Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
James O'Mara.
He was
educ at Christian Brothers, Limerick
[Lavelle, 1961, p.18].
This is confirmed by
letter of 1910.
A biography
here
thought he was
educ
CBS, Spanish Point, Co.Clare.
But this is confusion with a story in
[Lavelle, 1961, pp.17-18]
of him staying with Christian Brothers on holiday in Spanish Point.
He was educ
Crescent College (Jesuits),
Limerick. He is in their records from 1882 (no end date recorded).
He was
educ
Clongowes Wood College (Jesuits).
School register says he was there 1888-1892.
NOT 1888-1891.
He went up to Clongowes with his younger brother Paddy in 1888.
Letter of
28 Aug 1888
talks of bringing "the boys" to Clongowes.
He became friends with The O'Rahilly there.
Writing from Clongowes: "We go to bed every night at 8.30 and get up,
it seems to me, about 3, but the fellows call it half-past 6".
He
was admitted as a member of the
Catholic Institute, Limerick
at meeting of 10 June 1892.
Living Hartstonge House.
Blennerhassett Cashel
was a council member of the Catholic Institute.
James would later marry Blennerhassett's daughter.
He
knew
Dr. David Humphrys
since early 1890s, when both were single in Limerick.
(His daughter would much later marry Dr. David's son.)
After school, he went to work in the family business, O'Mara's bacon factory.
He was
educ Royal University of Ireland,
studied for university at home after work.
1st Arts, RUI, summer 1893.
1st Eng, RUI, summer 1893, 1st class hons, 1st place in Ireland.
2nd Eng, RUI, 1st place in Ireland.
Move to London, 1893:
He worked as a
bacon merchant
in the thriving family business.
He was
sent to London in late 1893 as
agent for O'Mara's Bacon Company
after his uncle Jim died in July 1893.
James writes on 2 Nov 1893
from the
London office of O'Mara's.
He writes on 2 Mar 1894
from London and
mentions "Humphries".
Think this is his friend
Dr. David Humphrys.
Both of them single at this point.
Dr. David is also apparently mentioned in O'Mara family letter of
11 Oct 1893.
He
couldn't find time to continue studies after went to London.
Had to postpone RUI studies for business.
He writes on 6 June 1894
from London and
says:
"I have given up studying."
Listed as "Agent", living 35 Norfolk St,
Strand,
London, at time of marriage 1895.
This is
Norfolk Street, Holborn,
which is now gone,
but was between Arundel Street and Surrey Street
(see map).
James
mar 23 Apr 1895 to Agnes Cashel
[born 21 Dec 1870,
descendant
through Blennerhassett
of Edward III].
They lived "St.Chad's", Epsom, Surrey, after marriage 1895.
Son born in Epsom in Sept 1896.
James and Agnes
moved to Sydenham, SC London, in 1898.
There by letter of
11 Feb 1898.
Daughter born in Sydenham, July 1898.
He finally got BA, Royal University of Ireland, summer 1898.
James
was returned again unopposed for
Kilkenny South, 20 Jan 1906, in
UK general election, Jan-Feb 1906.
He was still living
30 Maida Hill West, Maida Vale, as at Apr 1906.
See
postcard to
his 7 year old dau Pat
(think from her grandfather).
The postcard
says:
"Will you tell your Dad I wish him every success with the St.Pat's Bill.
I was sorry to see the opposition it met with."
He was still living
30 Maida Hill West, Maida Vale
as at postcard of June 1907.
James corresponded with The O'Rahilly, now in the US and,
like James, growing strongly pro-Sinn Fein.
He
resigned from the Home Rule party on 15 June 1907 to join
Sinn Fein.
One of the first to do so.
The start of the swing towards Arthur Griffith's party.
He
resigned as MP
(by-election to replace him held 29 July 1907).
Sinn Fein was more an idea than a party at this point.
He
said he had to leave Parliament:
"the British were so charming, I would have been won over to them!"
See his many contributions to parliament 1901-07.
And here.
James and Agnes moved autumn 1907 to
"Dunlica",
College Rd, Dulwich, London.
Daughter born there in Oct 1908.
They
lived there until 1914.
Children born and grew up London,
came over to Ireland to stay with their grandparents in Limerick,
and holiday in Kilkee, Co.Clare.
It was NOT him who
resigned as a trustee of the Home Rule party 1908
(that was his father).
He subscribed to The O'Rahilly's efforts to revive the daily
Sinn Fein newspaper
1910.
They are listed at "Dunlica" in 1911 census.
See entry
from here.
He is "agent for bacon and allied products".
They have 3 servants living with them.
Return to Ireland, 1914:
James came back to Ireland with his family in
1914 (after more than 20 years)
to run Donnelly's bacon factory, Dublin.
They moved to 15 Ely Place, Dublin.
There at time of
1916 gift.
Agnes met the Dublin Suffragettes, including
Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington.
James accompanied his son Steen
to America
when Steen was
accepted at Georgetown University, DC.
They arrived at
Ellis Island, NY,
on 22 Nov 1915.
Listed at 15 Ely Place in
[Thom's, 1917].
He
acquired a summer house, "Barfield",
just outside Galway, there as at 1917-1919.
He funded the re-launch in early 1917 of
Arthur Griffith's
paper
Nationality.
He became
Assistant Financial Director of Sinn Fein in autumn 1917.
He moved to 43 Fitzwilliam Place,
Dublin,
lived there c.1918 to c.1925.
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Sinn Fein TD, Director of Elections, Trustee of Dail funds:
James became Director of Finance for Sinn Fein 1918. He was the 4th and last Sinn Fein Director of Elections for their stunning victory in the Dec 1918 general election (also here), all 3 of his predecessors having been successively jailed. The massive election victory made independence inevitable. His obituary says: "It was perhaps of all his work for the national cause that of which he was most proud."
TD 1918-21:
He was himself elected
Sinn Fein TD for
Kilkenny South
in the
Dec 1918 election,
with over 80 percent of the vote. Trustee of Dail Eireann funds 1919-21: He was one of the 3 trustees of the funds of the underground government, Dail Eireann, June 1919 on, the others being Eamon de Valera and Dr. Michael Fogarty, Bishop of Killaloe.
Went to US, 1919-1921:
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Pro-Treaty:
James supported the Treaty Dec 1921, but took no side in civil war (any of his family that did take a side were, however, Republican). He tried to speak to de Valera: "Now you will want your friends around you", and de Valera waved him away and said: "Not you any way". "It was nearly 20 years before they spoke to each other again" [Lavelle, 1961]. He was appointed the first Irish Ambassador to the USA by the provisional Free State government, Feb 1922. Only served for a few months. He was selected but declined to contest June 1922 general election. He was appalled by the Civil War. "The disillusion of that time was soul-searing. Disillusion came quicker to Dad than to most of his fellows, because he now stood alone - an outsider - looking on at the debacle of all he had helped to build" [Lavelle, 1961]. He was close friends with Harry Boland (killed July 1922) and Michael Collins (killed Aug 1922). He tried desperately to stop the execution without trial of his friend Liam Mellows, Dec 1922, which "left the longest and most bitter memory of all the bitter memories of the civil war" [Lavelle, 1961]. His dau Eithne said that after this he came home and tore up all his things. Biography in [Thom's Irish Who's Who, 1923] lists him as "R.C.S." Think this means member of Royal Colonial Society.
Free State TD for Dublin South 1924-1927.
Retired from politics:
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In retirement in 1930s, James and Agnes went on cruises
with the two unmarried daughters
Maureen and Sheila,
who both found husbands on board ship.
See cruises to West Indies in
1934 and 1935.
They travelled in North and South America, North Africa, Middle East.
James sold Donnelly's
to his brother Phons
in mid-late 1940s.
They celebrated their Golden Jubilee
[50 yrs married] in April 1945 at Cashel House.
[P150]
has an invite to De Valera.
So clearly they were on friendly terms again.
He had black hair, red moustache.
James dies, 1948:
He died 30 Eccles St, Dublin
(think part of Mater Hospital),
Sun 21 Nov 1948 [NOT 22 Nov], age 75 yrs
[GROI].
Donnelly's
closed for two days, Mon 22 and Tue 23 Nov,
as a mark of respect.
See notice.
Funeral 23 Nov 1948,
bur Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.
Fr.Paddy celebrated the mass.
His daughter in
[Lavelle, 1961]
says:
"There was no tricolour over his coffin, no bugles sounded over his grave.
No guns were fired in salute but we paid silent tribute to him for all he had done and suffered
that Ireland might be free."
However this does not give the full picture.
Those present at the funeral included
the former and future Taoiseach Eamon de Valera
and
the President
Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh
and
Sean MacEntee
and
Gerald Boland
and
W.T. Cosgrave.
See
funeral report
in
Irish Times, November 24, 1948.
See James O'Mara papers.
Obituaries of James O'Mara:
The family sold Cashel House in 1952.
Agnes dies, 1958:
She died Mon 2 June 1958,
The Grove, Killiney,
age 87 yrs [GROI].
See obituary,
Evening Press, Tue 3 June 1958.
See
death notice
in
Irish Times,
June 4, 1958.
Funeral 4 June 1958,
bur Glasnevin Cemetery.
See Photos of children.
James and Agnes had issue:
James O'Mara made a failed effort to close the pubs on St.Patrick's Day in 1905-06:
The Free State finally closed the pubs on St. Patrick's Day in 1924, but James O'Mara was apparently not involved.
15 Ely Place was later the home of the
Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA).
In 1972, work began on a new RHA building at the site.
No.15 was
demolished.
The project stalled in 1974 though, and the new building was not finished until around 2002.
The site is now the new RHA building.
See street view.
James O'Mara grave, Glasnevin. Photo 2006.
See full size
and alternative shot.
Note grave of
Eamon de Valera
in background.
Photos courtesy of Richard Humphreys.
AI animation of Agnes Cashel in
1905 photo.
New Hibernia Review, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Winter 2011).
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