Remembering Sean Ó Laoghaire: 100 years on in Moneygall

Sean (John) O'Leary was born in Ballydribeen, Killarney, Co Kerry in 1899. Sean's parents Jerome and Joan O'Leary had six children - three girls, Ellen, Katherine and Joan and three boys Sean, the eldest, Timothy and Jerome. Sean's father Jerome worked as a clerk with the Mental Health Board in what was later St Finian's Psychiatric Hospital. Sean worked there for a short time also.

In 1917, Sean took up employment in Kilkenny with the Munster Leinster Bank. Shortly afterwards, he was transferred to Clare where he joined the volunteers. In 1919, he again transferred to Nenagh. On arrival, he joined the Nenagh Company of the Tipperary No 1 Brigade IRA. He was an active volunteer. In January of that year, he and six fellow volunteers destroyed a British lorry and commandeered a Black-Maria motor vehicle in the town of Nenagh. Due to his actions, Sean came to the attention of the police. On October 25th, 1920, his digs in Nenagh were raided by armed and masked policemen intending to murder him. He was not present and after that he went on the run.

Sean took part in many engagements both with his own battalion and in other areas also. He was part of the Flying Column at the Ambush at Kilcommon where Crown Forces suffered many casualties. He survived an attack at Kilruane by the Black & Tans/RIC where his comrade Capt James Devaney was shot dead on January 26th, 1921.

For Easter 1921, he was granted leave from his 18-man flying column. With Eddie John Ryan, he firstly came to stay in Nenagh for those couple of days. Upon arriving in the town on Easter Saturday, they met Jim O'Meara and Chris Gaynor. These two men relayed the message that Volunteer Paddy McCarthy of Kilmallock was under guard in Nenagh Hospital and they intended to rescue him. Sean readily agreed to assist with the plan. Within a couple of hours, they had rescued Paddy and took him via horse and trap to a safe house (Cooney's of Laughton, Moneygall). That night, Sean stayed in a dugout.

The following day, Easter Sunday, he had dinner with Joe Mangan's family. (Joe was a republican, who was later shot dead at Tullymoylan outside Nenagh during the Civil War.) The Mangans also hosted volunteers Tom Waters, Eddie John Ryan, Paddy McCarthy and Joe Starr of Nenagh. (Joe's twin brother, Pat, was shot in an ambush at Srahala on the Cork-Limerick border on May 1st, 1921.) After dinner, this group of men set off to visit Pat O'Brien, Silvermines, a senior Officer in Tipperary Brigade and subsequently a teacher in Tralee CBS. He had been sick with pneumonia in another Moneygall safe house. All men were unarmed.

As the group approached Moneygall village from the Toomevara side, at the dispensary, a British mobile patrol suddenly appeared. There was little cover so the volunteers scattered. Mangan and Starr made it to safety over a wall. O'Leary, Waters, Ryan and McCarthy jumped a ditch into a field. The British (Auxiliary RIC) force comprised of three lorryloads of soldiers and operated a machine gun from a Crossley Tender. In the ensuing attack, both Sean O'Leary and Tom Waters were wounded. Eddie John Ryan and Paddy McCarthy were arrested. The Auxiliaries wanted to shoot the wounded men but the officer in command wanted them arrested. All were later transferred to Nenagh RIC Barracks, where they were verbally abused. In particular, Constable Kane of Wexford gloated at their capture. It was believed he had murdered Lt Denis Carey and the O'Briens at Knigh Cross. The wounded men were taken to Nenagh Hospital. Both volunteers were attended to by brothers Dr Tony and Louis Courtney. Local priest Fr O'Halloran attended also. Despite pressure from the military, the medical staff and hospital sisters refused to allow the wounded men to be removed to a military hospital. With his mother at his side (who had travelled from Cork), Tom Waters had a leg amputated. Nevertheless, he survived and lived to a good age.

However, Sean O'Leary was severely wounded. He was comforted by medical staff and the sisters to the best of their ability. Sean gave a message to Sister Elizabeth for his mother, Joan. Amidst the prayers of the sisters and sympathisers, he passed away peacefully at two o'clock on Monday. That afternoon, a steady stream of friends and sympathisers filed past and said a prayer for Sean. His body was removed by undertaker, Mr DK Ryan, on Tuesday in a motor hearse to Limerick Junction and taken by train to Killarney for interment in his family plot at Muckross Abbey.

On April 9th,1922, during the Truce, members of the 1st Tipperary Brigade went to his family grave at Muckross Abbey, Killarney, to pay their respects to a comrade, a true Kerryman and Irish patriot. On that Sunday evening before their journey home, they fired a volley of shots over his grave as a final salute.

Sean's name is inscribed with his comrades on the North Tipperary Republican Monument at Banba Square in Nenagh. A plaque to Sean O'Leary was unveiled by Kerry Co Council on the bridge over the Flesk River on the Muckross Road outside Killarney in 1966.

Wreath-Laying

To remember Sean a century on, a wreath was laid at scene of his shooting at Moneygall on March 27th. Respecting Covid-19 protocols, this memorial act was privately performed. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.