In London I met Sean Hogan who had crossed before me. It was the first time I had ever been out of my own country, and for a time the novelty of life in London and my strange surroundings helped to keep my mind from the great tragedy of Ireland. We stayed in London for about a fortnight. During my stay I met Mr. P. L. Smyth, the well-known Dublin Commission Agent, and he proved a kind friend to us.
Our next trouble was how to get to America. We decided to attempt to cross from Canada, but we had two great obstacles to overcome.
In the first place we had very little money, and in the second place we had no passports. How we overcame the passport difficulty I cannot explain here.
Anyhow, after a three weeks’ journey we landed safely in Canada. From Canada we successfully crossed into the States, and made our way to Chicago. Here we were met by my two brothers, John and Pat, and my sister, Mary, all of whom had been in the United States for some years. I soon found that in this far away city we were almost at home. We met fellow-countrymen and fellow-countrywomen everywhere. One of the first we met was Ned O’Brien, of Galbally, whose health had broken down because of the wounds he received in the rescue at Knocklong. Other friends we made included Mrs. McWhorter, a great worker in the Irish cause, Michael Mulryan, Jim Delaney and Colonel O’Reilly. They all helped to make it a real holiday for us by showing us everything of note in that great city. Above all, I marvelled at the great meat-curing factories, most of which are owned and worked by Irishmen.
We went from Chicago to Philadelphia where a host of friends again greeted us. Joe McGarrity, that veteran worker for Ireland, was one of the first to welcome us, and we spent a while in his house where so many before us—Sean McDermott, Padraig Pearse, Roger Casement, and Eamon de Valera—had been honoured and entertained. Luke Dillon, too, welcomed us, and our old friends Seumas O’Doherty and Mrs. O’Doherty, whom we had known in the old days in Dublin. The kindness of the O’Doherty family to us I shall always remember with gratitude.
From Philadelphia we travelled to California. There I again met many Irish friends, including Father Peter Scanlon, Father Dan Kelly, Senior; and Father Dan Kelly, Junior, all from my own part of the country. I was delighted to meet Mick McDonnell too, our old comrade of the Ashtown fight, who had been out there for quite a good while.
California is a delightful place. Although it was mid-winter when I got there the weather was like the weather we get in Ireland in the summer-time.
Meantime I was far from being out of touch with affairs in Ireland. The American papers gave much prominence to the development of events at home following the acceptance of the Treaty. It was plain that our old comrades were irrevocably divided and heading for Civil War. Every day brought fresh stories of new differences and minor conflicts that showed the situation could end only in one way. In America our countrymen were divided in the same way as our people at home.
Early in March came the news that Limerick was on the verge of an outbreak. Different posts in the city were held by the rival sections of the Volunteers—some supporters of the Treaty and some against it. Ultimatums had actually passed between the rival commanders there, and it looked as if at any moment a single shot might begin a conflict that would soon spread throughout the land.