Charlie Hurley (Irish republican)

Charles "Charlie" Hurley (Irish: Cathal Ó Muirthile) (died March 1921) was Officer Commanding of the 3rd Cork Brigade (West Cork) of the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921)

He was born in Baurleigh, County Cork, near the village of Kilbrittain on March 19, 1892 and was educated in national school and subsequently passed the civil service examinations at aged fifteen. According to his brother James, Charlie was one of seven siblings, 'born and reared in a farm of 35 acres'.

In his adolescence he became a clerk working for the government. In 1915 he was offered a promotion and a transfer to Haulbowline Island, but declined on the grounds that this entailed enlisting in the Royal Navy, albeit in a purely administrative role. Returning to Cork, he became friends with Liam Deasy who introduced him to the Irish republican movement. In 1917 he took a job at Castletownbere and it as there that he joined the Irish Volunteers in 1917. He was also a member of Sinn Fein, the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Gaelic League.

In 1918 he was sentenced to five years penal servitude for possession of arms and plans of the British military fortifications at Bere Island. However he was released in 1919 after a hunger strike. In the same year, his brother Willie, also an IRA Volunteer, died of typhoid. He first became vice -commandant of the Volunteers or IRA Bandon Battalion and then in August 1920, after the arrest and imprisonment of Tom Hales, he became commander of the Third Cork Brigade of the IRA. One of his most important decisions was to establish a full-time guerrilla unit of flying column, under Tom Barry.

The Third Cork Brigade went on to be one of the most active IRA units during the guerrilla war against the British in 1919-1921. According to Barry, Hurley led an ambush of the Royal Irish Constabulary at Ahawadda, in April 1920 killing three policemen, wounding one and taking their arms and ammunition. In July of that year, Hurley led a successful attack on Coastguard station at Howes Strand, capturing a large amount of weapons and ammunition. Barry remarked that Hurley was 'a remarkable man and a lovable personality' and 'continually urged a fighting army policy'.

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