‘Blood streamed down his shirt’ a kerfuffle at the FF Cumann

THE following story is an extract from ‘A Century Of Politics in The Kingdom’

‘FISTICUFFS at AGM of Moyvane FF Cumann’ ran the front-page splash of The Kerryman on January 8 1972. Above the headline were two pictures by photographer, Xavier McAuliffe, of Fianna Fáil party members during a kerfuffle ‘as tempers flare.’ In a dramatic opening paragraph, Tony Meade reported that:

‘ The annual general meeting of Moyvane Fianna Fáil Cumann burst into fisticuffs on Tuesday night when Gardaí were called to restore peace between the rival factions. The melee, in which a man was kicked on the head, started after an exchange between Deputy Tom McEllistrim, who had taken the chair for the election of officers, and Mr Con O’Riordan, a Dublin-based teacher, who is an outspoken member of the cumann.’

The row began when reference was made to a party report on the inner workings of the Moyvane cumann. Following a previous annual general meeting, Cavan TD Paddy Smith had been engaged to investigate allegations that some members had been prevented from voting in the election of officers. At its 1972 gathering, all cumann officers were re-elected without challenge.

A verbal exchange over the operations of the cumann and who was entitled to vote at the meeting began and quickly escalated. At one point, Deputy Tom McEllistrim interjected and stated: ‘I am the boss here and I am saying who will vote.’

Con O’Riordan read a letter from party general secretary, Tom Mullins, which instructed that some of those who had been denied a vote at the previous AGM should be allowed to ‘participate freely’ in the 1972 meeting. ‘If I’m not in charge,’ McEllistrim responded, ‘ there is not much point in my being here.’ As the shouting continued, some members removed O’Riordan from the room and prevented him from re-entering.

Another member, Denis Holly ‘was trying to make himself heard above the uproar, shouting that he had a democratic right to be heard by the meeting. He was then attacked by a number of others and was knocked down and kicked in the head. Blood streamed down his shirt.’ Holly was taken to hospital.

Somebody had taken it upon themselves to give the local gardaí a headsup that there might be trouble at the meeting because two officers were despatched to Moyvane prior to the meeting.

Two gardaí who were nearby, heard the commotion and saw people being pushed out of the hall.

Some sixty party members left the meeting and the election of officers continued.