SECOND TRIP
Now the Clan needed to get the money to finance the revolutionary plans over to Ireland. In early November, 1914, Devoy again approached Kenny to make another trip - this time to bring money (and the promise of more) to Dublin, and to bring back a full report of conditions there. This time however the British would be on the alert for him, having followed him on his previous stay in Dublin.
Kenny suggested that they arrive at some way for him to notify Devoy and Clarke if he was detained. They could then arrange for a messenger to meet Kenny and take the money on to its destination. In a handwritten note to the Treasurer, Kenny wrote:
Mr. Spellissy
If held up at port of landing & it should appear to be indefinitely I may wire "arrived" & then if I succeed in the mission I shall wire as already agreed "arrived well"
JK
His passport also posed a problem: renewed just prior to the previous trip, it was good for another two years, yet was now covered with the vises of the ten countries he had just been through. This was sure to catch the attention of English customs officials. Of how he and Devoy resolved this problem, Kenny wrote only that "the difficulty was overcome through a ruse as simple as the one through which I succeeded in preserving the German pass."
He sailed again, on November 14, 1914, on the St Paul. Arriving in Liverpool, he was met with an unexpected check. Congratulating himself on having solved the dilemma posed by the passport, he stood with his hands in his pockets, jingling the coins there, only to realize suddenly with horror that he still had on him a collection of coins, one from each country he had just visited, which he had saved as souvenirs. Quick thinking and some fast talking - along with official-looking papers - stumped the customs official, who eventually let Kenny pass.
At 1:20 A.M. on Nov. 29, the following telegram was received in New York:
a463NY AJ 9 MARCONI
DUBLIN NOV 28 1914
LCO:GROGAN
104 WEST FORTYEIGHT NEWYORK
ARRIVED WELL
KENNY
1145PM
In Dublin, Clarke and the other leaders were surprised that Kenny had been allowed past Liverpool. Over the next few days, Kenny met at the Irish Volunteers Headquarters in Kildare Street, almost all the men then active in Dublin. Clarke and MacDermott, expecting that the British would soon start trying to enforce conscription, starting with wholesale arrests of all the I.R.B. leaders, came up with a second and a third line of command. Kenny was to bring these lists to Devoy, but MacDermott was worried that Kenny would be searched when leaving the country. Instead. the lists were sent with a Fr. Liam O'Donnell. Kenny memorized a list of names and addresses of a few trusted people in England with whom messengers could communicate if unable to reach Ireland.
Kenny met at the headquarters with Professor MacNeill, The O'Rahilly, Diarmuid Lynch, and Bulmer Hobson, turning over „k3,000 to the O'Rahilly and receiving a receipt from MacNeill. MacNeill also gave him receipts for money brought previously by other messengers, which they could not risk sending through the mail. It was decided that all money, whether for the I.R.B. or the Irish Volunteers, be sent to MacNeill, since I.R.B. money was liable to be confiscated. The following understanding was arrived at:
8th December, 1914
Dear Mr. Kenny - With regard to the funds you brought over from the Irish Volunteer Committee of America, what I understand from you is that ? „k3,000 is to be placed to one account, „k2,000 to be dealt with by me personally and „k1,000 by ?? ?? ??, with the concurrence(?) of Mr. MacDermott, ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Irish Volunteer Executive. This understanding has been carried out so far and will be carried out completely. Yours faithfully,
Eoin MacNeill
The newspapers Sein Fein, Irish Freedom, Ireland, and the Irish Worker had all been suppressed by the British government, along with the Gaelic American. The suggestion was made that a Zeppelin or airplane could be used to distribute bundles of leaflets in Ireland.
(There are many details of notes from trip...TO BE ADDED)
In addition to Clarke and MacDermott, Kenny spent his time with MacDonagh, MacNeill, the O'Rahilly, Pearse (with whom he had a lot of interests in common), and Plunkett. For political reasons, he had todelay meeting with Connoly and Griffith. Eventually, Clarke had made an appointment for Kenny to meet Griffith the next afternoon. That night Griffith's office was raided, his plant seized, and his newspaper suppressed.
The day before Kenny sailed, he received a message to meet James Connolly at his relative's house in Oxford Road at 1:00 P.M. After Kenny had waited some time, Maeve Cavanaugh arrived with the news that Connolly was on the run, having been warned of a warrant for his arrest for an alleged treasonable speech in Liberty Hall the night before.
Kenny also called on Countess Markievicz, who was expected home shortly, but as Kenny had an appointment with Pearse at St. Enda's, he couldn't wait to see her.
Meeting many people from all walks of life, Kenny remarked that contrary to the popular impression that certain political opinions prevail in certain circles exclusively, he "found many separatists among the so-called garrison, many shoneens among the workingmen, and so on.
Kenny met for the last time with Clarke and MacDermott in the Wynnes Hotel. That evening, just before Kenny left for the Liverpool boat, the O'Rahilly called to see him on a personal matter. That was the last Kenny was to see of the men of Easter week.
Next: The Aftermath