SURPRISE MOVE
If joining the British Army was a surprise, his next move was an even bigger one, with possibly the same motivation, Sean Ua Cearnaigh again describes it well:
‘Kit took a step then which greatly surprised everybody. He joined the Free State Army and served at the Curragh, and later in Clonmel and Cahir Barracks. At this time nearly all his old comrades were on the anti-treaty side.’
The official Free State entry log has Christopher Conway signing up on 26th March, 1922 at Athlone Barracks, listing his mother Ellen Conway, Coolagarranroe as next-ofkin and by mid-November, he’s serving as Captain at Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo, 3rd Western Division. This is relatively early with the Civil War commencement, with the shelling of the Four Courts by the Free State army three months away.
On the exact day Christy signed up, the much postponed IRA convention was taking place, despite Free State Government objections. Liam Lynch was duly elected Chief of Staff of the Republican Army. Christy had made his decision and again, Sean captures similar concerns:
‘Joining the Free State army was a decision Kit soon ruefully regretted. He found himself utterly out of sympathy with his treatyite associates. All his friends were on the other side and his heart was very much with their cause.’
Sean also notes that during the time he ‘spent in the Free State army he did, however, render valuable assistance to his former comrades, many of whom would have been arrested and imprisoned were it not for Kit’s timely tips. He had access to information concerning projected raids and arrests which he passed on to the Republicans. My father was the Republican Commanding Officer in his area, and not a single member of his Company was arrested while Kit remained in the Free State forces.’
During the latter part of 1922 Christy deserted the Free State army, there was no feigning insanity this time, he simply walked away and ‘aided by my father (Johnny Kearney) and other Republican friends he managed to escape to Dublin. Soon after his arrival there he made contact and fought on the Republican side during the remaining months of the Civil War.’
But there was one substantial change as he deserted, he changed his name to Kit Ryan while operating in Dublin to avoid suspicion by the Free State army and when the threat of arrest dissipated with the ending of the Civil War, he reverted to Conway but retained Kit, although in his native Tipperary his friends and comrades there continued to use Christy. As this chapter closes with the name Christy Conway, another even more fascinating and complex one begins for Kit Conway. I’ll leave that for another day, but in summary, it involves more armies, more fights, emigration to the United States of America and ultimately, more heroism on the battlefields of Spain.
‘Though many died, I can but name a few’.