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| File Reference |
MSP34REF60127
|
| Name |
Eileen O'Brien |
| Gender |
female |
| Maiden/Other names |
Tobin
Ellen
Ciss
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
Kylotlea, Nine Mile House
|
| County |
Tipperary
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
Kylellia, Mullinahone
|
| County |
Tipperary
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Address detail |
| Street |
Kylotlea, Nine Mile House
|
| County |
Kilkenny
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Date of birth |
1900
|
| Date of death |
1986-08-07
|
| Place |
Saint Patrick's Hospital, Cashel
|
| Associated files in MSPA |
34E8571
|
| Related files |
24SP645 William Tobin, brother
1D215, Martin Clancy - claimant refers to his death.
|
| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Cumann na mBan |
| Rank |
Vice Captain
|
| Company |
Mullinahone Branch
|
| Brigade |
3 Tipperary Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
S [Manghan/Vaughan]; B Gardiner
|
| 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 1/6 years of service for pension purposes in 1944.
|
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF60127 Eileen O Brien.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34E8571 Eileen O Brien.pdf |
| File dates |
25 March 1943- 20 August 1987
|
| Subject Information |
File relates to Eileen O’Brien's receipt of a military service pension in respect of her service with Cumann na mBan which was successful for the service periods between 1 April 1920 and 11 July 1921 during the War of Independence. An appeal was refused and she also claimed unsuccessfully for service in all other periods between 1 April 1917 and 31 March 1923.
Eileen O’Brien and references state that she joined Cumann na mBan in 1918. During the War of Independence O’Brien was engaged in routine Cumann na mBan activities including training and organising, attending meetings, procuring clothes, laundry work and sending parcels to prisoners. She also catered for large numbers of Irish Volunteers and later Irish Republican Army (IRA) men who came to her house for food, and stayed in the house her brother William Tobin (24SP6450) was staying in. These included men from various Active Service Units (ASU) including [Dinny] Lacey’s, Hogan’s and Ed Aylward’s ASUs. She mentions she carried dispatches for Seán Hayes, Thomas O’Donavan and Ed Aylward. Hayes and Donavan visited regularly staying for several days at a time.
Applicant and references state she also took charge of arms left in her care, and conveyed arms to IRA men for various ambushes in her pony and trap including Drangan [7 June 1920], Garryricken, Mullinahone (no dates given). After a Battalion Council meeting in Knockroe, Drangan [6 March 1921], where Martin Clancy (1D215), [James] Hackett (1D217) and Fleming were shot, claimant states she was sent by Commandant Sadlier to retrieve his weapons. She claims she also went to Mullinahone the next day, at his request, to gather information on Clancy, by posing as Clancy’s sister. She discovered that Clancy was dead but that two other IRA men called Clancy had been arrested. After every attack O’Brien mentions that the men returned to her house where she catered for them. She tended to several wounded men in this period including Thomas O’Donavan, Pat Clancy and Seán Hayes. She states she gathered intelligence on the movements of enemy forces which she passed on including prior to the Mullinahone (no date given) and Ninemilebridge [20 December 1920] ambushes. After the shooting of Commandant Sadlier, (no date given) claimant states she sent her pony and trap to collect his remains which were buried on her family land.
During the Truce period, from 12 July 1921 until 27 June 1922, claimant states she attended Garryricken and Ballinard training camps for several weeks where she assisted with cooking and cleaning. She mentions she raised funds for the re-internment of Commandant Sadlier and Seán Brett.
At the outbreak of the Civil War on 28 June 1922, applicant’s brother William Tobin joined the Free State Forces (National Army) and was appointed Commandant of the South Kilkenny Brigade. O’Brien took the opposite side at the time, and had IRA men regularly stopping at her house. She states she catered for IRA men following the ambush at Ninemilebridge when Free State forces were ambushed (July 1922). Tommy Ryan states that claimant “was a definite thorn against the National Armed Forces in the area” and that he “was instructed by the Director of Intelligence in early August 1922 to contact her in the hope of changing her allegiance”. Claimant states that she was interviewed by Colonel Frank Thornton and Commandant Ryan. Ryan further states that partly due to claimant’s brother being on the Pro-Treaty side, and partly due to claimant’s work with Ryan during the War of Independence, he persuaded her to change sides. However, he states this resulted in O’Brien having to go on the run, and being compelled to seek protection from the National Army Garrison stationed in Clonmel. Ryan claims O’Brien was not employed and was forced to live in Clonmel for a period of 12 months at her own expense. O’Brien states she was attached to the Southern Command of the Free State Forces under General Prout, and carried dispatches and carried pay for the troops in the Conemara Division.
File includes: original handwritten material submitted and signed by Eileen O’Brien in support of her application; representations on behalf of the claimant from Richard Mulcahy, TD dated 28 November 1949, Senator Bill Quirke dated 28 September 1943, 10 November 1943 and January 1944, and Senator Seán Hayes dated 8 June 1943; handwritten statements regarding claimant’s service activities from Tom Smith (Adjutant to Commandant Dan Breen at Ninemilehouse in 1922), James O’Brien, Nicholas J Moroney, Ed Aylward, Thomas Magher, T F Ryan, Bill Quirke (7 June 1943 –26 February 1944); handwritten notes dated 5 November 1943 relating to discussion held with unidentified verifying officers regarding claimant's service and activities; typed transcript of summary of sworn evidence given by claimant before Interviewing Officer on 11 June 1943 and material relating to the settlement and closure of claimant's service pension following her death on 7 August 1986 - partly closed for reasons of data protection.
File includes reused folders containing the details: “Jordy Hennessy, Cornhaunagh, Aghamora, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo”; “Mrs M O'Toole Roundwood, Count Wicklow – Complaint re Private Patrick Cullen, No 3 Company 3 Battalion”.
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