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1887 May 17. Born Dublin (registered as Leo M'Carthy)
1901 census at Edward St, Denton, Lancs
1911 census at 6 Poplar St Hooley Hill Lanc
1917 Aug 1. Manchester Regt, Territorial Force. From Officer Cadet Unit, to be 2nd Lt Leo Francis McCarthy
1917 Nov 17. married in Dublin to Mary Beddy. They had 4 children born 1918, 1921 and 1923
1921 Jan 19. Joined ADRIC with service no 1548. Posted to N Coy
1921 Feb 4. Posted to F Coy
1921 May Frank Thornton's Witness Statement . We were put in touch with another Auxiliary named McCarthy, also of F. Company. This man was introduced to Paddy Morrissey by one of the brother Healy's of A. Company, Fourth Battalion, who was a distant relation of McCarthy's. Paddy Morrissey brought him to Liam Tobin at Eannan's public house in Abbey Street, and McCarthy agreed to work for us. He passed Over to Liam Tobin and myself documents that he was able to lay his hands on inside, and on a few occasions he brought out files which we were able to copy and hand back to him. All went well for some time until about May, 1921, when an incident occurred which shook our confidence in McCarthy, and, as a matter of fact, rather convinced us that he had started to double-cross us. However, proof was hard to get and in the interests of safety McCarthy was dropped. This, is what happened: Every other day. for a few weeks, Liem Tobin, Tom Cullen and I went to the La Scale Restaurant which was then attached to the old La Scala cinema, now the Capitol Theatre. We went there for lunch every day and we went to the one waitress I cannot remember her name at the moment but I know that she is married to Tommy McCarthy, a brother of Dan McCarthy. On a Friday we went as usual to the La Scala for our lunch and on that particular day Liam Tobin had a new brown suit on him. Sitting across the room from us was McCarthy, the Auxiliary, with two other fellows whom we didn't know. McCarthy made no attempt to recognise us, which didn't Create any suspicion on our minds at the time.
On the following day, Saturday, the three of us were in Crowe Street along with Frank Saurin and Charlie Dalton discussing an operation which had been entrusted to us, when Liam Tobin was called away to meet Mick Collins. Shortly after 1 o'clock a message came for Tom Cullen, who also went away. I arranged with the two of them to meet them at Devlin's that evening at 5 o'clock and then went on to my lunch at the La Scala. On crossing the "halfpenny bridge" I met an old friend of mine and we stopped to have a few words conversation when I noticed a very large enemy convoy crossing O'Connell Bridge, going up O'Connell Street. Neither of us took particular notice: of this occurrence as it was one of the things we had got quite used to. After about a quarter of an hour I went on towards the La Scala and crossed over towards the old Independent Office and went up on the left-hand side of Middle Abbey Street going towards O'Connell Street. When I reached the narrow Laneway running between Middle Abbey Street and Prince's Street two Auxiliaries stepped out and held Me up, demanding to Know where I was going.
I was searched, and on informing them that I was on my way home, was. propelled by their boots out on to the road. Needless to remark I went across the road as quickly as possible. I went up towards O'Connell Street to find the whole street occupied by military and auxiliaries. People in Manfield's shop on the corner and in Easons and all those in the Theatre and Restaurants were all held and from what I found out afterwards, I believe they were held there for at least two hours. When the raiding party entered the Restaurant they immediately went to the table that we had been at for the previous week and demanded of the waitress the names of the three men, giving a very accurate description of the three of us, and particularly describing the tall thin man wearing a new brown suit. They insisted that we must have come into the building and that we must be hiding somewhere. However, they ransacked the place from cellar to garret, but needless to remark they didn't get us because we weren't there. Afterwards; I discussed this matter with Paddy Morrissey and he told me that he himself had got an uneasy feeling about McCarthy just before he was. transferred to Leitrim because he mentioned to McCarthy on one Occasion that he was going to Leitrim and McCarthy became very anxious to know who he was meeting there,. where he was going and where would his headquarters be, and for some reason, although at the time he believed he was alright, he gave him no information. These, however, were the chances which had to be taken and when dealing with men of the McCarthy type, who after all were only working for the pay they received, well, one possibly couldn't expect anything else to happen.
1921 Jun 15. Reynolds , the IRA mole in F Coy, was transferred away from "F" Company to "G" Company with a promotion to Platoon Commander.
1921 Jun 28. Posted to Z Coy
1921 Jul 22. Posted to Depot Coy
1921 Aug 27. Posted to L Coy at Millstreet
1921 Oct 10. IRA intelligence correspondence between Dublin & Cork, warns Cork off McCarthy
1921 Oct 21 to 10 Nov. Suspended
1921 Nov 19 Posted to Depot Coy
1921 Dec 1. Permitted to resign on disciplinary grounds
1921 Dec 20 8th Bn., Manch. R Relinquishes his commission with rank of Lt.— L F McCarthy (sic)
1922 Jun 27. Living in Dublin when he applies for his medals. See MIC
1923 Jul/Sep . A daughter Carmel Nora McCarthy born in Dublin
1939 Register. Living at 143 Withington Road , Manchester . He is a retired Civil Servant, widowed
1945 Jun Died Manchester aged 58