Nenagh and District in World War Two
The involvement of people from this locality in World War Two (1939-45) is greatly under-researched in contrast to the earlier conflict of 1914-18.
But the opening lecture of the Ormond Historical Society 2026-27 season will help redress that neglect. The lecture takes place at the Abbey Court Hotel on Monday, October 12, next at the usual starting time of 8pm. The talk is entitled, ‘People from Nenagh and District in World War Two’ and the speaker is Mr Con McGrath.
Mr McGrath, who works as a secondary school teacher in Nenagh, has done extensive research on Irish participation in that great conflict, particularly on men and women from Co Tipperary. Some of this work has been published in his series of weekly articles entitled ‘The Role of the Irish in WW2’ in the popular Ireland’s Own magazine.
Con McGrath has also made a deep study of the ‘Warsaw Uprising’, when the people of that city revolted against Nazi rule in 1944. That research involved numerous trips to Poland and conducting interviews with no fewer than 80 veterans of that mighty battle. In 2022 Con was honoured in Warsaw city with the ‘BohaterON’ Gold award, a national Polish Award, for his extensive research of the subject.
In his talk on Monday, October 12, he will discuss numerous personalities from this district who were active participants in World War Two – several of them tragically. People like Tod Brereton of Rathurles, whose plane was shot down during the Battle of France, survived and was captured and spent the rest of the war as a German prisoner. Another local man held prisoner-of-war by the Germans was Terence Prittie, son of Lord Dunalley. But not content to remain in captivity, he made no fewer than six attempts to escape from various camps.
SHOT DOWN OVER NAZI GERMANY
Service in the Royal Air Force carried terrible risk, as was evident in the life cut short of Flight Sergeant Denis McGrath from Pound St, Nenagh, shot down, aged just 24 years.
Another who lost his life was Sergeant Michael Heaney of Ormond St, “missing, presumed dead” over Germany in December1940. Michael was a brother of Willie Heaney, notable for his weekly column in the Nenagh Guardian.
Less than a year after the death of Sergeant Heaney, another Nenagh man, Sergeant George Maher was killed over Germany in October 1941 while also serving with the Royal Air Force. Also less fortunate in the conflict was Nurse Kathleen Toohey of Ormond Street, killed when the SS Ceramic was torpedoed by a German U-Boat.
Con will also discuss the contributions of Lieutenant-Commander Eugene Esmonde of Drominagh, Terryglass, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry in attacking the mighty German battle-cruiser ‘Scharnhorst’, Colonel Terence Otway of the Templederry family, who led the famous assault on the ‘impregnable’ Merville Battery. The role of scientist John Desmond Bernal of Brookwatson, Nenagh, will also be discussed and that of a man well known to members of the OHS – the late Brigadier-General Hardress Waller, who served in ‘special operations’ with the renowned ‘Chindits’ behind Japanese lines in the Burma campaign.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
Any talk on WW2 would not be complete without reference to the Navy, which will be relayed via the exploits of Vice-Admiral Sir Patrick Uniacke Bayly of Ballinaclough, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross an incredible three times. Several military chaplains from this locality also served in the conflict, most notably Rev Daniel Brislane of Coologue, Toomevara; Rev Michael F Cooney, of Laughton, Moneygall; Rev Patrick Gleeson, Shalee; Monsignor William D Cleary of Ollatrim, Toomevara.
All are invited to join us at the Abbey Court on Monday, October 12, for what will be an original and stimulating talk on a much neglected subject. Since membership fees for 2026-27 will be taken up at the meeting, you are kindly requested to come early to join or renew your membership.