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| File Reference |
MSP34REF10709
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| Name |
John Cooney |
| Gender |
male |
| Address detail |
| Street |
New Antrim Street, Castlebar
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| County |
Mayo
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| Country |
Ireland
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| Date of birth |
1893-09
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| Notes |
Exact date of birth not recorded in file
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| Date of death |
1964-01-10
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| Place |
County Hospital, Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland
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| Associated files in MSPA |
34D1811;
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| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Irish Volunteers |
| Rank |
First Lieutenant
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| Unit |
1 Battalion
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| Company |
A Company (Castlebar)
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| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
John Chambers;
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| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
First Lieutenant
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| Unit |
1 Battalion
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| Company |
A Company (Castlebar)
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| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
John Chambers;
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| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Unknown
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| Unit |
Active Service Unit
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| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
Patrick Jordan; Michael Kilroy;
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| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
First Lieutenant
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| Unit |
1 Battalion
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| Company |
A Company (Castlebar)
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| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
John Chambers; Patrick May;
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| 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 ¼ years service for pension purposes at Grade D in 1940 following appeal against same award at Grade E in 1938
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| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copy34D1811 John Cooney.pdf
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF10709 John Cooney.pdf |
| File dates |
13 November 1934 – 18 January 1964
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| Subject Information |
File relates to John Cooney’s receipt of a military service pension in respect of his service with the Irish Volunteers and IRA in the service periods between 1 April 1919 and 30 September 1923 during the War of Independence, Truce period and Civil War. Applicant also claimed unsuccessfully for service in the periods between 1 April 1916 and 31 March 1919.
John Cooney claimed membership of the Irish Volunteers from 1915. Subject and references state that he stood to at the time of the 1916 Easter Rising. Subject and references state that during the War of Independence John Cooney; took part in the seizure of rate books; assisted in securing a supply of petrol for raids for arms; assisted in procuring arms and ammunition from British soldiers during the first half of 1920; took part in raids for arms; joined an IRA active service unit in about March 1921; mobilised for planned attacks at Glenisland and Islandeady which did not come off; took part in the hold up of two unarmed unnamed British officers; and took part in ambushes at Kilmeena and Skirdagh in May 1921.
During the Truce period Cooney stated that he: took part in IRA training camps and the takeover of Castlebar Military Barracks from British forces; and was involved in organisational and training work.
Following the outbreak of the Civil War John Cooney stated that he: took part in the evacuation and burning of Castlebar Military Barracks; joined an active service unit; took part in an ambush of National Army soldiers at Islandeady – date not on file; blocked roads; and took part in a bombing attack on Castlebar in [September] 1922. John Cooney was captured about the end of September 1922 and interned at Athlone, Mountjoy and Tintown No 1 Internment Camp at the Curragh from which he was released in December 1923. John Cooney further claimed that while interned at Tintown he was on hunger strike for an unspecified period of time.
File includes: original handwritten and typed material submitted and signed by John Cooney in support of his application; handwritten standard 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 [West Mayo IRA] Brigade Committee; typed and handwritten statements regarding subject’s service signed by James Chambers, Michael Kilroy and E Moane; typed summary (1 page) and transcript (3 pages) of sworn statement made by John Cooney on 28 May 1937 before the Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934; handwritten notes dated 1 February 1938, 24 November 1938 and 19 November 1940, relating to discussions held with “Messrs Kilroy [and] Moane” regarding subject’s service; initialled typed memorandum with handwritten addendum entitled “Re: Applications of John Cooney (10709) and James Swifte (3824)” regarding the service pension grades to be awarded to John Cooney and James Swifte given the strength of the Castlebar Company and the merging with it of the Turlough Company as a half company on the second critical date i.e. 1 July 1922, noting that Swifte had already accepted pension at Grade E but would be entitled to a higher grading given the increase in the strength of the Castlebar Company with the inclusion of the Turlough Company membership; envelope addressed to John Cooney dated 15 January to 18 January 1964 stamped “Return to Sender” and marked “Deceased” enclosing unsigned military service pension declaration for John Cooney; and photocopy of unidentified newspaper cutting with death notice for John Cooney.
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