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| File Reference |
MSP34REF12089
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| Name |
Luke Sheridan |
| Gender |
male |
| Address detail |
| Street |
Linenhall Street, Castlebar
|
| County |
Mayo
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Date of birth |
1895
|
| Date of death |
1969-01-03
|
| Notes |
County Hospital, Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland
|
| Associated files in MSPA |
34D1588;
|
| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Irish Volunteers |
| Rank |
Unknown
|
| Unit |
1 Battalion
|
| Company |
A Company (Castlebar)
|
| Brigade |
Mayo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
James Chambers;
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Battalion Intelligence Officer
|
| Unit |
1 Battalion
|
| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
T Derrig; M Kilroy;
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Brigade Intelligence Officer
|
| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Michael Kilroy;
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Unknown
|
| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Michael Kilroy; E Moane;
|
| Pension Claim |
Yes |
| Award Pension |
Yes |
| Army Pensions Act 1923/1953 |
No |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1924 |
No |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1934 |
Yes |
| Grade |
D |
| Notes |
Awarded 5 and 13/24 years service for pension purposes in 1938 following appeal against award of 4 and 17/24 years granted earlier the same year.
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| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copy34D1588 Luke Sheridan.pdf
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF12089 Luke Sheridan.pdf |
| File dates |
8 November 1934 – 23 October 1973
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| Subject Information |
File relates to Luke Sheridan’s receipt of a military service pension in respect of his service with the Irish Volunteers in the service period between 1 April 1918 and 31 March 1919 and with the IRA in the service periods between 1 April 1920 and 30 September 1923 and during the War of Independence, Truce period and Civil War. Applicant also claimed for service for all other periods between 1 April 1916 and 30 September 1923.
Luke Sheridan claimed that he joined the Irish Volunteers in 1915. Subject and references state that he mobilised at the time of the 1916 Easter Rising and did despatch work from Castlebar to Michael Kilroy at Newport, County Mayo.
Subject stated that in July 1916 he was arrested and served 28 days imprisonment in Castlebar and Mountjoy Prison. Following his release and during 1917 and 1918 subject and references state that Luke Sheridan was involved in: organisational work; the anti-Conscription campaign; and election work. In [March] 1918 he was again arrested and imprisoned for 10 days following an [unarmed] attack on RIC members in Castlebar during an attempt to rescue prisoners.
Subject and references state that during the War of Independence Luke Sheridan: took part in raids for arms; raids on solicitors offices to prevent their attendance at British courts; was ordered to link up the four Mayo IRA brigades for communications purposes following their establishment in place of the previous single Mayo Brigade covering the entire county; was appointed Company and later Battalion intelligence officer in 1920 before being appointed West Mayo Brigade IRA Intelligence Officer in [May/June] 1921; assisted in the organising and equipping of the [West Mayo Brigade] Active Service Unit; located a spy named Duffy in Manulla who had given information to a Major Browne regarding arms held in beehives at Staunton’s Belcarra allowing the arms to be moved before they could be seized – Sheridan states that Duffy was sentenced to be shot but it was decided that as his information could be intercepted it was better to let him carry on; gathered information from a number of police, military and civilian sources regarding activities of British forces including planned raids and round ups which it is claimed prevented the capture of IRA members and units on a number of occasions – see also the typed list of intelligence agents/informants referred to below.
During the Truce period Sheridan continued his intelligence and organisational work until appointed on special intelligence work to deal with rising criminality in the Castlebar area in [March] 1922.
Following the outbreak of the Civil War he: took part in the burning of Castlebar Barracks and Jail in July 1922; took part in [unsuccessful] attempt to capture Castlebar Railway Station – date not on file; took part in sniping and bombing attacks on National Army forces in Castlebar; took part in fighting in the Newport area in October/November 1922; held up a train and captured rifles being carried on it in early 1923; disarmed a National Army soldier in Castlebar in March 1923; did political work; and was again involved in intelligence work. Luke Sheridan was arrested in August 1923 and interned until December the same year. He states that during his internment he was on hunger strike for 16 days.
File includes: original handwritten and typed material submitted and signed by Luke Sheridan in support of his application; typed transcript (2 pages) of evidence given by Michael Kilroy on 10 June 1936 before the Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934 on behalf of Luke Sheridan; copy typed and original signed typed and handwritten statements regarding subject’s service from John R Gibbons, James Chambers, Richard Walsh T D, Michael Kilroy T D, E Moane T D, Joseph Baker and J Tierney; representations on subject’s behalf from Richard Walsh T D; standard handwritten form Referee R.15 dated 27 May 1937 showing details of subject’s rank and unit strength as of 11 July 1921 and 1 July 1922 from records supplied by E Moane and the [West Mayo IRA] Brigade Committee; typed transcript (7 pages) of sworn statement made by Luke Sheridan on 28 May 1937 before the Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934; typed document entitled “Names of Agents through whom information was received.” - includes names and details including membership of the RIC, British military and some civilian employment positions of eight men and three women supplying the IRA with information the Castlebar/West Mayo Brigade area; handwritten notes dated 1 February 1938 and 24 November 1938 relating to discussion held with “Messrs Kilroy [and] Moane” regarding subject’s service; material relating to subject’s civilian employment with the Office of Public Works and Mayo County Council during the 1930s and 1940s; photocopy of unidentified newspaper cutting containing death notice for Luke Sheridan.
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