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| File Reference |
MSP34REF419
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| Name |
Patrick J. Keane |
| Gender |
male |
| Address detail |
| Street |
Ballymartin, Kilmaine, Claremorris
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| County |
Mayo
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| Country |
Ireland
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| Date of birth |
1890-09-30
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| Notes |
Date of death not recorded on file
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| Associated files in MSPA |
34SP458; DP16568
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| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Second Lieutenant
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| Unit |
1 Battalion
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| Company |
C Company (Kilmaine)
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| Brigade |
South Mayo Brigade
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
Thomas McGuinness; Seamus de Búca; Michael Lynch
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| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
First Lieutenant
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| Unit |
1 Battalion
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| Company |
C Company (Kilmaine)
|
| Brigade |
South Mayo Brigade
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| Commanding Officer(s) |
Thomas McGuinness; Seamus de Búrca; Michael Lynch
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Captain
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| Unit |
1 Battalion
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| Company |
C Company (Kilmaine)
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| Brigade |
South Mayo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Thomas McGuinness; Seamus de Búrca; Michael Lynch
|
| Pension Claim |
Yes |
| Award Pension |
No |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1924 |
No |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1934 |
No |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF419 Patrick J Keane.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34SP458 Patrick J Keane.pdf
Scanned/digital copyDP16568 Patrick Keane.pdf |
| File dates |
14 November 1934 - 8 April 1965
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| Subject Information |
File relates to Patrick J. Keane’s unsuccessful application for a military service pension. File also relates to subject's receipt of a Service (1917-1921) Medal without Bar in April 1950.
Applicant claimed membership of the Irish Volunteers and IRA from 1918 until 1923.
Attached to C Company (Kilmaine), 1 Battalion, South Mayo Brigade, IRA, it is stated that the applicant took part in a number of IRA operations and general activity in Mayo during the War of Independence (January 1919 – July 1921) including: intelligence work; a raid on Crown Forces in Belcarra capturing a revolver and 60 rounds of ammunition (1920); the burning of Kilmaine RIC Barracks (12 July 1920); successfully defending Shrule town against threats from ex. RIC men to burn down the homes of IRA sympathisers (1920); an engagement with Crown Forces in Kilmaine village (1920); was under arms during ambushes of Crown Forces at Cregduff (April 1921), Portroyal (May 1921); Clonacastle (1921); Ballinrobe (1921) and Tourmakeady (3 May 1921); took part in arrest and disarming of two ‘Black and Tans’ (RIC) who had wounded a civilian and handed them over to his Commanding Officer Captain Holmes (12 July 1921).
During the Truce period (July 1921 – June 1922), the applicant Patrick J. Keane states that he took part in IRA training camps in County Mayo at Lackafinna (two months), Ballycurrin (one month) and Moorehall (one month). Further claims that spent two months in Ballinrobe Barracks, County Mayo.
Applicant took the anti-Treaty side in the IRA split and did some outpost duty and road-blocking during the Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923).
File includes signed handwritten statement regarding subject's service from Richard Walsh TD (1937; 1938; 1942; 1944; 1945); Senator Sean E. McEllin (1945); Michael Moran TD (1952; 1962); Henry Kenny TD (1954); Michael Shaughnessy (1955); Patrick J. Keane (1956); Seamus de Búrca (1956); Sean O’Sullivan (1962); John Murphy (1962) and Thomas Maguire (no date; 1940).
Following an appeal from the applicant in regard to his pension claim, the Advisory Committee in January 1942 wrote: “No change. Applicant had no fight in either the Tan or Civil War. There was nothing outstanding in his service”.
Reference T. Murphy wrote a letter to the Minister of Defence on 20 August 1954 in support of Patrick J. Keane’s claim. He said that:
“he was not asked to become a front line man, all could not be front line men for various reasons as you know personally, he and about a dozen others … have (been) turned down on these grounds. The whole trouble in South Mayo is Tom Maguire, (he has taken) no interest in his men as far as pensions or service goes … We can see the sons of those we fought, and the sons of those were our enemies in those days, having the top jobs in the land with a salary close to £2,000. Yet a plain Volunteer is begrudged some token of reward for his service to his country. It’s like the British coming back in civilian clothes…”.
Material on file shows that Patrick J. Keane married his wife on 12 September 1923.
File also contains: material relating to Patrick J. Keane’s unsuccessful application for a Special Allowance under the Army Pensions Acts: representations made on behalf of the subject by Richard Walsh TD (1948); a completed application form for a Special Allowance (1954); doctor’s report (1954) and signed handwritten reports from Social Welfare investigating officers regarding applicant’s financial circumstances (1954-65) – closed.
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