An early member of the Irish Volunteers and an enthusiast for Gaelic Games he developed a network of important intelligence contacts which he put at the disposal of Michael Collins.
Broy would meet Gay at the back of the Tivoli Theatre or at Webb's book shop on the Quays to pass on information.
[3] Gay's position as Librarian at Capel Street Library in Dublin during this period[6][7] made him readily accessible, when required.
His home at 8 Haddon Road, Clontarf was a regular, often weekly, meeting place for Collins, Broy, Kavanagh, David Neligan, James Mc Namara and on occasion Sean O'Duffy and Harry Boland.
[13][14] He reported to Marrowbone Lane Distillery in Easter week 1916 and was assigned to travel between garrisons keeping lines of communication open and gathering intelligence.
[14] Eluding capture, Gay was free to smuggle messages from prisoners and to pass on copies of the Gaelic American, a banned magazine, to them.
[10] He was a founder member of the 1916–1921 Club, that sought to bring together the two sides of the civil war, and its first Honorary Secretary until his death in 1953.
In 1923, he signed a deed of licence with the Commissioners of Public Works for a playing ground exclusively for camogie in the Phoenix Park.
He was joint Honorary Secretary of the committee and put his energies in the last years of his life towards ensuring fair pensions for Old IRA veterans.
[1] He worked initially as a commercial clerk[19] before securing appointment as an Assistant Librarian with the City Corporation in September 1900.
[20][21][22] He joined the Free State Army in 1922 and served as Staff Captain and then Colonel, retiring, on demobilisation of war time strength, on 20 December 1923.
[13] He married Eileen O'Shaughnessy of "Mountain View", Grand Canal Bank, Rialto, Dublin on 17 October 1917.
[13][26] After his wife's death, he returned to live with his siblings and his two older children at 11, Sandford Avenue, South Circular Road.