Alice Cashel
Alice Cashel, 1921.
See
larger
and
full size.
Alice Cashel,
Sinn Fein activist and County Councillor,
"Al",
born 16 or 17 July 1878, Parsonstown (now Birr), Co.Offaly.
See
Wikipedia.
Her family lived Limerick, 1881 to 1893.
Her family lived Cork, 1893 on.
Her sister Agnes married 1895 to
James O'Mara, who became a Home Rule MP in 1900.
Alice is
listed
in 1901 census
as a teacher, and undergraduate at
R.U.I.,
staying in a house in Platin, Co Meath,
age 22 yrs.
She
wit her sister Kathleen's mar 1904.
Gaelic League
and republicanism:
She became a
member of the
Gaelic League
(founded 1893).
Her obituary says she was "a founder member of the Gaelic League"
but that seems highly unlikely
(she was age 15 in 1893).
She was a
supporter of
Sinn Fein
as early as her brother-in-law
James O'Mara, around 1907
[Lavelle, 1961].
Living with her father in Cork in 1911 census,
she is at "teacher training college",
speaks Irish (only one in family listed as speaking Irish).
"Miss Cashel" (Alice)
was on
Cork Municipal School of Commerce staff, 1911-1912.
Terence MacSwiney
was also on the staff.
Alice and her sister Kathleen
became great friends with his family,
the Cork republican family,
the MacSwiney's.
This family may be relations of their stepmother Marion McSwiney.
Alice was an
early member of
Cumann na mBan (founded 1914).
She set up the Cork branch of Cumann na mBan
with
Annie MacSwiney
about 1914-15.
She became secretary of the branch.
In 1916 she was living in Limerick.
She took part in plans for the
1916 Rising
in Co.Cork,
but the plans were aborted.
Letter of 17 March 1954
recalls that she was in Ballingeary, Co.Cork,
with Sean O'Hegarty during Easter Week 1916.
She went to America in Aug 1916 and made contact with
John Devoy.
Returned to Ireland in Jan 1917.
She went in 1917 to teach
in
Mary MacSwiney's school,
St. Ita's School for girls, Cork.
In Jan 1918 she was living at her sister's Galway house,
Barfield.
Her brother-in-law, Sinn Feiner
James O'Mara,
paid for her to go help in the
South Armagh by-election
of 2 Feb 1918.
Cumann na mBan organiser:
She was
appointed a full-time organiser of
Cumann na mBan in Feb 1918.
She organised for Cumann na mBan in Co.Donegal in early 1918.
The development of Cumann na mBan in the county dates from her 1918 visit.
She
campaigned for
Arthur Griffith
of Sinn Fein (in jail at the time)
in East Cavan by-election June 1918
(in which Griffith was elected).
On 15 Aug 1918
(incorrectly written in
[BMH]
as 1919)
she held a banned meeting at Clifden, Co.Galway,
which was broken up by the police.
In
[BMH]
she says:
"Orders had been sent from Sinn Fein H.Q. that on the 15th August a manifesto should be read in public by every Sinn Fein club in the country. On the morning of the meeting I was informed by one of the local R.I.C. that if I held the meeting I should be arrested. We held the meeting near the square, it was broken up by the police, the platform planks on barrels being pulled from under our feet. We stayed on until the last plank was taken. Then I reorganised the women in the street and marched them out of the town and held my meeting on the monument base which stands on a hill outside Clifden. While the police followed me the Secretary of the Sinn Fein club finished the reading of the Manifesto. I then had to ?go on the run.?"
She spent much time "on the run" in various safe houses in Co.Galway and Co.Mayo.
Her brother-in-law
James O'Mara
became a member of the first
Dail Eireann
in Jan 1919.
War of Independence:
Alice was already "on the run" from the British
before the
War of Independence
started in Jan 1919.
She fell into poor health and had to stop her work.
In summer 1919
[BMH]
she went to live at her sister Agnes' newly-bought Connemara house,
Cashel House.
James O'Mara went to America in Oct 1919.
Agnes would go over later in Apr 1920.
Alice stayed in Cashel House.
Jailed briefly in 1920:
After her past events, the local police in Cashel
were suspicious of Alice even though she was not doing much.
Cashel House
was raided by the British in Apr 1920.
Alice escaped through the woods behind the house and away up
Cashel Hill.
She was
captured in a raid a few days later.
See
item
in Cork Examiner, April 15, 1920.
She spent one week in Galway Gaol, returned to great reception.
A bonfire was lit for her on Cashel Hill.
See
item
in
Irish Independent,
April 20, 1920.
Also
item
in
Freemans Journal,
April 20, 1920.
These say she was arrested at "Cashel Lodge".
Sinn Fein councillor, Vice-Chairman of Galway County Council, 1920-21:
As a result of her arrest and jailing,
Alice was thrust into public life again.
She was made a Sinn Fein member of Galway County Council in June 1920.
At the meeting of Clifden Rural District Council on Mon 7 June 1920,
Alice was co-opted onto Clifden R.D.C.
and also nominated onto Galway County Council.
See report
in
Connacht Tribune, June 12, 1920.
It says that Alice "resides at Cashel with her sister".
See
report
in
Irish Independent, June 14, 1920.
She was immediately elected Vice-Chairman of Galway County Council on Fri 18 June 1920,
and would be Vice-Chairman until 1921.
See
report
in
Connacht Tribune, June 19, 1920.
See extract
from [GCC minutes, 18 June 1920, GC1-3(b), p.221],
courtesy of Galway County Council Archives.
Galway County Council, like many other councils, now answered to the Dail not to the British.
The Dail, as well as taking over local government,
set up a parallel courts system.
Alice
acted as a judge in Sinn Fein courts
in
War of Independence.
She was a "Parish Justice" in Connemara district.
She describes the operation of these underground courts in
[BMH].
See motion by Alice about police in
extract
from [GCC minutes, 18 Aug 1920, GC1-3(b), p.247],
courtesy of Galway County Council Archives.
See motion by Alice about police in
extract
from [GCC minutes, 24 Aug 1920, GC1-3(b), p.251],
courtesy of Galway County Council Archives.
Cashel House was raided again a few times in 1920.
Alice describes escaping up Cashel Hill in
[BMH].
Eithne O'Mara remembered one time
Cashel House raided, Aunt Al fled up
Cashel Hill.
Eithne trekking up hill, bringing food up to her,
only to find she had headed off the other side
down to a friend in the next valley.
Eithne most annoyed.
Alice went to Dublin and then to Paris.
In her absence,
Galway County Council passed a peace resolution on
3 Dec 1920,
repudiating the authority of the Dail and
calling on the Dail to negotiate a truce with the British.
Alice's obituary says the council
voted to accept
"a British-controlled type of Home Rule".
When she got back, Alice led a successful attempt to overturn this resolution.
Jailed Jan-July 1921:
She was arrested on 19 Jan 1921 when she came to Galway to a meeting of Galway County Council.
A search of her lodgings found "seditious documents"
(documents from the banned Dail Eireann).
She was held in Galway Gaol.
See
item
in
Connacht Tribune, February 19, 1921.
She is still Vice-Chairman of Galway County Council.
She was court-martialled at Renmore Barracks, Galway,
on Thur 24 Feb 1921.
Sentenced to 6 months.
Pat Lavelle
said:
"we were proud of her - an aunt important enough to be in prison".
Her sister Agnes wrote from the US:
"You are splendid. I wish I could go and see you."
She wrote
letter of 25 Feb 1921
to the O'Maras:
"I am lodged back here again."
See report
in
Tuam Herald, February 26, 1921.
See
report
in
Western People, March 5, 1921.
Describes her as Acting Chairman of Galway County Council,
with an address at "Cashel".
She refused to recognise the court,
and made a statement declaring the allegiance of Galway County Council to the Dail,
"the only government which I and they recognise".
Served the sentence in Galway Gaol.
Released 25 July 1921.
She opposed
the Treaty, Dec 1921.
See her dissent in the council Treaty debate in
extract
from [GCC minutes, 30 Dec 1921, GC1-3(c), p.328],
courtesy of Galway County Council Archives.
|
She worked for the Republican side in the Civil War, but does not detail this in
[BMH].
She never married.
She
worked for a time in the Revenue Department,
Dublin Castle.
She lectured in UCG,
possibly taught a subject on the
H.Dip.
course.
See her
argument with Jim Sullivan
about the Blennerhassetts,
sometime before 1935.
She wrote novels.
Author of:
-
The lights of Leaca Bán (or Lackabawn),
Dublin, 1935.
[NLI],
Ir 82389 c90.
This is a patriotic, nationalist novel.
[Cozzens, 2015]
reads it and says:
"The very readable but didactic tale offers a highly idealized version of the national struggle
...
Set just before and during the 1916 Easter Rising, the novel tells the story of a family of cottagers in the west of Ireland who embody the virtues of a Gaelic, Catholic, Irish (not anglicized) Ireland ... Rural western Ireland is presented in the novel as the true Ireland.
...
The novel culminates in the Easter Rising and the death of a son, who is shot fighting for Ireland on O'Connell Street."
Alice's obituary says it
was used in schools,
"and reminds one strongly at times of Kickham's classic, "Knocknagow"."
It was
translated into Irish as
An Leaca Bhán, 1946.
[NLI],
Ir 89162 (8) c 25.
Also
[TCD]
Santry 97.s.223.
In
later life she lived
St.Catherine's, Roundstone, Connemara, Co.Galway.
Think she was there c.1940.
Definitely there in 1950.
See
Letter of 12 April 1950
from the Bureau of Military History to her,
thanking her for
her statement.
Addressed
to St Catherine's, Roundstone.
See
Letter of 17 March 1954
from her.
Sent from Roundstone.
Her nephew
Steen O'Mara
(who didn't marry) stayed with her a lot
(according to
Muffie de Courcy).
Living Roundstone at death.
She
died 22 Feb 1958, Regional Hospital, Galway,
age 79 yrs
[GROI].
See
mass card.
See
obituary
in
Irish Press,
February 24, 1958.
See
obituary
in
Irish Times,
February 24, 1958.
Funeral 25 Feb, buried in the
New Cemetery, Bohermore, Galway.
The Taoiseach and President sent representatives to the funeral.
The
Mayor of Galway
attended.
The Cathaoirleach of the Seanad
Liam O Buachalla
gave an oration.
See
report
in
Irish Press,
February 26, 1958.
See
report
in
Connacht Tribune,
March 1, 1958.
Cork Municipal School of Commerce staff, 1911-1912.
Front row has (3rd from RHS) "Miss Cashel" (Alice)
and (2nd from RHS)
Terence MacSwiney.
From
Cork Public Museum.
Close-up of "Miss Cashel" and Terence MacSwiney.
Printed in an
unknown later newspaper.
This gives the names.
See full size.
See other shot.
See another copy.
See another copy.
"After Aunt Al's return from jail"
(1920 or 1921),
with the O'Mara's
at
Cashel House.
Think Back (Left to Right): Una,
Maureen, Eileen,
Steen,
and Middle (Left to Right): Sheila, Eithne.
Front: Alice Cashel.
The court-martial of Alice Cashel in Feb 1921.
From
Tuam Herald, February 26, 1921.
Alice Cashel.
See full size.
Alice Cashel on a Dublin street.
See larger
and full size.
Back: Eithne O'Mara, Dick Humphreys, unknown.
Front: Alice Cashel.
Photo
1932.
Oration at Alice's funeral in 1958.
From
Irish Press, February 26, 1958.
Blennerhassett Cashel
named his daughter
"Alice" Cashel in July 1878.
"Alice" is an interesting name.
There was a
Princess Alice
at this time (Queen Victoria's daughter, born 1843, died Dec 1878).
A search of the 1901 census shows many Irish Catholic families of the late 19th century
naming their daughter Alice.
Blen was a loyal enough citizen at this time.
He was a witness for the crown against subversives in 1882.
So maybe the name came from the Royal family.
Which would be ironic, since Alice Cashel became a Sinn Feiner.
But is it possible this name came from Blennerhassett?
See the following.
Stained glass window to
Rowland and Letitia Blennerhassett
erected by their children Mary and Alice in 1855.
In
St.John's CoI church, Tralee.
We
speculate
that the Cashels may have seen this window on visits to Tralee,
and known these Blennerhassetts were close relations.
Is it possible this was the inspiration for the name Alice in 1878?
-
According to my current theory,
this Alice Blennerhassett
would be probably
1st cousin of Blen's father George Cashel.
- In theory, George Cashel's father could be Rowland, his stepmother Letitia,
and Alice his half-sister.
So Blen would be naming his daughter after his aunt.
- Where does this Alice come from?
St.Catherine's,
Roundstone,
Connemara, Co.Galway
(see
map).
Home of Alice Cashel.
Think she was there c.1940.
She was definitely there in 1950.
She was living there at death 1958.
The house is on the main N-S road
in Roundstone village,
in the middle of a small block
on the W side of the road.
Alice Cashel's house ("St.Catherine's") in Roundstone (middle house of block).
Think
c.1940.
The house today (middle house of block).
The roof is re-built. The neighbouring buildings are re-built.
The door and lower windows are similar.
The wall is similar.
2009 screenshot from
street view.
The lights of Leaca Bán
The lights of Leaca Bán.
From
[Cozzens, 2015].
See
full size.
The song
"Leaca Bán" (2015)
by Dundalk trad group Na Tonnta
uses lyrics from Alice Cashel's words.
Click to play.
Alice Cashel's grave,
New Cemetery, Bohermore, Galway
(see
street view).
The grave is in Section E, Row 1, Grave 23.
In the SW section of the graveyard.
See
burial entry.
Grave of Alice Cashel.
She is written in Irish as "Eilis Ni Caisil"
of Roundstone, Connemara.
See
larger
and
full size.
Photo 2015.
Courtesy of
Christine Cozzens.
See
wider shot.
See other
2015 shot.
Wider shot showing location of grave.
See larger
and full size.
Photo 2015.
Courtesy of Christine Cozzens.
See other
2015 shot and
other angle.
Alice lived for a time at
her sister's grand house,
Cashel House,
Cashel, Connemara, Co.Galway.
A June 1920 report (above) says that Alice
"resides at Cashel with her sister".
[BMH]
is clear that she is living at Cashel House
in this period.
There was a story
that Alice
lived for a time (maybe later) at a "Cashel Cottage" near Cashel House.
But I cannot identify "Cashel Cottage", or find any contemporary reference to it.
It may be an error.
It seems more likely she lived at Cashel House.
- There was at the time a large house called
"Doon Cottage" to the W of Cashel House.
This was the home of Mark Keeley, active in the IRA and friend of the O'Maras.
The house survives, now called Doonreagan.
-
There is a more modern
"Cashel Cottage"
on E side of Cashel,
for sale as at 2014.
See photo.
It is on the road going E from the small Cashel junction
(the R342),
on the LHS.
See
street view.
See 2009 screenshot.
However it is thought this was built in the 1950s and has no connection to Alice Cashel.
May and Jim King
May and Jim King
appear in family photos
of the family of
James O'Mara and Agnes Cashel.
It was thought that May, born maybe c.1890,
might be a relation,
either on O'Mara or Cashel side.
But this must be
Jim King,
OC of the IRA Roundstone Batallion.
Our family would have known him through politics.
He would have known
Alice Cashel
and probably the O'Maras.
He had a wife Mary.
So they were friends and comrades, not relations.
Jim's biography is as follows:
-
Jim King,
or James King,
from Roundstone, Co.Galway.
Death notice
says he was a native of Roundstone, brother of John King,
later moved to Co.Kildare.
This is probably James and John
listed
in Roundstone in 1901 census.
James would be born 1893, son of James King, farmer, and wife Anne.
And then James listed
in Roundstone
in 1911 census. (John left home.)
Jim was OC of the IRA Roundstone Batallion as at 1920-21.
He mar Mary ---- [Mary Gertrude, born 1891].
He moved to Beechgrove, Donadea, Co.Kildare.
BMH records
give his address as Donadea, Co.Kildare.
Mary died 1961.
See death cert
from here.
See death notice in
Evening Herald,
April 21, 1961.
Jim died 1976.
Death notice in
Connacht Tribune,
13 Aug 1976.
They had issue:
- Mary King.
She
mar pre-1961 to --- Caldwell, or Coldwell.
Lived Leixlip.
References
Sources yet to be consulted
- Forthcoming book on Donegal in the Irish Revolution, 1912-23, edited by Daithi O Corrain.
- catalogue.nli.ie
- sources.nli.ie
- MSPC files on Alice Cashel.
- GCC -
Galway County Council Archives
(see search
and online)
- Galway County Council Minutes, 1899 to date. GC-1.
Online (large files):
- Clifden Rural District Council records, 1899-1925. G01-7.
See
index.
