Jimmy Lee

On the Run

‘In the summer of 1967 Jimmy had to flee to the West of Ireland to escape a high court warrant, where he remained for 3 years …’

Following on from his days in London, in 1967 Jimmy had to flee to the West of Ireland to escape a high court warrant, where he remained for 3 years until the ‘ Troubles’ began. He settled in County Clare taking on various jobs sang in the many local pubs, played rugby, had good friends and enjoyed the craic.(crack)

Back in the day, the Republican’s were recruiting for the emerging operational IRA, and Jim’s failure to read the danger signs meant that he was placed under suspicion by the Republican power brokers.

''Who or what was Jimmy Lee? What was this mysterious Englishman, blending in with the local community, doing here in the west of Ireland?"

His casual, confident, ‘don’t give a damn’ attitude, dubious UK service background and ability to look after himself raised a few local eyebrows, and he was summarily set up for a fall. He was arrested on a trumped up charge and questioned for hours by the Garda Siochana and several mysterious men in civilian clothes and strongly advised to leave Ireland immediately.

”I simply did not understand the seriousness of my situation and argued that I had no reason to leave”

Jimmy might well have been a dead man were it not for a quiet word in the wrong ear and Jim, by the skin of his teeth, was on the next boat back to England – via Dublin and a stint on the lighthouse ships.

Song Samples

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