Roibárd Langford Papers

Identity Statement

Content & Structure

• Scope & Content: Langford, Riobárd (1896-1978) soldier, republican ↴

  Personal archive of Riobárd Lankford.

  Section A comprises material directly relating to Langford’s Irish Volunteer/IRA activities in the 1914-1923 period.

  Section A.1 of the arrangement contains 2 items relating to the foundation of the Irish Volunteers, including an account of the inaugural meeting of the Volunteers in Cork in Dec. 1913, which indicates Langford’s early involvement in the organisation (U156/2).

  Section A.2 contains a summary account of Langford’s active service, divided into 9 periods, during 1916-1923 (U156/3). Significantly, this account includes new information and covers a longer period than that found in Langford’s witness statement to the Military History Bureau in 1947.

  The collection contains a copy of Langford’s Military History Bureau witness statement to which he has added some short handwritten notes and comments which do not appear in the Bureau version (Section A.6) (U156/18).

  Section A.3 contains a small number of items relating to 1916 in Cork and the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of 1916 in 1966, demonstrating Langford’s ongoing interest, and sometimes fractious relationship with, the various 1916 or Volunteer commemorative associations and committees (U156/6). The issue of whether Cork volunteers were eligible for 1916 medals was a matter in which Seamus Fitzgerald became involved, writing a letter to Taoiseach Sean Lemass (U156/7).

  A small number of items relating to the killing of Col. Smyth, divisional commander, RIC, in April 1920 by the IRA, are found in A.4 of the arrangement, including Langford’s correspondence concerning the matter with the Irish Press. (U156/10)

  Section A.5 mainly consists of items relating to some of Langford’s comrades in the irregular or anti-Treaty IRA such as a copy of the inquest into the shooting of Captain Timothy Kenefick (U156/13) and copies of the last letters of Richard Barrett (Dick Barrett) before his execution by the State (U156/14, 16).

  Section B of the arrangement contains 7 items relating to the issue of Military Service Pensions for IRA volunteers including a letter concerning Langford’s application under the Military Service Pensions Act 1934. (U156/20)

  Various writings, mainly in Langford’s hand, are found in Section C of the arrangement such as notes on the 1914-1923 period (U156/28) and such as, a TS. of an essay or lecture, mainly in Irish, about the history of Ireland (U156/35); and such as, the text of a speech made in 1969 by Langford at Ahiohill, near Bandon in West Cork, in memory of Dick Barrett, Rory O’Connor, Liam Mellowes and Joseph McKelvey, who were executed in retaliation for the murder of Sean Hales TD.

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  Section D contains some newsclippings relating mainly nationalist issues, plus an 8 page printed pamphlet ‘Teachers of the Men of 1916’ (U156/39).

  Relating to Langford’s later business as a printer, Lee Press, is a single item only, concerning the wholesale price of paper (U156/44).

  Section F of the arrangement contains an additional item, a letter from Langford to the Secretary of the Old IRA Memorial Committee in 1948 concerning the suggestion of slanderous comments by Langford in another letter he wrote to the Secretary in which he raised objections to the way the Committee operated (U156/45).

  The collection, while relatively modest in size, is of interest to the study of Irish nationalism and republicanism and more particularly the Irish Volunteers and Irish Republican Army for the 1914 – 1923 period, especially for the Cork area. The collection documents Langfords activities as an officer in the Irish Volunteers and the IRA from 1914/1916, during the War of Independence, and also in the irregular/anti-treaty forces during the Civil War. Some prominent nationalist and republican figures are mentioned in the collection. Also of interest to the study of the agencies concerned with the commemoration of 1916, and its 50th anniversary in particular, and also concerning the provision of military pensions for former IRA men from 1934.

• Appraisal Destruction ↴

  Permanent Retention

• Arrangement ↴

  A: Irish Volunteers and Irish Republican Army 1914–1923 (1947)
  (1) Establishment of the Irish Volunteers in Cork, 1914 (2 items)
  (2) Accounts of Active Service, 1916–1923 (1 item, 19pp)
  (3) 1916 in Cork and 50th Commemoration of, 1916-1966 (5 items)
  (4) Killing of Colonel Smyth R.I.C., 1920, 1957 (4 items)
  (5) War of Independence, 1921 and Civil War, 1922–1923 (5 items)
  (6) Military History Bureau, 1947 (2 items)
  B: Military Service Pensions, 1935-1973 (8 items)
  C: Speeches and Writings, 1898-1969 (10 items)
  D: Newsclippings and Publications, 1899-c1966 (6 items)
  E: Printing Business, 1968 (1 item)
  F: Additional Material, 1948 (1 item)

Conditions of Access & Use

Allied Materials

Descriptive Control Area