Introduction
It seems to me that Jimmy's life was dictated by circumstances in every decade of the first 50 years of his life .He went through Wars Imprisonment Torture Starvation Murder and attempted murder assault the London Blitz the Second World War and during all that time I'm he stayed in contact with his friends and family and home. He struggles financially operating in essentially a bankrupt country of Ireland traveling to London and New York at different times for work and to help family and maintaining friendships in all of these places as he journeyed
In hindsight it was an incredible Journey. Can anyone think of a tougher 50 year period in modern human history ? Not to mention Irish history – even though it probably was worse for Ireland and Irish during Penal Laws and Famine . He was always interested in history and Ireland and yet his personal losses - particularly in the family in the late 40s must have been shocking on the one hand, hard to handle on on another level, painful, lonely and stressful.
Then in around 1950 he met Maisy .That meeting appears to have been a fairytale at that point in his life . After 50 years of of what could only be described as turmoil he moved into the old family home of 70 years with his new bride . He kept the business going that his father and his brothers had operated for so long and he had been assisting with and developing his trades he maintained all the contacts and he was operating in a competitive market at that stage with low Returns financially .
He was being invited to tender for works by the Office of Public Works by the church by schools by friends of people who were looking for help to build their own houses or extend and maintain their properties and get grants from the new Irish state. Jimmy was Involved in charitable causes collecting money for families in need he was in in contact with the Irish government and TDs applying for or a Grant's and assistance for people who didn't have the resources to do it themselves
During this time he maintained his contacts with his old IRA contacts including j.j. Walsh who he used to meet every Saturday morning have a couple of whiskies in Galway and travel back to Athenry on on the train. His good friend Ettienne Rynne professor of archaeology in ucg had great conversations about 19:16 and the activities in Athenry and how Jimmy was involved and how they affected him and Jimmy was very conscious of the impact that 1916 had on Irish life and the the whole country and it remained part of his life right up to his death.
Jimmy never appeared to me to be by worried or anxious or out of control of his business and life . Jimmy always had money to give to us kids when we met him on the street or while on holidays in Athenry from London .
I remember one morning my father called me too to go and assist Jimmy clearing Sewers in the agricultural college in Athenry ( dad obviously had too much else to do on another job ) so myself and Jimmy went to the college in his Morris Oxford found roughly where the problem was and we started joining up 2 m Rods and pushing them into the sewer. The problem seemed to be miles away as the rods kept going and going and going on disappearing underground eventually we found the blockage maybe 60 ror 80 m away. (or so it seemed at the time ) I started pumping the rods back and forth and getting absolutely nowhere eventually Jimmy said that I get nowhere by trying to tickle it - and he started pumping the rods himself ! Soon he cleared the problem and left me too to pull them all out of the sewers and disconnect them and wash them and clean them. Jimmy was 77 at that point !!
Much of the content of this chapter is produced by Jimmy and self in his statement to the pensions arbitrator but also letters sent home by and to Jimmy over the years that thankfully were kept by Jimmy in his attic. he may have been called a hoarder by everyone but I'm certainly glad that he did and it's a brilliant insight into the life of of a fantastic man who fought for Ireland during the hardest of times.
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Photo 1
JImmy the Builder At Athenry c1930 There was little or no builders clothing or protective clothes at that time . Even if there was he could not afford it . Many letters refer to buying new clothes - when funds allowed
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Photo 2
Jimmy and Joseph fencing in front of Abbey Row . c 1920
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Following extracts from Jimmy's Military pension application Tell his story;-
1 I joined Fianna eireann in 1915 I was then 13 years of age. I became one of the troop leaders in that organization before 1916 my brother Johnny who was a member of the Irish volunteers was in charge of the training of the fianna in the town of Athenry.
2 In Easter week 1916 fianna Eirean were not called out but I proceeded to the farm yard on Tuesday evening when the Athenry company worse going . There were a few other members of the finer present also. While there I did some messages and I was also helping with the dolling out of supplies of food to the men . I was under the direction of the quartermaster Sean Broderick .On Wednesday morning having received orders from my brother Johnny who was troop leader of the fianna I went back to Athenry to undertake scouting duties. Later on Wednesday it became known that a troop train was traveling from Dublin .I was able to get out to a shop called Finnerties at the arch after a great deal of difficulty and I learnt from an assistant they're called Jack Flaherty that the pilot engine had arrived about 2-hours before and that the troops had branched off from Attymon and it gone to Loughrea .I told my father this he was unable to get out because his house was being watched but I managed to smuggle myself through a cordon of police around the town and I proceeded to Moyode . I informed Liam mellows of the troop movements that he saw once that this might involve an attack from the rear. He sent out a number of volunteers to see if the troops were proceeding towards Dunsandle and he learnt from them that the troops were on their way. At this time I had been assigned to giving out the food to the volunteers. when mellows learnt that the British troops were approaching he made a speech in which he gave permission to anybody who wish to to return home. A number of men went home that night
3 I stayed in Moyode until Thursday morning and I was sent by my brother Johnny to do further scouting activities. The volunteers however moved off from Moyode and I was unable to contact them again during Easter week.. As troop leader I helped in the reorganisation of the fianna. During the years 1917 and 1918 to the best of my recollection I frequently cut telephone wires between the military camp at Gordon Hound and the post office in Athenry. I was discovered at this on one occasion and as a result I was summoned and appeared before the magistrate court I took an active part in bill posting another election activities in the 1918 elections
4 In 1919 I joined the Athenry company of Irish volunteers and I took part in all drills and parades. There were not many rifles available at this time but I got a revolver from my father with about 20 rounds of ammunition. About 1921 one of the volunteers called Tom Reilly and I discovered a military Sergeant outside the present news vendor's shop in Athenry at about 10 p.m. when he was clearing the streets. we were standing in the shade of a telegraph pole and it was agreed That Tom Reilly would approach him and take his attention off me while I would come around and take him in the rear. The sergeant was proceeding to arrest Tom Reilly who had struck his hand holding the gun aside. I came up behind the sergeant and tripped him. My brother Tom arrived on the scene and grabbed at the gun which he and the sergeant and then proceeded to wrestle for. At some stage during the wrestling I realised that the gun was now pointing towards my brother's stomach and that the sergeant had his hand on the trigger. I caught hold of the gun and kicked the sergeant's wrist and he then dropped the gun which I grabbed. My brother then was given the gun and moved off while Tom Reilly and I succeeded in holding the officer. I was able to hold the officer in a position in which he could not move and Tom Reilly got away. I had the sergeant's arm twisted and I was able to spin around in such a way that I escaped before he regained balance properly..
5 On another occasion I destroyed a motorcycle and sidecar which belonged to an intelligence officer attached to the military in New Ford. I observed this man through the window in Murphy's hotel. I tried to take possession of the motorcycle but did not know how to push it while it was in gear so I went home and with a bradawl and knife from home I succeeded and ripping the tires, breaking the cables and pulling the wires off the plug. I also put my foot through the spokes of the wheels..
6 Sometime before this with Captain Courtney Timothy Murray and others I assisted in removing magneto's from a military lorry in oranmore the magneto's were taken off the lorry while the two men in charge with the driver were drinking in a public house in Oranmore when the soldiers were leaving the public house we held them up with revolvers and took two rifles from them.
7 On the occasion of the raid in Bookeen Barracks I was sent with a number of members of my company to guard lines of communication along the Esker Road. We also put barbed wire across the road on this occasion.
8 I took part in the raid on Athenry station with other members of the Athenry company and other volunteers when barbed wire was taken from the loading bank this band was the property of the British Army
9 with other members of my my company I was guarding lines of communication along the Craughwell road on the occasion when my Moyvilla Barracks was burned down I carried out similar duties at the time when Moyode house and tally-ho house were burned also in company with members of the Athenry company
10 with two of the Athenry volunteers I attacked three soldiers in Northgate Street Athenry I seized an automatic from the soldier that I personally attacked none of the other two soldiers were possessed of any arms
11 over the entire period of the War of Independence I carry dispatches from time to time between Athenry and Craughwell
12 about a fortnight before the truce my father and I were taken out from our home by the black and tans who were accompanied by the District inspector head Constable and sergeant. The entire party was 21 strong. My father and I were separated and our house was searched and wrecked. I was beaten up near the ball alley and repeatedly shoved in and out of the river. Shots were fired all the time, some of them practically through my hair. I understood later that one of the men who was in The Party entered my mother's house after the first shots were fired and told my mother that both my father and I had been shot. I was brought from the ball alley up to Maddens field outside Athenry and I was then informed that unless I gave information about certain men on the Run who were known to have visited my parents home that I would be shot. They lined up with rifles and the person in charge told me I had only a few minutes to say my prayers. Earlier on during the night a man called Gorgon whom I thought was a black and tan but who was actually a supporter of the volunteers had come out while I was being beaten in the ball alley and had spoken to the men who were hammering me. I have been given to understand that the orders originally given that night or to the effect that my father and I should be killed but that Gargen of whom they were all afraid had threatened them and that the party had given in to him. When in Maddens field the party who were dealing with me lined up their rifles and the leader was looking at his watch gargan again appeared. I did not know what he said to them but immediately afterwards the leader came up and asked me was I going to give the information. I did not reply to him and the guns were fired. They were however fired over my head and I believe that this was as a result of what Gargen said to them. I was brought from Maddens field to the place known as Woods corner near the Dominican Abbey in Athenry. I noticed that about half the party dropped back at Brodys Forge which is on the way to Athenry from Maddens and just out of sight of the corner of where I was led to. the others went towards the ball alley. it was seeing the men dropping back at Brodys Forge that made me realise they intended to shoot me and to exculpate themselves on the grounds that I was escaping from their custody. I accordingly stayed where I was on after a few minutes both forces from Brodys and ball alley reappeared. They had armed themselves with sticks and after a while they made me pass up through the ranks beating me on the way.
13 During the truce I was made a dispatch carrier for the Athenry company and I helped in training and other organisational work . After the Treaty I volunteered for commandant baby Duggins Republican column but I was requested by some of the senior officers there to stay in Athenry and to act as their intelligence officer in Athenry. from then until the time I was captured I kept up regular communication with them telling them of troop movements by the free state troops in the area and a belief that on several occasions I helped in securing that the column escaped before being surrounded.
13a with two other men in Athenry I attacked Brodericks in Athenry where the free state intelligence officer was to meet. He came out at night and fired at the place with rifles. A free state officer called Devanny came on to the street upon one of my comrades and when challenged tried to show a gun from his is hip Pocket and my comrade shot him dead The person responsible was person known and I asked the board that my evidence on the subject would be taken in camera so I returned and it's disclosures ( the remaining section is illegible)
14 on the night of the events detailed in the preceding paragraph I was rounded up and I was interred from October 22 until Christmas 1923 during this period i took part in the mass hunger strike and remained on strike until agreement was reached
15 I forgot to mention in connection with my activities during the civil war that I almost succeeded in preventing the capture of several members of the company which took place in Liscannanaun arriving approximately one hour after the free state troops
This statement was prepared and signed by jimmy on 16-9-1953
There was obviously plenty of activity going on that was left out !!
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June 29 th 1914 2500 Irish volunteers meet in Athenry
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Irish volunteer dance was among other activity and effort in fund raising …Right under their noses !!!
Im sure the RIC and maybe even army attended !
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Letter from Kathleen to Father From National maternity Hospital Holles St Dublin
Referring to Jimmy's health following hunger strike
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Letter from Jimmy ( prisoner 501) Hut 2 Camp 2 to Father while in Fintown Prison 16/3/1923
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Jimmy and all the other prisoners were released at the end of 1923 Jimmy return to Athenry and had plenty to occupy him immediately. The family were busy developing the building business they were still involved in the developing political scene throughout Ireland. This involved fundraising training supporting and many other facets of Helping a young country to get on its feet.
His sister Ciss had plans to marry in London to Sid Byrne who was a British army soldier in Athenry during the War of Independence. Obviously that decision must have had a serious impact on the family and indeed around the town and could have been frowned upon in a significant way. the marriage went ahead in 1925 and and a daughter was born in 1926. The next photograph shows Jimmy and Ciss and Kathleen at the river in Athenry in about 1927.
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Jimmy bought a motorcycle and sidecar in June 1928 which would have been seen as a major development at the time. ( receipt from professor TDillon as proof of sale )
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During 1932 one of the the projects the family working on was the building of a new church in Gurteen County Galway. Cleary's builders were involved in constructing the ceilings cornices ceiling roses and other decorative plaster work in the church. This would have involved the erection of scaffold to a very high level and over a significant area of the interior of the church- the erection of which would have been a major undertaking in itself. During the Works Tommy Cleary Jimmy's brother fell from the scaffold and broke ribs and other injuries he was brought to hospital in Galway immediately and died the following day day. The shock of this death reverberated throughout the County and indeed country where the Cleary family were known. The loss of a fit young man after having gone through the period of the Up Rising war of independence and subsequent imprisonment must have been in a very difficult time for the whole family. The newspapers at the time covered the the incident and subsequent enquiry into to the cause of death and and the circumstances at the place of work and quality of scaffold and so on but at the end of the day was considered an accident.
Tommys popularity was evident by the number and variety of condolence letters .
Later that year our Hero I was involved in an altercation with a neighbor that resulted in summons being issued for assault . We have no idea the reason for the incident and I'm sure it was absolutely justified . Maybe it had something to do with the date of the assault being the 15th of August which was traditionally the holiday in Athenry and plenty of time spent in the pub ???
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2-6-1933
Sources of work were building up for the family and Jimmy all during this period see leet from Archdeacon Joseph cassidy
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Jimmy was involved in helping many people source funds for many reasons like house building or repairs or pensions or as in this case disability – See Letter from Gerald bartley TD for Galway West ( and former IRA prisoner )
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April 1936 Jimmy's Mother Died . Another Big loss and so soon after Brother Tommy .
Again loads of letters of Sympathy arrived Joe his Brother happened to be visiting home at the time and was present for the funeral .
See Attached letter dated 30-3-1936
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From early 1937 Jimmy lived and worked in London for most of the time he was with his sister sis and her husband Sid and Kathleen at 51 Gordon Road Ilford in Essex from the many letters that he sent to his father it is clear that he needed the work it seems that even though there was plenty of work in Ireland it was poorly paid and Resources were the big issue with lack of equipment the need for labour and of course the struggles that had continued over the previous decades must have had it's impact.
At this point Jimmy's father was in his 70s and his brother Johnny was the only family member left who could assist with the building business. Johnny had a family at this stage with two children and lived in the adjoining house in Abbey Row . Even though Jimmy's father was now living alone it may have felt that there was little space for Jimmy. Whatever the reason he took the plunge received the necessary visa ( which is also an interesting reflection of the the support England gave to Irish people even after Wars and internment and uprisings and black and tans and RICs ) it may have been unfortunate timing and a serious case of out of the frying pan into the fire but his is time in London was right at the start of the WWII and and in the middle of the Blitz of London and all of the associated and consequential effects of preparation for war throughout the city and country. England was ramping up the war effort; certain trades, especially new building work was in short supply. Jimmy was attending building sites as a plasterer and continually told that there were 30 to 50 men ahead of him in a queue you looking for the same work- consequently hourly rates were low and even the hours available were inadequate Notwithstanding all of that Jimmy would always enclosed some money in his letters home to his father. That gesture was a reflection of the financial position in Ireland and at home but also a confirmation that Jimmy saw the things were better for him in London and that it was the duty he felt the need to undertake to support home.
All of the letters that he sent continued a commentary on the political situation in Ireland and the successes and failures of the various politicians and the help for people who had fought the war and fundraised and needed to see improvement in the country compared to English rule .
Another very interesting aspect of Jimmy's letters was the the ongoing business of the family at that point the family were undertaking some significant work in the building business but also had ambition To to build a house at swan gate and perhaps two houses and maybe to build a service station and shop in the same development. funds to do this work where a major issue and the demolition and preparation of the site appeared to be a significant concern as well. Jimmy's father was involved in Legal and planning issues for the development and use of the back lawn site which was donated to the “ people of the town of Athenry” this field in Athenry was under the control of the management committee of the GAA from a very early time I'm but the the protection of the the site for the benefit of the people of the town appears to have been the intention of the management committee throughout many years. the issue hit headlines and the courts over a period of time during these decades and and and this may have impacted on on the families ultimate failure to to undertake the development at swangate.
See Letter from Jimmy to Father 5-10-1938
The letters covered many other aspects of life for Jimmy and news from home and how the “yank “was getting on and clearly to get home in the future. again things were taken out of Jimmy's hands however when it appears it was necessary to reapply for a permit to stay in London which was refused. This may have been associated with the fact that Jimmy was Irish or or possibly related to the conscription issue when in the war effort. Whatever the reason , Jimmy was out of London and back to Athenry to attempt to resurrect some of the projects that were in his and his father's mind. The experience in London was obviously very positive and would have brought some great ideas back to Athenry. But Jimmy, now heading for his 40s and really only starting his career of work, must have had some concerns about how tough and unfair life had been up to that point.
See letter 20-8- 1940
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SECTION 1
THE ANCIENT HISTORY AND TIMELINE OF CLEARY NAME
The Cleary name has a significant history which can be traced back to the third century AD.
the documentation that supports this history revolves around the animals of the four Masters and a 16th century the story of named John Thomond .
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attached as the timeline from approximately 407 ad to 1844 based on documents provided by The Animals of the 4 Masters. I have also attached some details of the history of Guaire Aidhne add details of his descendants and where they lived in the Galway region in the west of Ireland. in addition I have included some details of the history of the Clearys from the translations by Thomond and various other documents .
Another point of interest is the connection between Desiree O Cleary and Napoleon Bonapart the story of which follows. Later I will refer to the visit of Napoleon's brother to the farm of Pollock where our Cleary relations were living at the time . this visit was in relation to the model Farm that Pollock had established near Lawrence town in County Galway which the French government of the time wished to learn from and replicate in France.
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The Annals of the four Masters
The Cleary connection here is also obvious. This work proves to be a major source of information about the history of Ireland going back many centuries. This work has proved to be unique and critical in Irish history and in fact one of the only sources of reliable information in relation to genealogy Wars religion invasions and many other aspects of Irish history.
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SECTION 2
CLEARY FAMILY TREE
over the course of the 1990s up to the year 2000 I had been making inquiries about the family history and how Thomas be Cleary happened to arrive in Athenry with apparently no other relations or Direct connections in the town full stop is arrival was in or about 1880 when he was approximately 20.
I tried church records in Belfast Donegal Tipperary and locally in Athenry and kiltulla all to know avail
so at that point it was certainly looking like we had no detail of the family prior to The Turn of the 20th century and we had no records or history or documentation about any extended family. my father and his sister Ena had no details of any of the possible location of earlier members of the family.
one day I was speaking to Martina King about her father's death in 1987 and we casually discussed if she had any information about her father and the history of the family prior to his death as he was the last one of that generation. she mentioned that she had taken a suitcase from Jimmy's attic in three Abbey Road and moved it to her attic in Newmarket on Fergus. this sounded very promising so we agreed to meet on Sunday morning at her house and open the suitcase. the Old suitcase Brown dusty smelling of Mould was a jackpot! Jimmy had kept records going back to about 1915 and contained all sorts of memorabilia letters documents and communications revolving around the Uprising and politics and the whole life struggling with and dealing with earning a living helping the family fighting Wars travel politics history all things which was interested in throughout his life.
in the middle of the suitcase I found a small note written by Jimmy's brother Tommy to the parish priest and plant tuskert dated 22nd of January 1930 asking for details of his father's age from parish records this was the link we needed to open up the whole life time of information. the letter was in the suitcase because the parish priest had returned the same piece of card two Tommy asking for payment of the two shillings and Sixpence for the information he required!!.
from this link I've been able to get details of the births and some of the deaths of Thomas b's siblings and confirmation of the marriage date and the name of the Witnesses of his parents wedding Thomas Cleary to Mary Burke. the days of the wedding being at the height of the great famine and the family clearly being Farm laborers at the time must have suffered greatly during this period. as Thomas Jr's letter refers the family were evicted from the estate of pollock in or around the mid 1850s which must have been so traumatic for a family of certainly four children and two adults at the time. we do know that at least two members of that family Patrick and Elizabeth moved to Philadelphia but as yet we don't have any details of dates of travel where they lived or any families they may have had.
Thomas B moved to Athenry it appears as a young man and possibly even adopted in Athenry and remains there throughout his life. we now know he had 11 children at least three of which died in infancy.
Thomas B's life and indeed that of all of his children was a commitment to Republican Ireland. how he became so committed to the Volunteer movement and the removal of the British from Ireland is rooted in the difficulties that is young life experienced. it must have been very tough growing up in a Hovel with clay floors stonewalls no Windows thatched roof open fireplace, little food and many mouths to feed constant pressure from the landlord neighbors obviously under the same type of pressure inconsistent sources of sources of income and work for the family no education, even the luxuries that houses contain today we're not even thought of at the time let alone necessities like running water power or even a toilet in the building. Thomas B went on to help build and develop the town of Athenry with new roads water works sewers and many of the amenities of the developing Technologies including bringing them into people's houses. this whole life was a journey of working to improve the environment for those around him and his family and indeed the whole country. as we will see in the documents that follow and the statements that were made relation to the pensions applications to the new Irish state Thomas and his sons were prepared to put their life on the line for the changes they saw as essential for Ireland going forward.
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SECTION 3
WHAT CREATES A REVOLUTIONARY ?
Some of the documents that follow reflect the developing political situation in Ireland - which were certainly getting through to the general public at a very deep level - and the changes that were being achieved contributed to people's understanding of the direction politics was taking ( and indeed not taking ) and which were seen by people who were being suppressed by the British in Ireland as unacceptable .
It seems to me that the Volunteer movement grew out of this clear understanding of right or wrong and a deep rooted level of integrity in people throughout rural Ireland but also in the cities and towns where some level of progress and development was seen to be happening with the coming of motor vehicles rural electrification education and so on. the story continues to astonish me when you consider the proximity of police and army to the towns and cities and the integration of “ Big Brother “in the community
it took enormous courage but also planning strategy organisation fundraising communication both with your own organisation but also with the enemy in order to establish the method of disruption that would affectively achieve the end goal with the enemy on your doorstep and in your face every minute of every day. This position is seen in the activities reflected in the statements that the protagonists submitted after 1916 and subsequent events.
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