Conway, Christopher (‘Kit’)

Conway, Christopher (‘Kit’) (1897–1937), revolutionary, was born 3 December 1897 in Clogheen workhouse, Co. Tipperary, son of Ellen Conway, unmarried, who died shortly after his birth. Raised in the workhouse until the age of 14, he worked as a farm labourer in the nearby village of Burncourt. He enlisted (1915) in the British army at Kilworth barracks, Co. Cork, but regretted his decision, feigned insanity, and was discharged within weeks. Overcoming suspicions about his British military background, during the war of independence he joined 6th Battalion, 3rd (South) Tipperary Brigade of the IRA, and became well known for his role in Dinny Lacey's (qv) Tipperary flying column. After the truce (July 1921) he briefly returned to farm work before joining the new national army, despite most of his old comrades adopting an anti-treaty position. He fought in the opening months of the civil war but was also reputed to have provided information to the anti-treaty forces during this period. Deserting in autumn 1922, he adopted the name ‘Kit Ryan’ (he was later known as Kit Conway) and joined the anti-treaty IRA in Dublin. After the civil war he worked as a building labourer in Dublin, becoming active in the ITGWU. In 1928 he emigrated to New York and joined the US army. After de Valera's (qv) 1932 general election victory Conway returned to Ireland but, disillusioned with Fianna Fáil, he resumed his IRA activities. With his military experience, he was appointed a national training officer for the IRA and was prominent in clashes with the Blueshirts throughout 1933. He left the IRA following the establishment of the socialist Republican Congress splinter group (April 1934) by Peadar O'Donnell (qv), George Gilmore (qv), and Frank Ryan (qv), and drilled volunteers for Michael Price's (qv) Irish Citizen Army, temporarily resurrected as the military wing of Congress. He sided with the majority O'Donnell–Gilmore faction against Price when the movement split at its first convention (September 1934). Conway subsequently joined the Communist Party of Ireland, which had been established in 1933 and was closely associated (1934–6) with Republican Congress. He was also a member of the Richard O'Carroll branch of the Labour party. In December 1936 he was among the first group of communists, IRA, and Congress activists to join the international brigades fighting with the republican government in the Spanish civil war. On Christmas eve Conway commanded the first section of Irishmen in battle: part of the British Battalion's No. 1 Company, attached to 12th (Marseillaise) Bn, XIV International Brigade. By February 1937, after heavy fighting on the Cordova and Madrid fronts, Conway was promoted to captain and commander of his company, now part of the British Battalion, XV International Brigade. On 12 February 1937 he was fatally wounded during the nationalist offensive in the Jarama valley near Madrid.