Seán Mac Eoin
Encyclopedia
Seán Mac Eoin was an Irish
Fine Gael
politician
and soldier
. He was commonly referred to as the "Blacksmith of Ballinalee".
, County Longford
, the eldest son of Andrew McKeon and Catherine Treacy. After a national school education he trained as a blacksmith in his father's forge and, on his father’s death in February 1913, he took over the running of the forge and the maintenance of the McKeon family.
His national activities began in earnest in the same year when he joined the Clonbroney Company of the Irish Volunteers
and was sworn into membership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
.
(IRA) flying column. In November 1920, he led the local column in attacking Crown forces in Granard
during one of the periodic government reprisals, forcing them to retreat to their barracks. The next day, he held the village of Ballinalee
against superior British
forces, forcing them to retreat and abandon their ammunition.
At the Clonfin Ambush
Mac Eoin ordered his men to care for the wounded British, at the expense of captured weaponry. This earnt him both praise and criticism, but became a big propaganda boost for the war effort, especially in the United States. He was admired by many within the IRA for leading practically the only effective column in the midlands.
He was captured at Mullingar
railway station in March 1921, imprisoned and sentenced to death for the murder of an RIC
Inspector. He wrote this poignant letter to his friend (and classmate at Moyne Latin School) Father Jim Sheridan, a combatant in the Old IRA and a "Flying Column" member who had been ordained and sent to Milwaukee to study theology:
"Dear Jim, Last week I was tried, convicted and sentenced to die three weeks from today. My poor mother was here yesterday to request that my body be turned over to her for Christian burial. They refused and told her that my body would be buried in quicklime in the prison yard. If you write immediately, I will receive your letter before I died. Farewell, Jim. Pray for my soul."
According to Oliver St. John Gogarty
, Charles Bewley
wrote Mac Eoin's death-sentence speech. Michael Collins
organised a rescue attempt. Six IRA Volunteers, led by Paddy O'Daly
, captured a British armoured car and, wearing British Army
uniforms, gained access to Mountjoy Prison
. However, Mac Eoin was not in the part of the jail they believed, and after some shooting, the rescue party retreated.
Seán Mac Eoin (30 September 1893 – 7 July 1973) was an Irish
Fine Gael
politician
and soldier
. He was commonly referred to as the "Blacksmith of Ballinalee".
, County Longford
, the eldest son of Andrew McKeon and Catherine Treacy. After a national school education he trained as a blacksmith in his father's forge and, on his father’s death in February 1913, he took over the running of the forge and the maintenance of the McKeon family.
His national activities began in earnest in the same year when he joined the Clonbroney Company of the Irish Volunteers
and was sworn into membership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
.
(IRA) flying column. In November 1920, he led the local column in attacking Crown forces in Granard
during one of the periodic government reprisals, forcing them to retreat to their barracks. The next day, he held the village of Ballinalee
against superior British
forces, forcing them to retreat and abandon their ammunition.
At the Clonfin Ambush
Mac Eoin ordered his men to care for the wounded British, at the expense of captured weaponry. This earnt him both praise and criticism, but became a big propaganda boost for the war effort, especially in the United States. He was admired by many within the IRA for leading practically the only effective column in the midlands.
He was captured at Mullingar
railway station in March 1921, imprisoned and sentenced to death for the murder of an RIC
Inspector. He wrote this poignant letter to his friend (and classmate at Moyne Latin School) Father Jim Sheridan, a combatant in the Old IRA and a "Flying Column" member who had been ordained and sent to Milwaukee to study theology:
"Dear Jim, Last week I was tried, convicted and sentenced to die three weeks from today. My poor mother was here yesterday to request that my body be turned over to her for Christian burial. They refused and told her that my body would be buried in quicklime in the prison yard. If you write immediately, I will receive your letter before I died. Farewell, Jim. Pray for my soul."
According to Oliver St. John Gogarty
, Charles Bewley
wrote Mac Eoin's death-sentence speech. Michael Collins
organised a rescue attempt. Six IRA Volunteers, led by Paddy O'Daly
, captured a British armoured car and, wearing British Army
uniforms, gained access to Mountjoy Prison
. However, Mac Eoin was not in the part of the jail they believed, and after some shooting, the rescue party retreated.
Seán Mac Eoin (30 September 1893 – 7 July 1973) was an Irish
Fine Gael
politician
and soldier
. He was commonly referred to as the "Blacksmith of Ballinalee".
, County Longford
, the eldest son of Andrew McKeon and Catherine Treacy. After a national school education he trained as a blacksmith in his father's forge and, on his father’s death in February 1913, he took over the running of the forge and the maintenance of the McKeon family.
His national activities began in earnest in the same year when he joined the Clonbroney Company of the Irish Volunteers
and was sworn into membership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
.
(IRA) flying column. In November 1920, he led the local column in attacking Crown forces in Granard
during one of the periodic government reprisals, forcing them to retreat to their barracks. The next day, he held the village of Ballinalee
against superior British
forces, forcing them to retreat and abandon their ammunition.
At the Clonfin Ambush
Mac Eoin ordered his men to care for the wounded British, at the expense of captured weaponry. This earnt him both praise and criticism, but became a big propaganda boost for the war effort, especially in the United States. He was admired by many within the IRA for leading practically the only effective column in the midlands.
He was captured at Mullingar
railway station in March 1921, imprisoned and sentenced to death for the murder of an RIC
Inspector. He wrote this poignant letter to his friend (and classmate at Moyne Latin School) Father Jim Sheridan, a combatant in the Old IRA and a "Flying Column" member who had been ordained and sent to Milwaukee to study theology:
"Dear Jim, Last week I was tried, convicted and sentenced to die three weeks from today. My poor mother was here yesterday to request that my body be turned over to her for Christian burial. They refused and told her that my body would be buried in quicklime in the prison yard. If you write immediately, I will receive your letter before I died. Farewell, Jim. Pray for my soul."
According to Oliver St. John Gogarty
, Charles Bewley
wrote Mac Eoin's death-sentence speech. Michael Collins
organised a rescue attempt. Six IRA Volunteers, led by Paddy O'Daly
, captured a British armoured car and, wearing British Army
uniforms, gained access to Mountjoy Prison
. However, Mac Eoin was not in the part of the jail they believed, and after some shooting, the rescue party retreated.
Within days, Mac Eoin was elected to Dáil Éireann
at the 1921 general election, as a Teachta Dála
(TD) for Longford–Westmeath.
Mac Eoin was eventually released from prison after Collins threatened to break off treaty negotiations with London unless he was freed. It was rumoured that Sean Mac Eoin was to be the best man at Collins' wedding.
Mac Eoin seconded Arthur Griffith's
motion that it should be accepted.
Mac Eoin joined the new army
of the Irish Free State
and was appointed GOC
Western Command in June 1922. In the Irish Civil War
, he pacified the west of Ireland for the new Free State, marching overland to Castlebar
and linking up with a seaborne expedition that landed at Westport
. For the rest of the 1920s his military career was a steady upward curve, appointed GOC Curragh Training Camp in August 1925, Quartermaster General in March 1927, and Chief of Staff in February 1929. His tenure of the highest post in the armed forces would not appear to have been a particularly happy period and his departure came in June 1929.
to Dáil Éireann
for the Leitrim–Sligo constituency. At the 1932 general election
he moved to the constituency of Longford–Westmeath and served the Longford area as TD in either Longford–Westmeath (1932–37, 1948–65) or Athlone–Longford (1937–48) until he was defeated at the 1965 general election
.
During a long and distinguished political career he served as Minister for Justice (February 1948–March 1951) and Minister for Defence
(March–June 1951) in the First Inter-Party Government
, and again as Minister for Defence (June 1954–March 1957) in the Second Inter-Party Government
.
He unsucsessfully stood twice as candidate for the office of President of Ireland
, against Seán T. O'Kelly
in 1945, and Éamon de Valera
in 1959.
MacEoin retired from public life after the 1965 general election and died on 7 July 1973. He married Alice Cooney on 21 June 1922 at a ceremony attended by Griffith and Collins, she died on 16 February 1985. They had no children.
A modified plan for the site which includes the existing dwelling with non original extensions removes is applied for by the County Leitrim owned developers.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
. He was commonly referred to as the "Blacksmith of Ballinalee".
Early life
Seán Mac Eoin was born John Joseph McKeon on 30 September 1893 at Bunlahy, GranardGranard
Granard is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable history going back to 236 A.D.. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 national secondary road and the R194 regional road...
, County Longford
County Longford
County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the eldest son of Andrew McKeon and Catherine Treacy. After a national school education he trained as a blacksmith in his father's forge and, on his father’s death in February 1913, he took over the running of the forge and the maintenance of the McKeon family.
His national activities began in earnest in the same year when he joined the Clonbroney Company of the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
and was sworn into membership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
.
IRA leader
He came to prominence in the War of Independence as leader of an Irish Republican ArmyIrish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
(IRA) flying column. In November 1920, he led the local column in attacking Crown forces in Granard
Granard
Granard is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable history going back to 236 A.D.. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 national secondary road and the R194 regional road...
during one of the periodic government reprisals, forcing them to retreat to their barracks. The next day, he held the village of Ballinalee
Ballinalee
Ballinalee, formerly St Johnstown , is a village in north County Longford, Ireland. It is situated on the River Camlin, and falls within the parish of Clonbroney....
against superior British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces, forcing them to retreat and abandon their ammunition.
At the Clonfin Ambush
Clonfin Ambush
The Clonfin Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army on 1 February 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place in the townland of Clonfin in County Longford...
Mac Eoin ordered his men to care for the wounded British, at the expense of captured weaponry. This earnt him both praise and criticism, but became a big propaganda boost for the war effort, especially in the United States. He was admired by many within the IRA for leading practically the only effective column in the midlands.
He was captured at Mullingar
Mullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
railway station in March 1921, imprisoned and sentenced to death for the murder of an RIC
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
Inspector. He wrote this poignant letter to his friend (and classmate at Moyne Latin School) Father Jim Sheridan, a combatant in the Old IRA and a "Flying Column" member who had been ordained and sent to Milwaukee to study theology:
"Dear Jim, Last week I was tried, convicted and sentenced to die three weeks from today. My poor mother was here yesterday to request that my body be turned over to her for Christian burial. They refused and told her that my body would be buried in quicklime in the prison yard. If you write immediately, I will receive your letter before I died. Farewell, Jim. Pray for my soul."
According to Oliver St. John Gogarty
Oliver St. John Gogarty
Oliver Joseph St John Gogarty was an Irish poet, author, otolaryngologist, athlete, politician, and well-known conversationalist, who served as the inspiration for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's novel Ulysses....
, Charles Bewley
Charles Bewley
Charles Henry Bewley was raised in a famous Dublin Quaker business family, embraced Irish Republicanism...
wrote Mac Eoin's death-sentence speech. Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
organised a rescue attempt. Six IRA Volunteers, led by Paddy O'Daly
Paddy Daly
Paddy Daly sometimes referred to as Paddy O'Daly, served in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and subsequently held the rank of Major-General in the Irish National Army in the period 1922 to 1924.-Easter Rising:...
, captured a British armoured car and, wearing British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
uniforms, gained access to Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr...
. However, Mac Eoin was not in the part of the jail they believed, and after some shooting, the rescue party retreated.
Seán Mac Eoin (30 September 1893 – 7 July 1973) was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
. He was commonly referred to as the "Blacksmith of Ballinalee".
Early life
Seán Mac Eoin was born John Joseph McKeon on 30 September 1893 at Bunlahy, GranardGranard
Granard is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable history going back to 236 A.D.. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 national secondary road and the R194 regional road...
, County Longford
County Longford
County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the eldest son of Andrew McKeon and Catherine Treacy. After a national school education he trained as a blacksmith in his father's forge and, on his father’s death in February 1913, he took over the running of the forge and the maintenance of the McKeon family.
His national activities began in earnest in the same year when he joined the Clonbroney Company of the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
and was sworn into membership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
.
IRA leader
He came to prominence in the War of Independence as leader of an Irish Republican ArmyIrish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
(IRA) flying column. In November 1920, he led the local column in attacking Crown forces in Granard
Granard
Granard is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable history going back to 236 A.D.. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 national secondary road and the R194 regional road...
during one of the periodic government reprisals, forcing them to retreat to their barracks. The next day, he held the village of Ballinalee
Ballinalee
Ballinalee, formerly St Johnstown , is a village in north County Longford, Ireland. It is situated on the River Camlin, and falls within the parish of Clonbroney....
against superior British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces, forcing them to retreat and abandon their ammunition.
At the Clonfin Ambush
Clonfin Ambush
The Clonfin Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army on 1 February 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place in the townland of Clonfin in County Longford...
Mac Eoin ordered his men to care for the wounded British, at the expense of captured weaponry. This earnt him both praise and criticism, but became a big propaganda boost for the war effort, especially in the United States. He was admired by many within the IRA for leading practically the only effective column in the midlands.
He was captured at Mullingar
Mullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
railway station in March 1921, imprisoned and sentenced to death for the murder of an RIC
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
Inspector. He wrote this poignant letter to his friend (and classmate at Moyne Latin School) Father Jim Sheridan, a combatant in the Old IRA and a "Flying Column" member who had been ordained and sent to Milwaukee to study theology:
"Dear Jim, Last week I was tried, convicted and sentenced to die three weeks from today. My poor mother was here yesterday to request that my body be turned over to her for Christian burial. They refused and told her that my body would be buried in quicklime in the prison yard. If you write immediately, I will receive your letter before I died. Farewell, Jim. Pray for my soul."
According to Oliver St. John Gogarty
Oliver St. John Gogarty
Oliver Joseph St John Gogarty was an Irish poet, author, otolaryngologist, athlete, politician, and well-known conversationalist, who served as the inspiration for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's novel Ulysses....
, Charles Bewley
Charles Bewley
Charles Henry Bewley was raised in a famous Dublin Quaker business family, embraced Irish Republicanism...
wrote Mac Eoin's death-sentence speech. Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
organised a rescue attempt. Six IRA Volunteers, led by Paddy O'Daly
Paddy Daly
Paddy Daly sometimes referred to as Paddy O'Daly, served in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and subsequently held the rank of Major-General in the Irish National Army in the period 1922 to 1924.-Easter Rising:...
, captured a British armoured car and, wearing British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
uniforms, gained access to Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr...
. However, Mac Eoin was not in the part of the jail they believed, and after some shooting, the rescue party retreated.
Seán Mac Eoin (30 September 1893 – 7 July 1973) was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
. He was commonly referred to as the "Blacksmith of Ballinalee".
Early life
Seán Mac Eoin was born John Joseph McKeon on 30 September 1893 at Bunlahy, GranardGranard
Granard is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable history going back to 236 A.D.. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 national secondary road and the R194 regional road...
, County Longford
County Longford
County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the eldest son of Andrew McKeon and Catherine Treacy. After a national school education he trained as a blacksmith in his father's forge and, on his father’s death in February 1913, he took over the running of the forge and the maintenance of the McKeon family.
His national activities began in earnest in the same year when he joined the Clonbroney Company of the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
and was sworn into membership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
.
IRA leader
He came to prominence in the War of Independence as leader of an Irish Republican ArmyIrish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
(IRA) flying column. In November 1920, he led the local column in attacking Crown forces in Granard
Granard
Granard is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable history going back to 236 A.D.. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 national secondary road and the R194 regional road...
during one of the periodic government reprisals, forcing them to retreat to their barracks. The next day, he held the village of Ballinalee
Ballinalee
Ballinalee, formerly St Johnstown , is a village in north County Longford, Ireland. It is situated on the River Camlin, and falls within the parish of Clonbroney....
against superior British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces, forcing them to retreat and abandon their ammunition.
At the Clonfin Ambush
Clonfin Ambush
The Clonfin Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army on 1 February 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place in the townland of Clonfin in County Longford...
Mac Eoin ordered his men to care for the wounded British, at the expense of captured weaponry. This earnt him both praise and criticism, but became a big propaganda boost for the war effort, especially in the United States. He was admired by many within the IRA for leading practically the only effective column in the midlands.
He was captured at Mullingar
Mullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
railway station in March 1921, imprisoned and sentenced to death for the murder of an RIC
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
Inspector. He wrote this poignant letter to his friend (and classmate at Moyne Latin School) Father Jim Sheridan, a combatant in the Old IRA and a "Flying Column" member who had been ordained and sent to Milwaukee to study theology:
"Dear Jim, Last week I was tried, convicted and sentenced to die three weeks from today. My poor mother was here yesterday to request that my body be turned over to her for Christian burial. They refused and told her that my body would be buried in quicklime in the prison yard. If you write immediately, I will receive your letter before I died. Farewell, Jim. Pray for my soul."
According to Oliver St. John Gogarty
Oliver St. John Gogarty
Oliver Joseph St John Gogarty was an Irish poet, author, otolaryngologist, athlete, politician, and well-known conversationalist, who served as the inspiration for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's novel Ulysses....
, Charles Bewley
Charles Bewley
Charles Henry Bewley was raised in a famous Dublin Quaker business family, embraced Irish Republicanism...
wrote Mac Eoin's death-sentence speech. Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
organised a rescue attempt. Six IRA Volunteers, led by Paddy O'Daly
Paddy Daly
Paddy Daly sometimes referred to as Paddy O'Daly, served in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and subsequently held the rank of Major-General in the Irish National Army in the period 1922 to 1924.-Easter Rising:...
, captured a British armoured car and, wearing British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
uniforms, gained access to Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr...
. However, Mac Eoin was not in the part of the jail they believed, and after some shooting, the rescue party retreated.
Within days, Mac Eoin was elected to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
at the 1921 general election, as a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for Longford–Westmeath.
Mac Eoin was eventually released from prison after Collins threatened to break off treaty negotiations with London unless he was freed. It was rumoured that Sean Mac Eoin was to be the best man at Collins' wedding.
Treaty and Civil War
In the debate on the Anglo-Irish TreatyAnglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
Mac Eoin seconded Arthur Griffith's
Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922, and was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations in London that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.-Early life:...
motion that it should be accepted.
Mac Eoin joined the new army
Irish Army
The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...
of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
and was appointed GOC
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Western Command in June 1922. In the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
, he pacified the west of Ireland for the new Free State, marching overland to Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
and linking up with a seaborne expedition that landed at Westport
Westport, County Mayo
Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....
. For the rest of the 1920s his military career was a steady upward curve, appointed GOC Curragh Training Camp in August 1925, Quartermaster General in March 1927, and Chief of Staff in February 1929. His tenure of the highest post in the armed forces would not appear to have been a particularly happy period and his departure came in June 1929.
Political career
In 1929 he resigned from the Army and was elected at a by-electionBy-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
for the Leitrim–Sligo constituency. At the 1932 general election
Irish general election, 1932
The Irish general election of 1932 was held on 16 February 1932, just over two weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 29 January. The newly elected 153 members of the 7th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 9 March 1932 when the new President of the Executive Council and Executive Council of...
he moved to the constituency of Longford–Westmeath and served the Longford area as TD in either Longford–Westmeath (1932–37, 1948–65) or Athlone–Longford (1937–48) until he was defeated at the 1965 general election
Irish general election, 1965
The Irish general election of 1965 was held on 7 April 1965. The newly elected members of the 18th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 21 April when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
.
During a long and distinguished political career he served as Minister for Justice (February 1948–March 1951) and Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
(March–June 1951) in the First Inter-Party Government
Government of the 13th Dáil
The 13th Dáil was elected at the 1948 general election on 4 February 1948 and first met on 18 February when the 5th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 13th Dáil lasted for 1,211 days....
, and again as Minister for Defence (June 1954–March 1957) in the Second Inter-Party Government
Government of the 15th Dáil
The 15th Dáil was elected at the 1954 general election on 18 May 1954 and first met on 2 June when the 7th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 15th Dáil lasted for 1,022 days.-7th Government of Ireland:...
.
He unsucsessfully stood twice as candidate for the office of President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, against Seán T. O'Kelly
Sean T. O'Kelly
Seán Thomas O'Kelly was the second President of Ireland . He was a member of Dáil Éireann from 1918 until his election as President. During this time he served as Minister for Local Government and Minister for Finance...
in 1945, and Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
in 1959.
MacEoin retired from public life after the 1965 general election and died on 7 July 1973. He married Alice Cooney on 21 June 1922 at a ceremony attended by Griffith and Collins, she died on 16 February 1985. They had no children.
House controversy
There is currently a controversial plan to demolish his home, Rose Cottage in Balinalee, County Longford and replace it with ten houses. This house served as his headquarters during the Battle of Balinalee in 1920. The plan is facing local opposition from historical groups and residents.A modified plan for the site which includes the existing dwelling with non original extensions removes is applied for by the County Leitrim owned developers.