Military Service Pensions Collection

 

 

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File Reference MSP34REF56337
Name Mary Ellen Staunton
Gender female
Address detail
Street Cloggernagh, Islandneady, Castlebar
County Mayo
Country Ireland
Notes Date of birth not recorded on file
Notes Date of death not recorded on file
Associated files in MSPA 34E5973
Easter rising service No
Organisation Cumann na mBan
Rank Captain
Unit 1 Battalion
Company Islandneady Branch
Brigade 1 Brigade (West Mayo)
Commanding Officer(s) Mary-Ellen Staunton (Self)
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 E
Notes Awarded 1 and 11/12 years service for pension purposes in 1942
Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 No
Digital file Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF56337 Mary Ellen Staunton.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34E5973 Mary Ellen Staunton.pdf
File dates 29 December 1937 - 9 September 1966
Subject Information File relates to Mary Ellen Staunton’s receipt of a military service pension in respect of her service with the Cumann na mBan in the service periods between 1 April 1920 and 31 March 1923 during the War of Independence, the Truce period and Civil War. Applicant also claimed unsuccessfully for service in the periods between 23 April 1916 and 31 March 1920 and between 31 March 1920 and 30 September 1923. The applicant states that she had an (unnamed) brother, her only sibling, who was active with the IRA. He was imprisoned in March 1919 for six months and then again for a period 15 months during the Civil War. Mary Ellen Staunton states he died in March 1934. The Staunton family home was situated between Castlebar and Westport in County Mayo and was used as a dispatch centre for the IRA’s West Mayo Battalion. Mary Ellen Staunton states that in the 1918-1919 period she was trained in drilling by IRA Volunteer Patrick ‘Paddy’ Jordan (1D395) who was killed in 1921. As Captain of the Castlebar Branch, 1 Battalion, 1 Brigade (West Mayo), Cumann na mBan, it is stated that the applicant took part in general Cumann na mBan activity in during the War of Independence (January 1919 – July 1921) including: attending first-aid lectures by Dr. Moran of Westport; organising concerts to raise funds for IRA; procuring arms; dispatch work; attending to IRA men who were wounded at Kilmeena ambush, County Mayo (no date); transporting two revolvers and 100 rounds of ammunition on two occasions to Liam Moran, Westport, County Mayo (no date); transporting a rifle, ammunition and hand-grenades to Patrick Walsh from near Castlebar, County Mayo who delivered them to Mark Killalea (no date) and nursed three Volunteers from the South Mayo ‘Flying Column’ (Active Service Unit) - Seamus Burke who received a bullet wound in the hip, a man named Coyne who was slightly wounded on the hand and a man named O’Brien. Taking the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923), the applicant states that she took part in similar activity. Further claims that she had an arms dump in her house that comprised of three rifles, two revolvers, ammunition and grenades. File includes signed handwritten and typed statements regarding subject's service from Mr. Cannon (1938); James Malone (1938); James Chambers (1938) and Edward Moane (1938). Representations were made on behalf of the applicant by the Minister for Justice (1939). Also contains a typed summary and sworn statement made by the applicant before the Advisory Committee on 11 March 1938.