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From the West to the East
by Bill Keary
(Largre extract)
It was an early morning in Co Galway. There was a little farm in a small country village called Killmashogue. There lived a family of five brothers and two sisters. Their name was the Quigleys. Growing up on a small farm in the west of Ireland in the 1930's was not an easy life.
Their mother had died at childbirth when having the youngest boy called Danny. Danny was asthmatic from birth. He seemed to find it harder to live the life of his brothers and sisters. Mostly in the morning, before they went to school, they used to have to do their farm work . Danny could not seem to cope a lot with this.
Even though the father was hard on the rest of the family he was more lenient on Danny. His brothers and sisters, although maybe sometimes jealous, used to look after him too.
When they all got up in the morning, they would have their porridge for breakfast. Then the eldest lad would go out for the cows for milking. They all had to help their father before they went to school. It was not easy for the father to rear them on his own either. Danny never knew his mother. He was lucky to survive his birth. An aunt of his father's sister looked after Danny for some of the years in his childhood. But he was mostly with his father.
Danny could not help out on the farm much. Even though he was very young he was allergic to hay and most other things on the farm. It was his eldest brother's last year at school. His father wanted him to stay and work the farm but he did not want to. He was going to emigrate to England. Danny's father used to say to him, "You might have to go England one day like your brother." But then he used to smile and pat him on the head and say, "I'm only joking," but probably meant it in the back of his mind.
Danny was not very good at school because of his asthma. He missed a lot of time at school. He could not cope with the other kids at school either. Being a bit weaker he got bullied a bit but his brothers used to protect him well, so it was not so terrible. The years started to pass away. Danny's eldest brother Jack finished school. His father kept asking him to stay at home and work the farm but he said no, he was going to England. His father's pleas were all in vain.
One day Danny's father picked him up from school. They came home and Jack was in the house and his bags were packed. His friend and his father were outside on an ass and cart. His friend's father was taking them to the train to go to Dublin to catch the boat. His friend had an aunt in Birmingham in England. They were going there first. This brought tears to his father's eyes because he did not know whether he would see him again or not.
A few years passed but Danny had always problems with his asthma and regardless of the family's fighting they always looked after him. But things were starting to change. Joe his second eldest brother stayed and worked the farm. He got married there. His sister Kathleen was next. She went to work in Dublin. Gradually as the years went on his two other brothers, Jim and Noel, went to America. All that was left was his sister Mary: she worked in a shop nearby. His father was not getting any younger. About ten years had passed and Danny felt that all his security had gone from around him. His father was getting on a bit. He was still kept a bit under his father's wing.
One day he came home after helping his sister in the shop she worked in. He never seemed to be able to cope on the farm. He went into the house to see his father sitting by the fire. He said, "How ya Da, would you like a cup of tea" He said, "No thanks Danny but would you sit down for a minute." Danny sat down in suspense not knowing what his father was going to say. He said, "Danny you know I am not getting any younger and Joe has his own family to keep now." Danny said yes Da. "Danny it is hard for us to keep you here now." "But what is going to happen now Da." His father said, "I have written to Jack who had moved to London. He has written back. I asked him would he take you over there for a while. He said he would. You will be leaving next week." Danny went into fear and despair. He did not know what to do or expect. But he mostly knew he was leaving the security of his safe home.
The week passed and Danny pleaded with his father not to make him go. His father said it might only be for a while, you might be back again soon. But the day finally came. Danny accepted that he had to go. He packed his bag and his father left him to the train on the ass and cart. He said goodbye to his father. You could see in the father's eyes that there was the worry that he might never see him again. They said goodbye. Danny boarded the train in fear not knowing what lay ahead. It was about a five hour journey to Dublin. On the train Danny felt paranoid and scared. He had never been much further than Killmashogue.
They finally hit Dublin at Westland Row station. He, with a bit of help from a guard, made his way to the North Wall. He boarded the ship that night. It was a very rough crossing. The cattle were in one end of the ship. People were getting sick. The only consolation was that it was only a four hour journey. They finally made it to Holyhead. He had a two hour wait for a train. There he was feeling quite rough. He finally boarded the train. It hit for London Euston. He felt unsettled and frightened.
As they approached London Euston, he did not know what to expect. He had not seen his brother Jack in a few years. Danny was about 18 years at this time. His brother Jack was about eleven years older. He did not know whether he would recognise him or not. He got off the train in Euston and walked down off the platform and looked to see would he meet his brother. He looked around and could not see him for a minute. Then he heard someone say his name. There was Jack. He did not know whether he was glad or sad to see him.
Danny thought that Jack wasn't bothered about him. He brought him up to catch the tube. It was not long before they got to Kilburn. When they got off the tube in Kilburn they walked a little up the road and turned into a pub. Danny felt the longer Jack was with him the less he wanted to know him . Jack bought Danny a pint. Danny had never drank alcohol before. It did not taste very nice. He also gave him a cigarette. Danny had never smoked either. He nearly choked on the cigarette. He found himself forcing down the pint. As soon as he did that Jack bought him another one. He seemed to manage a few that day. Suddenly he woke up feeling really sick in a strange room. He looked around. He was in one bed in the room. His brother Jack was in the other. Jack was staying in digs in Kilburn and managed to get Danny into the same room as him.
Danny was slow to find work in the beginning. He never felt happy with Jack. He seemed to act as if he didn't want him there. He got bits of casual work for a while but there never seemed to be anything permanent. He used to go out around the pubs and dance halls. He learnt to drink and smoke, the usual craic. He would sometimes go with Jack but they could not seem to get on.
Apart from being with Jack sometimes, Danny seemed to remain mostly a loner. He would go to pubs and dance halls but a lot of the time kept to himself. He was quite shy with women too. But one night he was in a dance hall in Cricklewood. He was standing alone. He suddenly found himself talking to a young girl. She sounded to be from Dublin. He spent some of the evening with her. In the short time he was with her he felt something for her. Two or three times after that they met. They would have an evening together and that would be it. For the short time they knew each other they seemed to have a deep feeling for each other. Then one evening they met and she said she had to go away. Danny was saddened. But they parted, all he ever knew her was as Dublin Rose.
Danny still went about getting bits of casual work. He stayed in the same digs for a while. He was sitting in the room one night . Suddenly Jack came in very drunk. He started hurling abuse at Danny. Danny did not know what to do. He knew Jack was a bit of a drinker. He did not seem to be very in control of himself. Danny used to think how his father wanted Jack to work the farm. He couldn't seem to be able to manage his life. Danny was sitting in the room listening to Jack. When the words came out I don't why I ever wanted anything to do with you, you killed our mother, Danny was shocked. He suddenly felt that Jack had a resentment to him because their mother died at his birth. Jack said, "I am going away and your not coming." Danny did not think anything of it because Jack had said it a few times before. But the next day Danny came in from work to find a note left by Jack to say he was gone. Danny felt very bothered because even though he didn't get on with Jack, he was the only real person he knew in London.
Danny stayed in the same digs for a while. He still did not seem to be able to find any permanent work. Always just bits of casual. He did not know where Jack went to. He often felt like packing his bags and going home. A short while after Jack left another man was put in the room with Danny. They slowly befriended each other. But Danny was always slow to make friends. They used to go out to dance halls and drinking a bit. Danny was always slow with women but deep within he felt for the girl he knew as Dublin Rose.
Danny befriended his room mate better as time went on. His name was Paudge O'Sullivan. He was from Cork. They used to go out together a lot to dance halls and pubs. Danny learnt how to drink and smoke well. But as two young Irish men in London they were still quite vulnerable.
Danny was sitting in the room one evening after not having worked for a week. Then his room mate Paudge came in. He said he got a start that day with a sub contractor. He said the money was quite good. It seemed to be long term work and they were looking for men. Danny being out of work found it hard to say no. Paudge said we have to be outside the Crown in Cricklewood at 6 o'clock next morning. Danny went up to the Crown with Paudge the next morning. Vans with F Duffy contractors on the side of them pulled up. Danny went up and asked the foreman in the wagon for the start. He told him to jump in the back. They set off on a long journey outside London. They landed on a motorway that day. They seemed to do a lot of that work. It finally seemed to be something permanent for Danny.
Danny and Paudge worked with this subcontractor for a good while after. They would work all week, mostly on the building of motorways. They would leave the Crown in Cricklewood about a quarter past six in the morning and normally get back about seven or eight in the evening. Most Friday evenings they would all pick their wages up in the Crown. There would be a gathering of most workers that evening. Danny and Paudge befriended another man called Larry Byrnes. They seemed to work, drink and go out together a lot. They would go to dance halls most weekends. Danny never mixed with women much, maybe the odd encounter. But mostly in his mind was Dublin Rose.
A year or so passed and they stayed working with the same contractor. They still always assembled in the Crown most Friday evenings. Danny and the other two stuck together a lot. Sometimes the main man Finbar Duffy used to appear. He was a big Connemara man. He would mostly talk to his own hench men. Danny, Paudge and Larry did not know him well for a long time. But it was said nothing meant much to him except money. He would talk to his main men in Irish, so a lot of the lads could never really understand what he was saying. For a long time the three lads did not know him. Till one Friday evening in the Crown they were sitting together and he came over and started talking to them. He seemed polite and friendly with them to start with that evening. He had seemed to observe they were working with him for a while.
After they got to know him a bit better, he used to come out to jobs and talk to them a bit more. He gave them the impression that he would look after them. They went on working for him for a while after that. He seemed to treat them quite well. The three lads still hung about together in the same ways doing the same thing. Danny once went into that dance hall in Cricklewood to see did anyone know where Dublin Rose was. He heard once that she had got married and lived in Birmingham. But he did not know how true that was.
One Friday evening they finished work. Their van pulled up at the Crown in Cricklewood. They got out and went into the pub. Standing at the door was a man who was known as the Horse. They did not know him that well only to collect their wages off him most Friday evenings. In their eyes he was called the Horse for obvious reasons. But he also seemed to be Duffy's right hand man.
The three lads were sitting in the pub that evening after getting paid. They were having a few drinks. Later that evening Duffy walked in. After a while they saw him walk over to them. He sat down and started talking to them. He seemed to drink double brandies like there was no tomorrow. He bought them a nice few drinks that evening too. Finally he started to ask them what they were doing the following evening. They did not have anything planned. He asked them would they come out to his house in Slough for a game of cards. They were quite taken back but they slowly said yes. He said that was OK. He knocked back a double brandy in one gulp. He got up and went up to the bar. They saw him talking to the Horse and pointing in their direction and then he left. They then got up to leave and the Horse approached. He said he would pick them up outside the Crown at 8 o'clock the following evening.
They just went home that night. The next day they met unsure of what they should do. They were debating whether to go out that night or not. In the end they decided to go. They arrived at the Crown that evening. The Horse turned up in the van. It was quite a long drive out to Slough. They finally got there. It was a big estate, a big mansion. It had a huge garden area, kept well secure behind high stone walls with barbed wire on top. There was a big sign saying beware of the dog. But it was a dog that nobody saw or heard.
The Horse brought them up to the house. What appeared to be a maid answered the door. They were taken into a big room. There was Duffy sitting at a big table with a few other men. They seemed to be talking a lot in Irish. He sat them down and gave them a drink. He asked them did they know how to play the card game 25. They were not really experienced in it, so he gave them an easy start. They played for about an hour, then they stopped. They sat there talking for a while, then Duffy asked would they like a drink or something special. They said OK. He took out a bottle that seemed to be a clear spirit. He gave them a glass each. It seemed to smell very strong and it was hard to drink because it seemed to burn the mouth out of them. He then asked them would they like to know where it came from. They slowly said yes. He took them out the back of his house and into a shed which led to a cellar. In there was a still. He was distilling poteen. He then started talking to one of his men in Irish so they could not really understand what he was saying . Then they went back into the house.
They sat around the table in his parlour. For a few minutes he started talking to the Horse in Irish. Then he said to the lads how would you like earn a bonus. He asked them would they like to sell the poteen for him. They were not sure what it was and they did not know that it was illegal.
They were very slow to make their minds up. But he managed to be convincing. He convinced them of all the extra money they could make. They were still unsure. He managed to persuade them in the end. The plan was that he had a few clients around London. Every week the Horse would meet them in certain places with the stuff. He would give them so many bottles each to try and sell to the clients. After a month, depending on how much they sold, they would get a bonus for it. He also told them to keep it to themselves. The clients mostly paid by cheque which the Horse would collect off the lads. A couple of days after he gave them the stuff.
It started that the Horse used to meet them in certain areas. On most Saturdays he would give them the stuff and the addresses of the clients. They would go to the different places to sell the stuff. Some clients they met in pubs, some they called to their houses. It seemed to be mostly well to do people that the stuff would be sold to. They had no problem getting rid of the poteen. They would meet the Horse about two evenings later to give him the payments they collected. This went on for about a month or so. Meantime they did their usual thing.
They still went out to dance halls and pubs. They got fonder of the drink and smoking. . Still Danny might encounter a few women here and there but never got too involved. He kept thinking about his Dublin Rose. He always asked in the dance hall in Cricklewood but as time went on less people knew about her.
A month or so had passed. They were still working for Duffy and doing the dealing on the side. But through that month they saw less of Duffy. It was coming to the time they were supposed to be getting paid for selling the stuff. But they never used to see Duffy much. They asked the Horse about it but he either avoided the issue or said you will have to see Finbar. They saw Duffy once on a job and asked him about their payment for he seemed to avoid them. Till one evening they met the Horse to collect the stuff. They asked him about their money for selling it. They were getting worried at this stage. He said that Finbar wanted to meet them the following evening and he would discuss it with them. They did not know what was going on.
The following evening they arrived in a pub in Cricklewood. Duffy was there waiting for them. They sat down at a table. There did not seem to be any sign of money. What he said to them was they were selling the stuff well but cash flow was slow. They could not understand it because he always used to get his money for it. But he reckoned it was what it was costing him to still the stuff and other things. He said if they did it for another month he would give them double what they made from selling it. They were slow to be convinced but he seemed to have ways of convincing them. They agreed to do it.
A few weeks passed and they were doing the same thing. Till one evening on their way home from work, they were stopped by a policeman. He just said there is a rumour that someone is selling poteen in this area. He said watch yourselves. They got really worried. They did not know what to do. The following Friday evening they went to the Crown to collect their wages and the Horse pulled them aside. He said Finbar wants to see you. He wants you out at his house tonight. They didn't know what to do that evening but they thought they might be getting paid for selling the poteen, so they went out with the Horse in the van.
They got out there late that night. When they got there they went into the house. They went into the parlour. Duffy was there. He said lads would you like a drink. They did not refuse. He said I want to talk to you all about something. Then he started talking about general things. They had a few more drinks and they started to feel themselves getting drunker. Then suddenly Duffy said to them someone had tipped him off about the poteen being discovered. They were getting very drunk at this stage. They asked would they be getting paid. He said no but we are all in it together. Suddenly Paudge got up and started threatening. It came to a punch up and then everything seemed to go blank for Danny. Danny found himself waking up in a field. Feeling battered, bruised and sick, he found Larry Byrnes alongside him asleep. He woke him up but there was no sign of Paudge. Neither of them could remember how they got there but they both felt they got a good kicking. They only remembered vague things in Duffy's house. How a punch up started and that was it. They got up from there not knowing where they were.
They went and found a train station and discovered they were still in Slough. They were curious where Paudge was. At first they thought he might have made it back on his own. They had to wait for the first train to come. They eventually got back to London and Kilburn. Danny got back to his digs to discover Paudge was not there but at the time he was too sore and tired so he just went to bed. He woke up later still feeling quite bruised. He could not remember what happened as if it was a black out. There was still no sign of Paudge. He went out that night to see could he find him but nobody knew where he was. Danny thought he might have just met somebody and went off with them.
A few days had passed and Danny had been to see a girl Paudge was seeing lately. She had not seen him either. Also he did not turn up to Larry Byrnes. They were starting to get a bit worried. They thought should they go to the police. They were afraid to at first because of the poteen. But they started to think it was all they could do. They did not go back to work for Duffys after that. Finally they decided to go to the police. They went and told them what happened. They told them where they were that night and how they could not remember the end of it. The police said they would get in touch with Duffy and see did he know what happened. After a couple of days, they went back again to enquire. The police said they were in touch with Duffy. He said the three of them were out at his house. They got drunk and started fighting. He asked them to leave. He had a bit of trouble getting rid of them but they left together anyway. The police said they would look out for him.
A week passed and one day Danny was sitting in his room and there was a knock on the door. It was the police. He was asked to come down to the station and he went down with them. Larry Byrnes was there when he got down there. They were both asked to come inside a room. They went in and sat down. The policemen broke the news to them. It was that there was a body found in a river out around Slough. They thought it was the body of Paudge O'Sullivan. He was very badly kicked and battered. They were both shocked. They were asked to come and look at the body to see was it him. They were taken out to the mortuary and they saw the body. It was him. They were very taken back.
Paudge's family started to appear from around for his funeral. They were wondering what happened. Danny and Larry did not know, they could not remember the end of the night that he died. They waited to get the funeral out of the way before any inquest. Danny and Larry attended the funeral, part in London. After that, the family took the body back to Ireland for burial.
A week or so passed and an inquest was on the way. Then Danny and Larry got called in for questioning. The day they got called in, they were taken into a room. They first got asked general things about themselves. Then it came to bigger questions of how Duffy said the three of them started fighting in the house and they left together and one of them was found dead in a river with a bad head injury and badly kicked. They could not answer because they could not remember. As time went on there seemed to be no witnesses. The blame got heavier on them and they could not defend themselves because neither of them could remember. All Duffy could say was they were drunk and they started fighting and they left together. Till one day they were called in again by the police. They were taken into a room and were told to sit down. The police started questioning them again. Whatever was said to them they could not seem to defend themselves.
The conclusion was they were In Duffys house drinking. They got drunk and a punch up started. Duffy made them leave. They were drinking poteen and there was traces of it found in the body. They were aggressively fighting with each other. They were having digs at Paudge and he fell and bashed his head off a rock. They discovered he was dead so to dispose of the body they threw it in a river. The lads were shocked. They knew they could not remember but they knew that this could not have happened. That day they were arrested and charged with the murder of Paudge O'Sullivan. They were read their rights.
They were kept on remand till their trial. They both knew they could not have killed Paudge. They had been out many times together and never fought with each other, no matter how drunk they were. But they could not remember. There were not any witnesses and they had an idea that Duffy was behind it. They knew he had ways of persuading people by bribing them or putting fear into them. As for the traces of poteen that was found in the body, they did not hear any questions of where the poteen came from . They thought he must have covered that up to.
They were both kept on remand for six months in Wandsworth prison. They got on with some of the inmates more than they didn't. As time went on no witnesses came forth. They just could not remember what happened on the night. It looked more bleak. Eventually the time of their trial came and nothing seemed to swing in their favour. Again there were no witnesses and they could not defend themselves. They pleaded not guilty for all the good it did. In the end their defence could not find evidence to save them. But in the summing up it was said that they were both drunk. It was a bit of a punch up and Paudge fell and hit his head. The jury found them guilty of manslaughter. They got twelve years each. They both had an idea that they were innocent. They knew they never fought with each other and again they had a strong suspicion that Duffy was behind it all. They knew that he knew more than he was saying.
They started to serve their sentence in Wandsworth prison. Then they got moved to a few prisons around inner and outer London. They tried to appeal a few times but always got turned down. They never got separated. They befriended some inmates and had trouble with others. After they ended up in Reading prison outside London, they seemed to get left there. Some of Danny's family visited him but he never heard from Jack. A few years passed and they had a lot of bad times but maybe had some happy times as well. But what bugged them most was that they knew Duffy was probably more guilty than they were. They knew they were fitted up.
One day Danny and Larry were sitting in a cell together. Danny received a letter and opened it. As he read it he started to look worried. He turned to Larry and said it was a letter from his sister saying his father was dying. He said he had to go home. He went and appealed to the prison governor to be let go home to see his dying father. He got turned down. He was talking to Larry and said he had to go and there was only one way to do it and that was to escape. He got turned down because his father was outside the country.
In the beginning he did not know what to do. It was his first time ever in prison. He knew some inmates but he knew they would not know how to help him. He knew others to see like Joe Hollawell. He was a father figure to the prisoners. A lot of people were afraid to cross him. They went out on work tasks as well. Danny thought that might be a way to escape but he was never sure how to go about it. And he did not know who might be watching. But he knew he had to do something because time was ticking away.
One day a new inmate arrived in the prison. He was a right hardened criminal and he gave the impression that he was trying to take over. He did not like Hollawell too much because he was a bit of competition to him. Danny was starting to get worried at this stage for he did not have any idea how to get out. Till one day they went out on a work task.
They drove out in a van to the country and were digging ditches. Himself and Larry Byrnes were there. Hollawell came out too and also the new hardened inmate they only ever knew as Scarface. That was for obvious reasons too. They were digging away that day and Danny was working quite near Hollawell. The guards were just walking around. Next thing he noticed Scarface acting suspiciously. He stopped digging and started moving closer to Hollawell. He saw him take a knife out of his pocket and suddenly he was going for Hollawell's back. On the spur of the moment Danny let out a roar and grabbed the knife out of his hand. They overpowered Scarface in seconds. Danny did not know what he had done but he was riddled with fear and anxiety after Scarface was taken away and nobody knew what happened to him after that.
A few days later Danny and Larry were sitting in a cell smoking and chatting. Danny was wondering what he was going to do about getting to escape and he found it hard to get over the previous escapade. Then someone he did not know came into the cell. He just said to him that Joe Hollawell wanted to see him. He walked along the corridor and into another cell. There was Hollawell. Danny did not know how to feel about him. Hollawell told him to sit down and asked him his name. Danny told him and then he shook his hand. He said to Danny, "I don't like Irishmen much but after the other day if there is any favour you want done, just come to me." Danny thought for a minute and explained how he got in there and his circumstances at that time and how time was ticking away. Hollawell told him to leave for now and they would see what they could do . Danny was not sure about it but it seemed like hope.
A day or so passed and Danny was a bit anxious because he was unsure what was going to happen or what he could do. Then one day they were out in the yard and Hollawell approached him. He asked him to come and see him that evening. Danny went to see him anyway. Hollawell said to him, "I have worked something out for you. We are going out on a work task in two days time and what is going to happen is that a punch up is going to start. We should get there about 12 noon so it should happen about ten past. We have a map drawn for you. When the screws backs are turned at that point you make a run through the fields. Then you have got still three o'clock to get to town. There will be a van waiting for you there providing you make it on time. It will take you all the way to Holyhead. If you do not make on time the van will be gone and you will not make the boat. There will also be a change of clothes for you."
Danny was anxious about it for he was not sure what he was doing or who he was dealing with. But he knew he had to go. Two days passed and he decided he had to do it. The morning came and Danny was feeling worried and anxious. He did not know how it was going to go. They came out of the prison and got into the van. Hollawell approached him and slipped him a small package. In it was a sum of money. He said that should keep you going for a while. He said he would have given a few packets of cigarettes but it might have been too noticeable. Danny had some on him anyway. Hollawell said there might be some waiting for you in the van when you get there. He then patted him on the shoulder and said good luck. He then said watch for him to give the signal.
Danny kept an eye out for Hollawell to signal him. He said goodbye to Larry Byrnes and shook his hand, on the quite of course. Suddenly Hollawell put his hand in the air and a punch up started. Danny watched for the guards to run to the scene. He then ran out through the field hoping and praying he would not be spotted. He ran through a few fields till he found a place to hide and catch his breath. He still used to get bits of asthma and his smoking did not help. That was the first part of the escape complete but he knew he was not out of the woods yet.
He stayed there for a few minutes till he caught his breath back. Then he knew he had to act fast. He took out the plan of the journey, which he had been given, and tried to work out where he was. He then followed the best he could. It was a struggle for him. He had to keep in fields and side lanes as much as he could. He could not be seen in the prison clothes. He kept moving through and trying to follow the plan as well. He knew time was not on his side. As luck had it, it started to rain.
He was watching the time eagerly on an old cheap watch Hollawell had given him. But it served the purpose at that time as at times he was not sure he was going to meet that van on time. He thought the fields were endless. Then suddenly he saw a town in sight. It was getting close to three. He was coming closer to the town and time was running out. He was looking for a way out to the road. He spotted a gap in the bush and he thought he would be OK. Just as he was coming to the gap to his horror a policeman cycled by. He then stopped to talk to somebody at the side of the road. It was getting closer to three.
Danny could not be seen by him because of his prison clothes. He hid in the bushes anxiously hoping the policeman would go away. Danny was starting to panic because it was about ten to three at this stage. Suddenly the policeman cycled away. Danny was relieved. He looked out to see if the coast was clear. Then he watched out for the van that had been described to him. He knew it was the right town because he managed to spot a sign post. It was nearly three o'clock at this stage. He could not see the van at first. He was beginning to panic a little bit. But he spotted a van fitting the description down in the corner of the town . He quickly ran towards it. As he was approaching it he saw it starting up and he let out a shout at it, taking a chance that the driver might wait. He got there just on time and said who he was to the driver. Luckily it was the right van. He had just caught it on time. But he knew he was not out of the woods yet.
He jumped in the van. The driver turned out to be Hollawell's brother. They shook hands. He still knew he was in a hurry. It was a little Thames van. It seemed to drag along. It was quite a nerve wracking journey for Danny all the way. He was on the look out all the time. The driver who introduced himself as Peter Hollawell did not stop talking and between that and a bad attempt at singing Danny Boy he was giving him a headache.. Then they stopped in a back country lane. Peter gave him a bag . It was a bag of clothes and it had a nice quality suit and a new pair of shoes. He was glad there was no sign of road blocks up to that because if he was seen in prison clothes it would be worse. He quickly changed his clothes in the back of the van. When he was ready they moved again. It was a long and anxious journey. He was watching out for check points or road blocks or he was worried that he would be spotted again. He was worried about the time he had left; whatever about the van waiting for him he knew that the boat would not.
They started on the road again. Danny felt more comfortable now that he was out of the prison clothes. The van still dragged along the road. He knew what time the boat was at so he knew that they had no time to waste. They both kept an anxious eye out for road blocks. It was getting darker. Peter Hollawell was not making the journey very comfortable. Suddenly they came to a road block and Danny began to get worried. It was a row of traffic and Peter told him to jump into the back of the van just in case. They gradually approached the block. Danny was well hidden in the back. Fortunately it was only a road tax check and Danny was relieved.
They finally hit Holyhead. Danny knew he had a way to go but he was probably through the worst of it. He got out of the van. He was just going when Peter Hollawell called him back. He gave him a small package and in it was 60 Woodbine and another four pounds to add to the eight pounds Joe had given him already. Peter said to Danny good luck and said it was up to him now. He also said that if anything goes wrong their names were never to be mentioned. With that he drove off.
Danny was left there and all he had to do was buy his ticket and board. He was bothered whether there would be a search out for him or not. He went and bought his ticket and it cost him fifteen shillings and six pence. Then he went to board and he was nervous knowing he was probably a wanted man. At that stage he was wondering whether he would be stopped getting on or not. He also knew it was a couple of weeks since he had heard about his father. He did not know whether he had died since. Danny approached the gangway and walked nervously up it. He could see the ticket inspector and there was a policeman with him. His heart started throbbing heavily. He knew he could not turn back when his turn came. The inspector just checked his ticket. The policeman just looked at him and nodded. He was relieved and he got on board. He was glad he had got so far.
When he sat down on board he anxiously waited for the boat to pull away. He was not even thinking about the rough crossing. He was just glad he had got so far. As soon as the ship launched he relaxed and lit up a fag for he knew he was safe for now anyway.
As the boat pulled away Danny felt extremely tired. He had been up early and then the stress of running through long fields looking out all the time.. Even driving along the roads between being on the look out and listening to Peter Hollawell. He was crashed out in no time. He woke up and went out on deck. He could see the North Wall in the distance. He was glad for two reasons, one he knew he was nearly there and two he had slept right through the rough crossing.
He stepped off the boat in the North Wall harbour and lit up a cigarette. He felt relieved in one way that he had escaped successfully but he knew now he had to make his way home to Galway and he did not know whether his father would still be alive. He got on a bus into Dublin and made his way to Westland Row station. He enquired about a train when he got there. They said it would be a couple of hours. He got a bit panicky but he knew all he could do was wait. When the train finally came he sat on it and fell asleep. He slept the whole journey down. He was lucky, he just woke up before he reached Ballinasloe station. He got off the train not knowing how he was going to get out home. It was about ten miles from the station. He lit up a cigarette and looked around for a minute.
He noticed somebody standing at a car. He went over to him and said his father was dying and he did not know if he was still alive. The person who seemed to own the car said to hold on a minute, I just have to give a message. He went and was back in no time. They jumped in the car and as they were driving along Danny looked at the man again. He recognised him. He was a friend of his fathers when he was growing up. He said to him who he was and the man was surprised. Danny asked him how his father was and he said that he was on his last legs. He asked him was his father at home or in hospital. The man said he was at home. They got to the house which Danny had not seen in a few years. He rushed into the house and into his fathers room. There were some of the family standing around the bed. When Danny's father saw him he went over and held his hand. His father said to him, "I was waiting for you Danny. I knew you would make it." With that he died.
Most of the family came home at that time. He had not seen some of them since he left: the rest longer. His brother Noel returned from America but Jim did not. Jack did not show either. As far as they knew he was still in London but nobody knew where. He never kept in touch. His brother Joe was still around there and his sister Mary had got married and stayed around the home place. His sister Kathleen was married in Dublin. Danny was surprised he never ran into Jack since.
They thought all they could do at that time was lay their father to rest. They went through the process. They had the wake and the funeral and everything else. Danny met people he had not seen for years. A lot of people were surprised to see him because be had been gone for a few years and some never expected to see him again. His family and other people had said to him that his father was waiting for Danny to come home before he died.
After they had buried their father Danny did not know what he should do. He stuck around for a while. His brother Noel went back to America. His sister Kathleen was between there and Dublin. There was a bit of feuding over the land and the house or whatever. Danny was not interested who would get what so long as he could stay in the house while he was there. They were all still surprised that he had just walked in the door before his father died.
His family did not know his full circumstances. They knew he had been in prison but they were never sure what for. They did not know he had escaped either. The one he got on well with was his sister Mary. He helped her in the shop where she worked before he went away. He got on all right with the others but he did not know them that well. He had not seen Jack for years and they had parted on bad terms. As time went on while he was there he got on better with Mary and began to confide in her more. He started telling the whole truth of his situation from his conviction to his escape.
After a while Danny began to think about what he was going to do next. He knew Larry Byrnes was still in prison back in England for something he did not do. He also knew that he was innocent himself. He also knew Duffy was behind most of it to. He decided Duffy had to be found out about in some way. Danny knew at that stage what a manipulator Duffy could be. He decided Larry Byrnes should not remain in prison for something he did not do. Danny decided he had to clear his name as well . He had to go back.
His sister Mary got fonder of him after not seeing him for a few years. She thought he might stay at home considering his circumstances. She thought he might have felt safe there. She worked in the same shop and she was working there one day when Danny walked in. He asked to talk to her in private. He explained what he was going to have to do. She was a bit upset at that time and at first begged him not to go because she was afraid of what might happen if he got caught But he brought her to understand him.
He had told her about his parting with Jack and how he seemed to resent him for their mother's death. She was taken aback but she said Jack being the oldest was close to his mother and it hit him hard when she died. He never fully got over it. He then asked her did she know where Jack might be for he thought he might be the only contact he might have had over there at that time. She said she was never sure because Jack never kept in touch much. They could not even contact him about his father. But she had the address of Packey Molloy, the friend he went to England with those years previous. He was still in Birmingham. Danny thought it might be a good idea to stop off there first anyway. Two days later Mary got him a lift to the station and he began to make his way back to England. He was on a mission.
Danny got to the station in Ballinasloe. He did not have long to wait and caught the train. The journey was a repetition of before but this time he knew what to expect. The same five hour journey to Dublin and he got off at Westland Row and made his way to North Wall again. He was not looking forward to the usual rough crossing. He got on the boat anyway and it was another repetition of before. They finally docked into Holyhead and by this time Danny must have smoked his lungs out. When he got there he had only a short while to wait for a train. He was beginning to feel a little bit nervous at this stage. He knew he was back in unsafe territory again. It was about a five hour journey to Birmingham. Danny had nothing to do throughout the journey but smoke. It was a good job his sister had helped him out with a few bob and cigarettes before he left . He got off at Birmingham. It was nothing strange to him after being a few years in London and besides Birmingham was not as big as London.
He took a walk around the town looking for the address he was given. It was a pub he was looking for but he went into a few others as well. As he was wandering about he thought about the girl he met in London one time called Rose who he remembered as Dublin Rose. He was told since that she had moved to Birmingham. He inquired in a few places but nobody knew her. He thought the chance would be a fine thing anyway. He eventually found the pub he was looking for. He went in and had a pint and enquired about Packey Molloy. The bar man looked at him twice and said oh Pat Molloy. Danny said he would see him all right. The bar man said he was out at the moment but he was on duty that evening if he wanted to come back then. Danny said OK. He also enquired to that bar man about Rose but he said he had never heard of her.
Danny went and took a walk around the town looking at every and anything and hoping maybe on the off chance he could bump into Dublin Rose but that was not meant to be. He eventually went back to that pub that evening and asked for Pat Molloy. Then he came out and Danny recognised him from years back but Molloy did not recognise Danny. He had a few words with him and said they would talk when he came off duty. Danny waited for a while and eventually Molloy finished and they went out together. Danny did not want to say who he was in the beginning for fear of Molloy knowing about his case. Danny and Pat Molloy chatted for a while and Danny told Molloy who he was and about his circumstances. Molloy was taken aback and said he had heard something vague about it but was not sure.
Danny asked him did he know where Jack was in London. Molloy said yes they kept in touch a lot. Danny explained that he and Jack parted on bad terms a few years previous. Molloy said Jack could be argumentative sort. He also said that when they arrived in Birmingham they stayed with Pat Molloy's aunt for a while. Pat was able to get some bar work but all Jack could get was a bit of casual. Then he teemed up with a bunch of lads and they went to London together. Danny felt sad about this because Jack kept in touch with Molloy yet he did not want to know his own brother. Danny ended up staying the night in the pub where Molloy worked.
They got up the next morning and had some breakfast. Pat Molloy understandingly gave Danny Jack's address. Danny was very grateful and with that they parted company. Pat Molloy said to Danny if you are ever in Birmingham again pleased drop in. Danny was on the next train to London.
Danny arrived in London that afternoon. He got off in Euston feeling quite nervous. He knew he was still a wanted man. He walked around for a while feeling paranoid and worried that somebody who might have known him and all about him might see him. He waited till the evening then made his way to Shepherd's Bush where he was told Jack was living.
When he got to Shepherd's Bush he casually walked around to find the street of the address he was given. He did not want to really ask anybody. He finally found the street and when he located the house he knocked on the door. A few times he got no answer and he began to get a little bit worried. He desperately needed to find Jack because he needed somewhere to lie low. He thought any one else he knew before In London might know too much about him so he felt he could not meet any of them . He didn't think Jack might know too much because he did not seem to have any interest in him before.
Danny then wandered around a few pubs and he would just stick his head in the door to see could he spot Jack. He went to three or four. Eventually he looked in the door of one of them and spotted Jack. He did not want to go in because he did not know what Jack's reaction might be when he saw him, so he waited outside. It was a cold evening but he waited patiently. After a while Jack came out and when Danny saw him he ran over and grabbed him and pulled him up to a side lane and said who he was. Jack was a bit shocked and taken back. Then he calmed down and said to Danny what the fuch are you doing here. Danny did not know whether Jack wanted to see him or not but he persuaded Jack to take him back to his digs. Danny felt on edge with Jack because of their bitter parting years previously.
When they got back to the digs Danny did not wait to hear what Jack had to say. He just said he desperately needed a place to hide. He then explained to Jack some of his situation and then told Jack about their father. Jack did not know whether their father was dead or alive. Danny had a go at Jack for not been in touch or anything like that. Jack, feeling a little guilty, said to Jack OK, you can stay in my room tonight and I will see what I can do tomorrow. Danny was relieved but he knew he still had a lot to do. Jack was in that house a few years at that stage. It was a big house and Jack used to collect the rent for the landlady. There were not many tenants in the house. Jack put Danny into an empty room there. But Jack assured Danny if he got caught he was having nothing to do with him. And when his business was done he did not want to see him again.
Danny was able to hide well around the house for a week or so. He knew there were certain things he had to get hold of and there were certain people he had to track down. He spent a week or so thinking about it.
Two of the things he had to get hold of was a long rope and a gun. He knew it being a post was era that a gun would not be too hard to get hold of. He just had to know where. He did not know who to track down who might be able to help him. But he thought he could get hold of someone who worked for Duffys . Someone he might have met on the sites he was on before.
Then he began going out late at night and started going up to Kilburn and Cricklewood to see if he could spot anybody he might have known from before. He used to wander about hiding in side streets hoping no one would spot him before he would see them. He was doing that for a week and he would come back in the early hours of the morning to the house in Shepherds Bush.
Then one night Danny was standing in a side street in Kilburn when he saw someone walking down the high street. He was sure he knew his face but he could not remember where from. He followed him down the road. He went up a side street and Danny saw him let himself into a house. Danny went back to the Bush that night wondering who he was. Then it struck him who he was. He was a bloke who worked for Duffy at the time Danny was with Duffy. He knew Larry Byrnes well but Danny only knew him to see. He didn't even know him by name but Danny felt it could be a start. He decided to go up again the following night and try to watch the house he had seeing him going into. Danny hid up a side lane and waited to see if the same bloke would come out or in. Then he saw the same person coming up the road. As he passed the side lane Danny called him in.
Danny said who he was and he said he did not know whether the man knew his face or not. But Danny needed to talk to him. The man did not seem to want to know at first but Danny pleaded with him and persuaded him to talk to him. The man finally agreed. But he said he was in a hurry and he would meet him the following evening . Danny asked him could he find as private a place as possible. The man knew just the place. It was a back street pub in Kilburn and he said not a lot of people go in there. He gave Danny directions to the pub as well. Danny went back to the house that night feeling a bit more progress was being made. He thought the sooner things happen the better. Apart from the main reason tension was beginning to build between him and Jack again. Jack was supporting him and he let him know it.
The following night Danny managed to borrow some money off Jack and made his way to Kilburn. He walked around the back streets for a while and eventually found the pub he was sent to. He went in and sat down. He sat nervously with a pint in front of him. The time came when he was supposed to meet the man but there was no sign of him. Danny was getting worried that he might have been led on but a slow half an hour passed and he turned up. Danny was relieved. He apologised for being late and sat down and anxiously waited to know what Danny wanted out of him.
Danny began to ask him questions like did he still work for Duffy. He said he did. He asked him was he still going well and he said he was. Danny wondered how many other blokes Duffy kept where he was. He asked more questions like was Duffy living in the same place and the man said as far as he knew he was. Eventually the man started to get suspicious and wanted to know why Danny was asking him all these questions . Then Danny explained in full. The man whose name he told Danny was Frank Irwin was very taken back but it jogged his memory and he even recalled seeing Danny once or twice before. But he got worried that Danny was expecting him to get involved. Danny stressed he was not involving him but he badly needed information to plan his next moves. He did not know if he could do much himself but Danny was hoping through him he might be able to meet somebody else who might be able to help him. After Danny telling him the full story he was shocked. He said he did remember the time of the incident but he did not know the full story. He said he would see what he could do.
There were few things Danny wanted. He wanted a gun and a good strong rope and access to Duffy's property. He had no idea how to do it but he was trying to find ways. They parted that night and Frank Irwin said to give him two days. He was unsure what he could do himself but he would try and have words with a few people.
Danny went back up again two evenings later and met Irwin. He had a little bit of good news. He had a bag with him when he came in and in it was a big rope. He gave him an address and he would not say what the address was about. It was somewhere he might be able to see somebody about getting hold of a gun. Irwin said that is all I can do for you for now. Danny was very grateful and he said thanks and he would keep in touch about progress.
Danny waited a couple of days. He still hung around Jack's in Shepherds Bush. Tension was really starting to build between them. He then followed up the address he was given in Harlesden in North West London. It took him a while to find it because it was in a quiet hidden place. He went through as many back streets as he could. He was even paranoid about being seen. Eventually he found the address. It was a small house on the back street. He went and knocked on the door and a young woman answered. He asked for the person whose name he was given. A tall English man appeared and Danny said he had been sent to that address. He said he was not sure why but he thought it was concerning getting hold of a gun.
The man looked at Danny suspiciously and said who are you anyway.
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