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| File Reference |
MSP34REF1565
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| Name |
Patrick O'Shea |
| Gender |
male |
| Address detail |
| Street |
97 Lindsay Road, Glasnevin, Dublin
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| County |
Dublin
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| Country |
Ireland
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| Address detail |
| Street |
48 Iona Road, Glasnevin, Dublin
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| County |
Dublin
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| Country |
Ireland
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| Date of birth |
1888
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| Notes |
Exact date of birth not recorded on file
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| Date of death |
1942-04-09
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| Associated files in MSPA |
34D1185
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| Civilian occupation |
Waiter, The Wicklow Hotel, Wicklow Street, Dublin;
|
| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Private
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| Unit |
1 Battalion
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| Company |
H Company
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| Brigade |
Dublin Brigade
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
Seamus Kavanagh
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| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Intelligence Officer
|
| Unit |
Intelligence Department
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| Division |
General Headquarters
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
Michael Collins; Frank Thornton; Liam Tobin
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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 2 and 1/6 years for pension purposes at Grade D (following appeal) in 1937 under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934.
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| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF1565 Patrick O'Shea.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34D1185 Patrick O'Shea.pdf |
| File dates |
05 December 1934 - 04 July 1972
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| Subject Information |
File relates to Patrick O’Shea’s receipt of a military service pension in respect of his service with the IRA in the service periods between 01 April 1919 and 11 July 1921 during the War of Independence. Subject unsuccessfully applied for service in the periods between 01 April 1917 and 31 March 1919. O’Shea was awarded 2 and 1/6 years for pension purposes at Grade D (following appeal) in 1937 under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934.
Patrick O’Shea states that he joined C Company, 1 Battalion, Dublin Brigade, Irish Volunteers in September 1917 under the command of Sean Flood (24SP13201). He transferred to H Company, 1 Battalion, Dublin Brigade, Irish Volunteers in March 1918 under Seamus Kavanagh (24SP2561) and was engaged in parades; carrying arms; collecting for the arms fund and attending the funerals of Thomas Ashe (1D313) [1917], Richard Coleman (1D15) [1918] and Pierce McCan [1919].
During the War of Independence (January 1919 - July 1921), the subject states that his home at 97 Lindsay Road, Glasnevin, was used by as a billet and meeting location by IRA GHQ officers including Michael Collins (DP23755), Diarmuid O’Hegarty (24SP6568), Gearoid O’Sullivan (24SP1369), Tom Cullen (24SP5341), Liam Tobin (24SP2764), Frank Thornton (24SP1302), Séan Ó Muirthile, Rory O’Connor (DP6664) and Austin Stack. He also says that he stored half a dozen revolvers in his home which were mainly used for [firing a volley of shots] at the funerals of IRA men.
Subject worked as a waiter in The Wicklow Hotel and was asked to organise an intelligence network amongst waiters and hall porters of various hotels in the city. He claims that he was successful in The Granville, The Standard and The Gresham but struggled with The Russell and The Shelbourne. Subject claims that he was in touch with the unnamed head waiter in The Standard who provided information to the IRA about an enemy agent and hotel guest named Redmond who was “sent down by General Wilson in the North” and was shot by the IRA on Harcourt Street [January 1920].
Patrick O’Shea states that he introduced IRA GHQ Intelligence Officer Liam Tobin to Joe Quinn (Head Waiter) in the Granville Hotel who provided information regarding a British secret service man Jameson [real name John Charles Byrnes] who was later shot on the Ballymun Road near Model Farm, Glasnevin [February 1920]. Reference Frank Thornton states that the applicant officially transferred to the GHQ Intelligence Department in March 1920 under the command of Michael Collins (Director of Intelligence), Thornton and Liam Tobin.
Applicant states that he arranged with contacts in The Standard that Michael Collins could use an escape route from his office at 76 Harcourt Street through a trap door into the hotel which was next door. He also helped to discover a British enemy agent, an unnamed night porter in The Wicklow, who was passing on information to the manager and his wife (who the applicant described as a “Loyalist”) and was subsequently shot in the hotel [January 1921]. Patrick O’Shea also claims that was asked by Michael Collins to collect any gold sovereigns and half-sovereigns that he could in the hotel and was paid for them with “ordinary paper money”.
Patrick O’Shea did not claim for Truce period or Civil War service but reference Frank Thornton claims that the subject was active until the signing of the Treaty [December 1921]. Applicant claims that the last IRA officer to billet in his home was Eoin O’Duffy (24E10) who stayed until he “took up quarters in Beggars Bush” Barracks. Subject states that he attended an IRA company meeting in Parnell Square where Company Captain Kavanagh told them that “any man in favour of the Treaty could leave if he wanted to leave” and in response the applicant “left" (Advisory Committee interview).
File includes references in support of the subject’s claim from Frank Thornton (1937 x2) and Seamus Kavanagh (1937); copy of form giving details of his service with H Company, 1 Battalion, Dublin Brigade, IRA [1937]; typed transcript of sworn evidence given by the applicant before the referee and Advisory Committee on 19 April 1937; handwritten notes of discussion with IRA verifying officer P Holohan (03 June 1937), Gearoid O’Sullivan (20 July 1937) and Frank Thornton (11 November 1937); material relating to the payment of the balance of the service pension and a funeral grant to next of kin following subject’s death on 09 April 1942; correspondence with solicitor Michael Noyk on behalf of widow; copy of subject’s Last Will and Testament; copy of Principal Probate Registry; and letter addressed to Rebecca O’Shea relating to widows pension which was not delivered (1972).
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