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| File Reference |
MSP34REF35964
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| Name |
Annie Kilroy |
| Gender |
female |
| Address detail |
| Street |
Medlicott Street, Newport
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| County |
Mayo
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| Country |
Ireland
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| Notes |
Date of birth not recorded on file
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| Date of death |
1977
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| Notes |
Exact date of death not recorded on file
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| Associated files in MSPA |
34E6138
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| Related files |
MSP34REF839 (Michael Kilroy, husband)
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| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Cumann na mBan |
| Rank |
Member
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| Company |
Newport Branch
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| Brigade |
East Mayo Brigade
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
James Gibbons; Ned Lyons; Josie Doherty; John Connolly
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| Organisation |
Cumann na mBan |
| Rank |
Vice-President
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| Unit |
East Mayo District Council
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
James Gibbons; Ned Lyons; Josie Doherty; John Connolly
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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 |
E |
| Notes |
Awarded 2 and 5/8 years service for pension purposes in 1942
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| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF35964 Annie Kilroy.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34E6138 Annie Kilroy.pdf |
| File dates |
5 February 1935 - 9 March 1977
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| Subject Information |
File relates to Annie Kilroy’s receipt of a military service pension in respect of her service with the Cumann na mBan in the service periods between 1 April 1918 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 1920. File also contains material relating to the subject’s successful application for a Medal with Bar which was issued in October 1947.
Annie Kilroy’s husband Michael Kilroy (MSP34REF839) served as Brigade Commandant, West Mayo Brigade IRA during the War of Independence and Divisional Commandant, 4 Western Division IRA in the Civil War.
Annie Kilroy states that she joined the Newport Branch of Cumann na mBan in County Mayo under the command of Patrick O’Donnell in late 1915 or early 1916. Claims that her family’s home was located 300-400 yards directly across from Newport RIC Barracks.
During Easter Week 1916, the subject states that she provided food and comforts to Irish Volunteers standing to in her home for attack on the Barracks which was called off. These men included Michael W Moran, Jim Clinton (James Clinton), Tom Moran (Thomas Moran) of Collybrack, Dominick Kilroy of Furnace, John Kilroy, Michael Kilroy, Joe Ring (Joseph Ring), Luke Sheridan of Castlebar and John Hoban of Castlebar.
In the 1917-1918 period, Annie Kilroy claims that she served under the command of James Gibbons and took part in routine Cumann na mBan activities. References on files state that the applicant served as Branch Captain of the Newport Branch until March 1918 when she was elected Vice President of the District Council which was a rank similar to Brigade Vice-Commandant of the IRA.
Attached to the Newport Branch, Cumann na mBan under the command of James Gibbons, Ned Lyons and Josie Doherty, it is stated that the applicant took part in general Cumann na mBan activity during the War of Independence (January 1919 – July 1921) including: rifle and revolver practise; making first-aid equipment; storing arms and ammunition for Jim Clinton; delivering dispatches to Michael Kilroy, Ned Moane (MSP34REF50) and John Gibbons at Brockagh; Jim Rushe at Shanley Bros, Westport and Tom Derrig (MSP34REF8768) at Westport Station; fund-raising; organisation-work; intelligence work; first-aid training from Dr. Kelly
On 18 May 1921, Annie Kilroy states that the IRA attacked Newport RIC Barracks and shot dead RIC Sergeant Butler. Believing that the attack came from her home which was opposite the Barracks, British forces laid siege to the applicant’s house with rifles, machine gun and hand-grenades. Annie Kilroy described it as “hell while it lasted”. The subject, her children and a maid were forced to lie on the kitchen floor for the duration of the 2-3 hour attack. During the incident, Annie Kilroy believes that a member of the Auxiliaries (Auxiliary Police Force) was killed accidently by one of his own men while advancing on the house. British forces entered the home, smashed furniture, destroyed belongings and set the house on fire. Annie Kilroy fled to her sister’s home (Mrs. John Kilroy) on Main Street, Newport but didn’t stay overnight as a raid was expected. This home was raided and smashed up that night.
Reference John Connolly (MSP34REF1737) states that the Annie Kilroy spoke to her husband Michael Kilroy at the house of James Keane, Tawneywaugan on 22 May 1921. She passed on information which was “chiefly instrumental in frustrating the carefully laid plans of the enemy to try to capture the ASU [Active Service Unit] who were billeted quite near with two seriously wounded men from a few days previous ambush at Kilmeena.” The ASU was engaged in a fight with British forces the following day at Skirdagh, Newport where IRA Lieutenant [James] Brown (1D259) was killed.
During the Truce period, the subject states that she served under the command of John Connolly (MSP34REF1737) and collected food for the IRA training camp at Ross and Castlebar Barracks. She moved into the home of Joe Kilroy on Main Street during this period.
Taking the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923), Annie Kilroy states that the National Army occupied Newport from June 1922 onwards and that her child was born on 29 July 1922. She claims that she was kept prisoner in the town and was accompanied to mass and for walks with her baby by up to ten National Army soldiers. On two occasions when National Army soldiers were killed in fights with the IRA outside the area, the National Army fired into her home as a reprisal. Applicant states that the IRA captured the town at the end of September 1922 and she was allowed to travel freely then.
Annie Kilroy spent six weeks in Dublin where she visited IRA prisoners in Kilmainham and Mountjoy daily; visited Paddy Allen at North King Street who had walked home from the Curragh following his release and a nine day hunger strike; and travelled to the Curragh with medicine for IRA prisoners.
The subject claims that she sheltered an IRA man on the run until 1926 who was wanted by the Central Investigation Department (CID).
File includes typed and hand-written statement regarding subject's service from Tessie O Briain (née Moane) (1937); PJ McDonnell (1938); John Connolly (1936) and PJ Doherty (1938). File also contains a typed summary and sworn statement made before Advisory Committee by the applicant on 8 February 1938; hand-written notes from discussions with Mrs. Moane-O’Brien and Miss Knight (17 May 1939), Miss L. Kennedy (19 June 1939; 24 July 1939), Moane, Kilroy and Chambers (19 November 1940; 23 January 1941) and McGovern (24 January 1941) and Brigid O Mullane (14 February 1941).
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