An Irishman's Diary

KATRINA COLLINS from Dublin 3 has written to us seeking information about her great grand-uncle: a colourful Irish-American born as John J Hanley and better known as “Baron Hanley” or the “Baron of Broadway”. Readers may be able to help her (contact details below). But here’s what I know.

John Hanley was born in Monagea, Co Limerick, circa 1895, and emigrated to New York where, at least partly thanks to Prohibition, he made it big. He returned to Ireland on a number of occasions, most famously in 1951. And if any of our older readers met him then, they will probably remember; because it is not much of an exaggeration to say that he blazed a trail.

Chauffeured around the country in a giant ’49 Ford Customline, painted green white and orange , with shamrocks on the side, he wore a formal ensemble whose accessories included a silk hat and walking stick with diamond-studded handle, creating a stir everywhere he went. But he was here on serious political business.

His mission, he let it be known, was to buy “the stolen Six Counties” back for the Republic.

Sure enough, he travelled to Belfast to discuss the matter with Lord Brookeborough, who was out at the time – in Norway. And despite also having his car decked with the US, Irish, and Papal flags, the “Baron” somehow made it back south in one piece.

An equally intrepid Irish Timescorrespondent who accompanied him on his mission north reported that Hanley was held up for an hour at Aughnacloy customs post (they had travelled from Castlebar, via Monaghan) and was also interviewed by police in Hillsborough when he stopped for petrol.

Here, and again at Dunmurry, he declined RUC advice that, if only for health reasons, he should remove the Tricolour; and he proceeded to Belfast where the car drew an impromptu audience of 500 at the Grand Central Hotel.

Finally the baron was prevailed upon to remove the flag. And after his fruitless phonecall to Sir Basil Brooke’s home, he was escorted to the Border, with a police car front and back, and another 50 RUC officers deployed along the route.

While in Ireland, Hanley succeeded in a more modest mission: presenting a cheque in Co Mayo for the building of a children’s swimming pool. But a measure of his fame here is that, by 1953, a greyhound called “Baron of Broadway” was performing regularly at Shelbourne Park and Harolds Cross. And a similarly-named animal won a rosette at the 1954 Limerick dog show.

A hint at how the baron made his fortune is contained in the New York Timesof October 1919, which reported him being fined $500 for serving alcohol at his "cafe" on Broadway. It was a second offence: he had escaped with a $50 fine on the previous occasion. And the courts were not alone in taking money from him that year.

A month earlier, his premises had been the victim of a dramatic hold-up: an event detailed by the New York Timesrather in the style of a Mickey Spillane novel.

"Automobile bandits" were said to have broken into his cafe shortly before closing and made off with $1,400. Quoting the Baron, the Timesreported that the gang leader pointed a gun and said: "Now Mr Hanley, we know you have lots of money. Besides the money, you have lots of brains. Use your brains and give us all your money."

The report continued: “They then ordered Hanley to open the safe. When he said he had forgotten the combination the leader fired a shot over his shoulder. Hanley then remembered the combination and $1,007 was taken from the safe.”

The thieves were remarkably relaxed, by Manhattan standards. Having also emptied the cash register, they went behind the bar and helped themselves to drinks. Then, smoking some of Hanley’s best cigars, “they slowly strolled up Broadway” with the Limerick man following for several blocks, blowing a police whistle, before they stepped into a car and escaped.

Afterwards, added the New York Times,"Hanley bitterly condemned the tardiness of the police". And right enough: they do seem to have been rather slow in reacting. Far be it from me to suggest that New York's finest were in any way corrupt back then, but from the details reported it sounds as if Mr Hanley might have been behind in his payments that month.

A happier occasion for the baron was the visit to his adopted city of the Kerry football team in early 1927. His car led the cavalcade when the All-Ireland champions were paraded from the pier to City Hall. He also hosted a banquet for them at the New York Press Club. And a sure indication of the hospitality shown to the visitors is that they sensationally lost their first challenge match against a local team, by 10 points.

That’s all I can find on the “Baron of Broadway”. Perhaps other readers can contribute to Katrina’s lore via telephone 086-1719943; e-mail collins.katrina_at_gmail.com; or letter to 503 The Distillery, Distillery Road, Dublin 3.