Welcome to the Cleary Family Website   

Cleary Crest copy
 
This website is about two generations of the Cleary family starting with an eviction from their home at the Pollack Estate in east Galway in the 1880's. They lived through a period in the country, shortly after the 'Great Famine', of extreme poverty, misery and hardship. Committed to a United Ireland all members of the family were involved in the Easter Rising and War of Independence resulting at one stage in five of them, a father and his four sons, being imprisoned in British jails.  


Using letters, statements and documents, some recently discovered, it is now possible to piece together the story of their lives full of adventure, tragedy, love and war. They include the remarkable account in a letter written by a British soldier to his Grandchildren about how, while stationed at Athenry, he met and later married Ciss Cleary a member of Cumann na mBan and from a strong republican family.

Many members of the family went on to be successful in business some as builders at home and abroad. But tragedy struck when Tommy fell from the roof during the construction of Gurteen Church and passed away a few days later from his injuries.

Joseph L Cleary (1895 - 1949)

 

Timeline

 

1914 Joined Fianna Eireann 

1915 Joined Sinn Fein

1915  Joined Volunteers 

1916 worked with Liam Mellows developing rural Brigades around East Galway 

         Involved in Uprising with Mellows and Family members 

         Arrested and Interned in Arbor Hill & Stafford UK

         Meeting With Larry Ginnell MP in Prison visit 

1917 Supporting Sinn Fein Candidates in electioneering 

1918 At Election Count in Loughrea -Sinn Fein HQ - Shot and hit Chief Constables helmet 

         Warrant issued for Attempted Murder 

1919 Left for Liverpool - Joined Plasterers Lodge .

         Got Work in Shipping line as ships hand and Sailed for NYC 

         Met with Liam Mellows in NYC 

1920 Working in various jobs and became Manager of Grocery Desbrosses St NYC 

         Sending money home to support family 

         Visited uncles and aunts and cousins in Phildelphia 

 1925/6   Johnny Cleary visited and worked in NYC with Joe in 

          Joe Travelled to Galway 

 1926 Joe returned to NYC and opened grocery shop 

1929/30  Stock market crash of 1929 - probably cripled business 

1930 ( Approx ) Joe Married May 

1932  Brother- Tommy - Died 

1935  Joe travelled to Galway and London and Paris 

          Submitted Military pension application 

1936  Mother Died 

1936  Returned to NYC and opened grocery business again 

1940 lived at 614 w 157 Street, NYC 32

1946 Father  Thomas B - Died 

1949 Joe Had a Brain Haemorrhage lived for sometime and Died  

 

File Reference

MSP34REF12735

Name

Joseph Cleary

Gender

male

Address detail

  

Street

120 East 31 Street, New York

Country

United States of America

Address detail

  

Street

Athenry

County

Galway

Country

Ireland

Address detail

  

Street

572 West 141 Street, New York City

Country

United States of America

Address detail

  

Street

Apartment 3B, 614 West 157 Street, New York City

Country

United States of America

Notes

Date of birth not recorded on file

Notes

Date of death not recorded on file

Associated files in MSPA

34SP14481;

Related files

MSP34REF64045 James Cleary - subject's brother; MSP34REF37023 John Cleary - subject's brother; MSP34REF37026 Thomas B Cleary - subject's father;

Easter rising service

No

Organisation

None

Pension Claim

Yes

Award Pension

No

Army Pensions Act 1923/1953

No

Military Service Pensions Acts 1924

No

Military Service Pensions Acts 1934

No

Military Service Pensions Acts 1949

No

Digital file

Scanned/digital copy34SP14481 Joseph Cleary.pdf
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF12735 Joseph Cleary.pdf

File dates

14 August 1935 - 11 June 1945

Subject Information

File relates to Joseph Cleary's unsuccessful military service pension application. Joseph Cleary claimed that as a member of Athenry Company, Irish Volunteers he mobilised at the time of the 1916 Easter Rising. Laurence Lardner stated that Joseph Cleary did despatch and intelligence work assisting his father Thomas Cleary in the latter work. It is also stated that brothers and sisters of Joseph Cleary were also involved in the Independence movement at that time. Joseph Cleary stated that he was arrested and imprisoned in Arbour Hill, Dublin and Stafford Jail, England until December 1916. He claimed that his imprisonment was raided in the British House of Commons by Laurence Ginnell MP owing to Cleary's youth at the time. He stated that following his release he resumed his activities with the Irish Volunteers. He claimed that in December 1918 he was involved in a clash with RIC members at the Sinn Féin headquarters in the town and that he fired on an RIC Inspector McDonagh. He states that he then had to go on the run until leaving for New York, via Liverpool in [July] 1919. Joseph Cleary claimed that following his arrival in New York he assisted Liam Mellows in the work of gathering war material for transport to Ireland for the Irish Volunteers/ IRA. He claimed also to have assisted Mellows in a secretarial capacity during Eamonn de Valera's stay in the United States of America. He claimed that he continued the work of gathering and transporting war material after Mellows' return to Ireland. He also claimed to have volunteered to take part in an operation to block Liverpool harbour by sinking a ship. He claimed that this operation was called off by Eamonn de Valera, Harry Boland and Liam Mellows due to the risk of killing American civilians and alienating American opinion. File includes: material submitted by Joseph Cleary in support of his application; statements made by Joseph Cleary and Laurence Lardener on 20 December 1935 before the Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934; notes relating to discussions held with Liam Pedlar, Joseph Stanford, M Neilan and unnamed verifying officers regarding subject's service; and representations on subject's behalf from James Cleary - subject's brother.