Josephine Marchment


Josephine Marchment Brown was an important spy for Michael Collins during the Irish war of independence.

Early life

She was youngest of ten children of Henry James McCoy, an RIC officer from Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick, and Bridget McCoy, from Bonane, Kenmare, Co. Kerry. She remained Marchment Brown until she married Florence O'Donoghue in 1921.In 1910, she moved to Wales. She married her first husband, Coleridge Marchment in 1913. She gave birth to their son Reggie, with a second son, Gerald, arriving in 1915. Her husband was killed in the first world war, and when she lost custody of her eldest son to her parents-in-law, members of the Cork IRA brought him back to Cork from Wales. O'Donoghue was influential in organising this operation, and during 1919–21

Life as a spy

Josephine worked as a typist in the Victoria Barracks in Cork and became one of Collins' most important intelligence agents. Josephine Marchment Brown took the codename 'G', after her younger son. Josephine and her husband lived at Loughlene, Eglantine Park, Douglas Road, Cork, with their two sons and two daughters, and her two sons from her first marriage. Her husband died on 16 December 1967 in Mercy Hospital, Cork, leaving an estate of £14,487. His papers are in the NLI and his statement to the Bureau of Military History is in the Military Archives.