The Norfolk Boys Army

 


In 1951, Winston Churchill was re-elected Prime Minister of England. Immediately, the Irish newspapers  speculated that he would set about "re-taking the ports."

Under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1922, which brought the Irish War of Independence to an end, the United Kingdom had retained possession of three Irish deep-water ports for the  purpose of defense. In 1938, the ports were returned to Ireland under a treaty negotiated between Eamon de Valera, on the Irish side, and Neville Chamberlain on the English side. Churchill was against handing back the ports.

In a public address in 1945 at the end of the World War, Churchill had admitted that he had considered taking back the ports by force, during the war, and would have done so if he thought it necessary. De Valera had answered him in a powerful public radio address.



Now, in 1951, Churchill was back in power, and the question of the ports re-surfaced.

The boys of the "keyhole" of Norfolk Road held council in their den at the bottom of Breen's garden. It was apparent that, if the Brits decided to take the ports, the Irish army would not be able to stop them and would just fold over. That, however, would not be the end of the matter; because the people of Ireland would set up a resistance against the invading forces, and the boys of the keyhole would not be found wanting.

We actually thought that "taking back the ports" would entail taking control of the cities that held the deep water ports, whereas what was intended was the establishment of three naval bases outside the cities. We intended to use all our energy and guile to frustrate their control of our city.

We decided to change our (unregistered) name from "Norfolk Boys Association (NBA)" to "Norfolk Boys Army (NBA)."

Initially our arms were limited. We had pen-knives and hurley-sticks, as well as what we called "slings," which were little catapults. We would make stronger catapults and train diligently (on the railway land) to attain a high level of skill. When the Brits would come marching in formation up Norfolk Road (like they did in 1916 when de Valera's snipers shot them from upper windows), we would take some of them out by hitting them in the forehead with stones fired from our slings. The shooters would scarper through the gardens and houses and into the lanes and onto the railway land, with the clumsy Brits chasing after us and shouting obscenities, and then the other guys would lift the rifles and ammo from the dead soldiers.

Of course it never came to pass. Only one of the keyhole boys ever joined the FCA (volunteer defense force), but we all joined the Nights of Malta first aid organisation.

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