaggerated. He was captain of the Knockraha Company of the IRA. In 1926, he finished his military service and joined the newly formed political party, Fianna Fáil, for which he was elected a TD for East Cork, a position he held until he retired in 1969, topping the poll on many occasions. Corry’s was one of the longest, continuous political services in the State.