(Left) The O'Rahilly.
See full size.
(Right) Nancy Brown.
See full size.
Michael Joseph O'Rahilly, "The O'Rahilly",
co-founder of the
Irish Volunteers
(which became the IRA),
the only leader of the
1916 Rising
to die in action,
born Michael Joseph Rahilly, 22 Apr 1875,
Ballylongford, Co.Kerry.
See wikipedia.
He was
educ local national school Oct 1880 to Sept 1889
[Bourke, 1967].
He was
educ Clongowes 1890 to 1893.
He was
in class at Clongowes with Paddy O'Mara.
Also
friends with his older brother
James O'Mara at Clongowes.
Michael Joseph's nephew Dick Humphreys
would much later marry James O'Mara's daughter.
In a letter of Oct 1890
[P106/51],
his sister
Anna
teases him about some girl:
"I do not think Auburn Tresses would admire that photograph as much as the original."
Researched family tree:
He researched family tree since about age 18
[O'Rahilly, 1991, p.45],
around 1893.
At first he could not trace beyond
Michael Rahilly,
but there was a
story of a connection to the poet.
He rode bicycle all round Co.Kerry, interviewing all families of Rahilly name.
He
left Clongowes 1893.
Met his future wife Nancy Brown summer 1893.
He was educ Royal University of Ireland, Dublin,
went in late 1893,
medical faculty.
Got sick with tuberculosis,
left university 1894.
Described as "medical student", 108 South Circular Rd, Dublin,
when he wit his sister's mar settlement 1895.
His father died 1896.
He abandoned studies to take care of the family business
in
Ballylongford.
Justice of the Peace:
Like his father,
he served as
Justice of the Peace.
Described as such in
[Deed, Nov 1898].
He heard Nannie had been proposed to in America.
Decided it was now or never. He sold the family business in Ballylongford.
Put up an ad in June 1898.
Sold it for low price.
He couldn't wait to get out of Ballylongford.
Old house sold to Finucane 3 Sept 1898,
though sale of new house seems to have taken longer.
He sailed for New York Sept 1898,
going first to Amsterdam to buy a diamond engagement ring for Nannie
[O'Rahilly, 1991].
He
mar 15 Apr 1899, New York,
to Nancy Brown [Nannie, born 4 Sept 1875].
They had a lot of money on both sides.
Honeymoon was grand tour of Europe - France, Austria, Italy.
She spoke fluent French after her schooling.
He learnt French too.
French was a normal language spoken in their home before their return to Ireland 1909
[Aodogán],
and after that, Irish.
Start of nationalism:
His interest in Irish history led him slowly and inexorably towards nationalism.
The first indication of nationalism is in a letters controversy in 1899
in the European edition of the
New York Herald,
following celebrations of
Queen Victoria's 80th birthday.
Rahilly criticised the celebrations, pointing out the miseries her reign
had inflicted on Ireland.
Some of his criticism was censored by the paper as too offensive.
See 7 and 14 June 1899.
Copies in
[P102/414].
He
lived in New York for a while.
His son Bobby was born New York 1900.
[P106/77]
has him in New York in Dec 1901.
Ireland around 1902-03, Justice of the Peace:
He
returned to Ireland early 1902. Michael Warren
continued to gather family tree information for him 1902-1908.
Despite his growing nationalism, he
served as
Justice of the Peace
again,
from
1903 (prob. after representations made on his behalf by
his mother)
to 1907
[O'Rahilly, 1991, p.44].
Mac born Dublin, July 1903.
They lived 1903-1904 at
Wilfort Cottage, near Bray, Co.Wicklow.
Researched in [NLI].
Travelled in Cos. Kerry, Cavan, Roscommon, researching his ancestry.
Wrote for Arthur Griffith's nationalist newspaper
the United Irishman
(in existence 1899-1906).
England around 1904:
He
lived in London for a time,
where he was involved with the
United Irish League.
Involved with Irish Home Rule party
in Brighton and London.
In contact with James O'Mara
who was MP there.
Researched in [BL].
Aodogán born Brighton, Sept 1904.
Corresponded on the family tree with his 1st cousin
Prof. T.F. O'Rahilly c.1904-15.
Back to
America, 1905:
He
moved to Philadelphia autumn 1905
to help rescue Brown family business.
Lived
"Slieve Luachra", Lansdowne, Philadelphia
1905-1909.
His friend
James O'Mara
resigned from Home Rule party June 1907 to join Sinn Fein (founded 1905).
The O'Rahilly also became a
Sinn Fein
supporter.
He wrote on
23 Feb 1908
from "Slieve Luachra"
to James O'Mara,
after the defeat of Sinn Fein in the Leitrim North by-election of 21 Feb 1908:
"It is disappointing after Sinn Feiners have kept pegging away for nearly a decade,
but nations move slowly and it seems hard to enlighten the men of places like Breffni Ua Ruarc".
The change to "O'Rahilly" was copied by the other Rahillys
(i.e. Anno and his cousins)
starting around this time
(and definitely after the Rising).
He used a coat of arms.
There was a
story about an O'Rahilly Grant of Arms,
but [GO] says:
"We have no record of O'Rahilly either having left his genealogy here
or having been granted arms."
Summary of
his genealogy of the O'Rahillys was published in
[King, 1910].
He noted that he was the eldest surviving male line and so adopted the style
"The O'Rahilly" (or simply "Ua Rathghaille")
from c.1909 onwards.
"The O'Rahilly" was a purely invented title.
It never existed before in the
Gaelic nobility.
Michael Joseph was definitely the eldest male line descendant of
Michael of Killarney.
But as
to whether he was the eldest male line descendant of
the entire family tree,
it depends on the birth order of
Fionn's sons
and
Conn's sons.
The normally accepted order supports this, but of course there are no birth dates,
so more proof is needed.
There is an early reference to "The O'Rahilly" in a letter
of 1905 from his cousin
T.F.
to him
[P102/172(1)].
He signed himself what looks like "Ua Rathghaille" (no first name) in a letter of
23 Feb 1908.
W.B. Yeats defended The O'Rahilly's right to use the title in his later poem
The O'Rahilly:
"Sing of The O'Rahilly,
Do not deny his right;
Sing a "The" before his name;
Allow that he, despite
All those learned historians,
Established it for good;
He wrote out that word himself,
He christened himself with blood."
He wrote his surname "ua Rathghaille"
in his
entry
at 40 Herbert Park
in
[Census, 2 April 1911].
He filled in the census form in Irish.
House has 12 rooms,
they live with 2 servants.
Also in the house is "Síghle Brún"
(Sheila Brown, born 1890, America, unidentified
relation of Nancy).
He wrote in
1911
from 40 Herbert Park
to James O'Mara.
Signed "Michael Joseph O'Rahilly".
He
bought a
De Dion Bouton automobile
c.1911.
He was
very musical.
Sean T. O'Kelly
(later President of Ireland) remembered him singing
"The Camptown Races"
(search
YouTube).
This became a favourite song in our family.
He
helped produce and wrote for Arthur Griffith's newspaper
Sinn Fein
(successor to United Irishman, in existence 1906-14).
Protest against Coronation and Royal Visit, 1911:
George V
succeeded in 1910.
His coronation was planned for 1911, to be followed by a Royal Visit to Ireland.
See letter
from The O'Rahilly
opposing the visit in
Freemans Journal, April 3, 1911.
The coronation was 22 June 1911.
That day, The O'Rahilly addressed a massive Anti-Coronation meeting in Dublin
[Mac Eoin, 1980, p.130].
He then protested the
Royal Visit of the king
to Ireland, 7th-12th July 1911.
He erected a banner across
Grafton St:
"Thou art not conquered yet, dear land".
The
banner was seized, but not before much publicity was gained
[O'Rahilly, 1991].
No British monarch visited southern Ireland again until
Elizabeth II in 2011.
[P102]
has a letter to The O'Rahilly, 22 Jan 1912,
from one Seán Ó Cuill,
claiming to have invented
perpetual movement:
"we must act quickly".
He
joined Executive Committee of
Gaelic League
Mar 1912.
See Gaelic type created by The O'Rahilly
(and closer
and closer).
Spent months on massive project translating Dublin street names into Irish.
Many of the translations seen today are originally by The O'Rahilly.
In 1912 he built a
summer house at
Ventry, Co.Kerry
(in the Gaeltacht).
Co-founded The Irish Volunteers, 1913:
O'Rahilly's articles in
Sean MacDermott's
radical newspaper
Irish Freedom, summer 1912, are an explicit call to Irishmen to arm themselves,
and analysis of previous rebellions, purely on the military grounds of why they failed.
He took over the Gaelic League's paper
An Claidheamh Soluis,
and politicised it.
The first edition of new-look paper, 1st Nov 1913, carried the famous article
"The North began" by
Eoin MacNeill,
arguing for the need for an armed pro-Home-Rule force to counter-balance the
anti-Home-Rule
Ulster Volunteer Force.
O'Rahilly encouraged him to follow through with this idea,
this led directly to foundation of Irish Volunteers.
He was
co-founder of the Irish Volunteers,
Wynn's Hotel, Dublin, 11th Nov 1913
(the movement to arm Irish nationalists, forerunner of the
IRA,
see Genealogy of the IRA).
He became treasurer.
First public meeting at the Rotunda 25th Nov,
membership rapidly grew to tens of thousands.
As the Irish Volunteers grew to a national movement of 200,000 members,
it came under the control of
John Redmond
and the Irish Parliamentary Party
(against the wishes of many of the radical founders).
Nancy
joined committee of
Cumann na mBan at its founding, 5 April 1914, Wynn's Hotel, Dublin
[McCoole, 2003].
Howth gun running, 1914:
As Director of Arms, The O'Rahilly
was instrumental in organising the
Howth gun running
with
Erskine Childers,
26th July 1914, an operation kept secret from most of the Volunteer leaders
(including Pearse,
who much resented not being involved).
When British soldiers shot unarmed civilians who had been heckling them
on
Bachelor's Walk
that evening,
O'Rahilly raced to the scene with his loaded Mauser,
but all was quiet.
The build-up to the 1916 Rising:
The Irish Volunteers
split over
WW1, Aug 1914,
the majority following
John Redmond to fight for Britain
against Germany.
O'Rahilly remained with
the minority force under the leadership of MacNeill,
but heavily influenced by the
IRB,
who now planned to carry out a rising.
O'Rahilly refused to join the IRB.
He was regarded as part of the MacNeill (more cautious) wing of the Volunteers,
excluded from secret plans for a rising.
He was by no means against an unprovoked insurrection
(e.g. see letter to
James Connolly's
Workers' Republic 22nd Jan 1916),
but he believed it must have some military chance of success, not be merely a symbolic
"blood sacrifice".
Even then,
"If the cancellation had not been ordered by MacNeill",
the Proclamation of the Republic"would have included O'Rahilly's name" [O'Rahilly, 1991].
The Easter Rising
was set for Easter Sunday 23rd Apr 1916,
but MacNeill discovered the plan,
and after the shipment of German arms
was lost in the small hours of Sat 22nd Apr,
MacNeill issued orders, night of Sat 22nd Apr, to cancel the rising
(see timeline).
O'Rahilly delivered the orders to the South of Ireland,
night of Sat 22nd Apr, returned to Dublin Sun night 23rd Apr.
In the words of Yeats:
"He told Pearse and Connolly
He'd gone to great expense
Keeping all the Kerry men
Out of that crazy fight;
That he might be there himself
Had travelled half the night."
He was woken Mon 24th Apr morning, told that Pearse's men were going ahead,
realising there was no way of stopping it now, he went to join them without hesitation.
Sighle describes him leaving for the Rising
in
[P106/976]
and also
here
in "Ireland: A Television History".
He was
assigned as aide de camp
to the leader Patrick Pearse
at the HQ in the
GPO.
Also in the GPO were
James Connolly and
Tom Clarke and
Sean MacDermott and
Joseph Plunkett and
Michael Collins and
The O'Rahilly's nephew
Dick Humphreys.
In the words of Yeats:
"Then on Pearse and Connolly
He fixed a bitter look:
'Because I helped to wind the clock
I come to hear it strike.'"
Though
[Martin, 1967, p.36]
points out there is no evidence O'Rahilly said these words.
The 1916 Rising:
The 1916 Rising
started noon, Easter Monday 24th Apr 1916.
The rebels seized buildings around Dublin.
The British responded slowly, putting their efforts into securing
Dublin Castle and isolating the GPO.
The gunboat Helga moved into the River Liffey
and shelled rebel positions.
Large areas of the city centre, especially around the GPO, burned down,
hundreds of civilians killed.
The GPO was being destroyed from afar,
had to be abandoned.
Evacuation of the GPO, dusk, Fri 28th Apr 1916,
O'Rahilly led a group trying to reach
William & Woods factory up on
Parnell St
to set up a new HQ.
O'Rahilly blessed by
Fr. John Flanagan.
He
says:
"Father, we shall never meet again in this world." Aodogán
said his father had no interest in dying:
he was looking for a safe house,
getting a uniform from one of the prisoners, etc.
O'Rahilly said a sad goodbye to
Desmond FitzGerald
(father of the future Taoiseach
Garret FitzGerald).
Garret
described O'Rahilly as his father's
"hero of that period"
["The Motivation of 1916",
Irish Times, 13 July 1991].
As leaving, O'Rahilly says:
"But fancy missing this and then getting killed running for a tram or catching cold" [O'Rahilly, 1991, p.220].
The last thing he said to Desmond FitzGerald was
"Look after Richard."
Manchán Magan in
Cé a Chónaigh i mo Theachsa?
sums it up:
"It was a suicide mission."
The O'Rahilly's death, 1916 Rising:
O'Rahilly took his men up
Moore Street,
under machine-gun fire from British barricade at top of street.
O'Rahilly hit badly, pulled himself into
Sackville Lane
(which led from Moore St to Moore Lane).
Middle of war zone, nobody could get to him, he died later that night.
See
account
of his death
in "Ireland: A Television History".
See Note written by The O'Rahilly as he lay dying.
He died in Sackville Lane, night of Fri 28th - Sat 29th Apr 1916, age 41 yrs.
Pearse surrendered to General Lowe
at the same barricade, later on Sat afternoon.
Even had O'Rahilly survived, he would probably have faced execution.
He was
bur Thur 4 May 1916 in
Glasnevin Cemetery.
This was
one of the founding burials of what
soon became the Republican Plot.
Corrigan's
were the only undertakers that would agree to bury him.
See
[P106/384] and
[P106/385].
See admin
in Dublin
of effects of £330 in England, sealed in London 8 Feb 1918
[National Probate Calendar, England].
See biographies
[Bourke, 1967]
and
[O'Rahilly, 1991].
Burnt papers:
Just before the Rising, O'Rahilly gave a bundle of papers to a neighbour, Mrs. Hogan, for safekeeping.
The last thing he said to his wife was:
"Don't forget about the papers - the boys will be interested in them."
A few weeks after the Rising, she went to Mrs. Hogan, who, afraid they were seditious papers,
had burnt them.
Aodogán
suspected they were the O'Rahilly family tree.
However most if not all of The O'Rahilly's family tree research does seem to survive,
in
P102 - O'Rahilly papers.
Maybe there was something else,
or something more organised and final,
in that bundle.
Nancy was pregnant when her husband was killed, the child was born 3 months after his death.
She supported her husband's politics,
and became very active after his death.
She was vice-president of
Cumann na mBan
autumn 1917.
Nancy
and
Nell
and Anno
and
Sighle
all worked hard on the election of
Desmond Fitzgerald
of Sinn Fein
as MP
for
Pembroke
(Donnybrook, Ballsbridge, Ringsend)
in the general election, Dec 1918.
Fitzgerald's election in a "Unionist" area was considered surprising,
but the vote shows the area was in fact only 1/3 Unionist.
"Madam O'Rahilly" was on
Provisional Committee
of Cumann na mBan 1920-21,
in War of Independence. [P106/96]
shows that she was one of the speakers
at a big gathering of Irish-American friends of Ireland on 18 Jan 1920,
at
Lexington Opera House,
Lexington Avenue,
New York.
There were 5,000 people in the audience.
She was on executive of White Cross Fund, end of 1920
[Ward, 1983].
The Irish White Cross Society was founded Jan 1921 to cope with distress and destitution in Ireland
during the War of Independence.
Though she did not participate in Cumann na mBan's dangerous field assistance to
the IRA in War of Independence.
She was regarded as an honorary figurehead by militant younger members
[Ward, 1983].
Jailed in Civil War:
Nancy
was on the
Executive of Cumann na mBan at the
meeting at which Cumann na mBan voted to reject the Treaty,
5 Feb 1922.
She took the republican side in
the Civil War 1922-23.
She was arrested 4 Nov 1922 when Free State raided her house, 40 Herbert Park,
and the Humphreys house,
36 Ailesbury Rd, Dublin.
Mary MacSwiney
was arrested at Herbert Park.
Nancy was
in
Mountjoy prison
4 to 11 Nov 1922
with
Nell and
Sighle.
The three of them went on a brief hunger strike.
Nancy was released 11 Nov 1922.
Nell and Sighle stayed in prison
for a long time.
"Madam O'Rahilly"
and "Sheila Humphreys"
signed appeal by
Irish National Aid Association for the relief of Irish political prisoners,
post-1931.
She did charity work for
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
She lived
40 Herbert Park
until her death.
Robert Rahilly,
Bobby,
born 14 Mar 1900, New York.
His father sent a one-word cable
to his family at
Quinsborough:
"Boy".
The
reply on 17 Mar 1900 was also one-word: "Joy"[P102/70].
He was
possibly born 17 Mar 1900.
See letter on his 1st birthday in 1901
[P106/86].
Named after his grandfather Robert Brown.
Listed as "Michael Joseph Robert Rahilly" in 1900 letter
[P102/208(115)]
and at death 1903
and in
Ellen Mangan's will 1903.
We list him as "Rahilly" since he
died before family changed to "O'Rahilly".
He
died 19 Aug 1903,
Wilfort Cottage, near Bray, Co.Wicklow,
age 3 yrs
[GROI].
He died
after a short illness,
peritonitis
(disease of membrane of abdomen), which had lasted 7 days.
He was
bur with grandfather
at Lislaughtin Abbey
near Ballylongford
(see 1916 letter).
There is a stained glass window
to his memory in the church in Ballylongford, with an inscription in Irish.
[P102/80]
is inscription in Irish for his grave or memorial.
Not used on grave.
Possibly this is what was used on stained glass window.
Mac O'Rahilly,
Richard McEllistrim Rahilly,
always called "Mac".
Sometimes known as "The O'Rahilly".
Named after his grandfather Richard Rahilly
and his grandfather Richard McEllistrem
[though think they spelt it "McEllistrim"].
"Macalister" on birth cert
[GROI]
is think the Anglicisation.
He was
born Fri 3 July 1903,
at the home of Kathleen White, 122 Lr Baggot St, Dublin
[GROI].
On the day, much to his mother's resentment,
his father went off to watch the
Gordon Bennett motor race
near Athy, Co.Kildare.
The 1903 race
was Thur 2 July 1903, 7 am to 5 pm.
Aodogán O'Rahilly.
Named after
the poet.
Known as Egan in youth.
Later
"Aodogán" - which is how he himself spelt it.
He was
born 22 Sept 1904, 47 St.Aubyns, Hove, Brighton
(see map
and street view).
His father The O'Rahilly got a souvenir from their time in Brighton
- the key of the room
where Parnell died in 1891,
in 10 Walsingham Terrace, Hove.
This key
is
now in
[P102/82].
He was
bapt Egan John Eoin O'Sullivan O'Rahilly.
Egan after the poet.
John because the priest refused to baptise him unless they gave him a proper saint's name.
Eoin O'Sullivan after the poet of Meentoges.
Maolmuire Ó Rathaille,
also "O'Rahilly",
Maolmuire
(pronounced "Mweelra")
is the Irish form of "Myles",
sometimes called
Myles, or Milo,
born Nov 1911, Dublin,
have searched
[GROI]
1911-14, not found.
Rory O'Rahilly,
born after his father's death, 25 July 1916,
40 Herbert Park,
Dublin,
named at birth as Michael Joseph O'Rahilly, after his father,
but called Rory, think NOT Ruarie,
bapt 27 July 1916.
On his birth cert, his late father, who had just been killed in an armed revolt
against the government, is described as a "gentleman"[GROI].
The doctor at his birth wouldn't take a fee.
He said he was "honoured" to deliver him.
The O'Rahilly and family, c.1912.
At the Humphreys house,
54 Northumberland Rd,
Dublin.
Back: Mac, Nancy Brown, The O'Rahilly.
Front: Niall, Aodogán.
See full size.
See copy
in
[P106/108(2)].
Events of Easter Week - Short biographies, Catholic Bulletin, 6:393-408, July 1916.
Events of Easter Week - Photographs of people killed, Catholic Bulletin, 6:677-711, Dec 1916,
think NOT 1926.
Christmas 1916 issue has photos of Nancy O'Rahilly and other widows of 1916 men.
What made Ireland Sinn Fein: the chief political content of Pearse, the Gael of Gaels; something of MacNeill, Ireland's historian, Griffith, Ireland's statistician and of O'Rahilly, a leader of the Volunteers.
John X. Regan,
Boston (MA),
1921.
[RIA]
Fr.C/Sect.4.
Bibliographies of the 1916 Irish Revolution, VI: The O'Rahilly, P.S. O'Hegarty,
Dublin Magazine, vol.11 no.3 p.57, July-Sept 1936.
Nancy Brown:
[NAI],
archives of Dept of the Taoiseach,
Cabinet: s 5864C,
File: Anti-State Activities Subsequent to 1931.
"The Story of the Irish White Cross 1920-1947",
Aine Ceannt.
[RIA].
There was a story that The O'Rahilly deposited genealogy research in the RIA,
but nothing is found there.
All his genealogy papers seem to be in
[P102].
[MAI].
Captured Documents.
Lot102.
Papers taken from Madam O'Rahilly,
correspondence regarding Irish Prisoners' Dependants Fund
(23 June - 28 October 1922).
Kilmainham Jail Museum.
21PC-1K42-18.
Photograph of White Cross Council includes Madame O'Rahilly.
Cork Public Museum.
Photograph of The O'Rahilly widow and family.
Reference: AQNO1969:46.
Cork Archives Institute.
Liam de Rosite Correspondence,
1921-1939.
U271/M. File on Irish White Cross.
General Committee of Irish White Cross includes Madam O'Rahilly, 21 February 1921.
Committee entitled
"The Irish White Cross Winding up Commission" included Madame O' Rahilly,
21 August 1924.
Dept of the Taoiseach,
Cabinet: s 2113,
File: Relief Bureau,
30 Mar 1922,
Memo on Irish White Cross and Prisoners Dependants' Committee.
References to Madame O'Rahilly.
Dept of the Taoiseach,
Cabinet: s 1369/18,
File: Dorothy McArdle,
letter during Civil War, 19 Dec 1922.
References to Madame O'Rahilly.
"A great wish came over me to say how proud I was of being his niece and of being alive to see such a day, but any display of feeling was absolutely taboo in our family. ...
So, knowing how an announcement of my feelings would be frowned on I scarcely said, 'Slán Leat' to Michael although in my heart I knew I never would see him again."
- Sighle Humphreys
recalls her uncle The O'Rahilly leaving for the Rising
on Mon 24 Apr 1916.
From
[P106/976].
"Isn't The O'Rahilly a great man? Coming in here to us though he is opposed to this Rising!"
- Patrick Pearse,
moved by the appearance of The O'Rahilly at the GPO.
"It is madness, but it is glorious madness."
- The O'Rahilly
to
Constance Markievicz
after he arrived at Liberty Hall on the morning of the Rising.
Quoted in
[O'Rahilly, 1991, p.207].
"I envy O'Rahilly - that is the way I wanted to die."
- Patrick Pearse, awaiting his execution.
Quoted in
[O'Rahilly, 1991, p.223].
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