While not widely known today, he was present at or directly involved in several major incidents during the struggle for Irish independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

While this was an endless source of confusion for the rank-and-file Volunteers, they all knew that they only needed to find Hunter and he would lead them on.

[9] The 2nd Battalion was ordered to march, on 26 July 1914, to Howth to assist in the delivery of 900 rifles and ammunition being landed by Erskine Childers aboard his yacht, Asgard.

On 1 August 1914, Hunter, now teamed up with his long-time partner Peadar Clancy, took part in the Kilcoole gun-running, in which 600 rifles and ammunition were landed in County Wicklow.

In order to quiet him down, and put off imminent arrests by Dublin Castle, a meeting was arranged on 19 January between Connolly and several of the Military Council members, including Patrick Pearse, Tom Clarke, Éamonn Ceannt, Seán Mac Diarmada and Joseph Plunkett.

On 19 January, Hunter was observed, by the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP), attending an 8PM meeting at the Irish Volunteers Headquarters, 2 Dawson Street.

Hunter is further identified in the report as working as a Draper’s Assistant at Pim’s Department Store and a Captain in the Volunteers.

The other meeting attendees were Éamon de Valera, Joseph McGuinness, Michael O'Hanrahan, JJ "Ginger" O'Connell, Con Colbert and Thomas MacDonagh.

With MacDonagh more and more involved with the Military Council and Brigade, by St. Patrick's Day, 1916, the entirety of the 2nd Battalion was understood to be under Hunter's command.

[17][18][19][20] MacDonagh's extended absences due to IRB Military Council and Irish Volunteers Brigade Command activities were the root of all this confusion.

Oscar Traynor, who rose through the ranks from Lieutenant to Brigadier of the Dublin Brigade, eventually becoming a Teachta Dála for 25 years, had this to say about the situation in his official Witness Statement,[21] given in January 1950: Tom Hunter was still Vice-Commandant, as far as the volunteers were concerned, but it was never announced that MacDonagh was not the Commandant.

Most of the rank-and-file Volunteers were unaware that anything unusual was afoot, as The Rising was planned in secret by the IRB Military Council.

[23] In either case, these countermanding orders, obviously, threw the months of planning into chaos and, other than the Dublin Brigade, few Volunteer groups across Ireland rose in any significant way.

After spending most of Friday and into Saturday night keeping guard over Hobson,[24] Hunter was at Liberty Hall with James Connolly early on Easter Sunday morning.

[25] While the Military Council dealt with the fall-out and replanning for rising the next day, Hunter was soon busy on the streets of Dublin, organizing and directing the Volunteers.

[27] Between 6am and 7am on Easter Monday, Hunter was back in Father Mathew Park, issuing orders and dispatches via bicycle messengers.

As the morning wore on and more and more men reported, the orders were changed to simply make for Stephen's Green, skipping Father Mathew Park altogether.

At around 11:50am, the 2nd Battalion were led out of Stephen's Green and marched the short distance to the Jacob's Biscuit Factory, a monolithic building with high towers dominating Dublin Castle, the seat of British administration in Ireland, on one side and the approach from Portobello Barracks from Rathmines on the other.

At noon, the planned time for the start of the Rising, MacDonagh issued the order to enter the factory and evict any workers and to set about fortifying the structure.

After a few hours, this detachment was ordered back to the main body as it was determined that holding the position was untenable should it come under attack.

Pádraig Pearse and the GPO garrison retreated to Moore Street on Friday and surrendered that night in a city now occupied by 20,000 British troops.

[39] By March 1920, Hunter and his partner, Peadar Clancy, had established a drapery and tailoring business, "The Republican Outfitters", on Talbot Street in Dublin.

[42][43] News of these hunger-strikes sparked general strikes called by the trade unions and large scale demonstrations in Dublin to show support for the hunger strikers.

[53] Hunter died at his farm in Glanworth, County Cork of heart disease on 11 March 1932 following a long and debilitating illness.

He was survived by his widow Maire (née Kelleher), the local Primary School Principal, and their only child Conchubhair (Con) Colbert Hunter.