SCHOLARSHIP
An article in the Irish Press on Wednesday, 19th January, 1939 needed a few attempts to understand what the title photo and heading meant. The photo was of a Mr Patrick Casey, wearing a university graduation robe and cap, the heading read ‘Republican’s U.S. Position’ but it was the second article’s title that gave the story context ‘Man who formed IRA Company in Fermoy College’. So who was this Patrick Casey, who attained a high level management position in the United States that warrants the reporting in a national newspaper?
Let’s start with the basics: Patrick Casey was born on 15th January, 1901 at Gortnaskehy, Araglin to John and Mary Anne Casey. Patrick’s father, John Casey farmed and resided at Gortnaskehy, as did his father Patrick Casey and grandfather John Casey previously. While located in Gortnaskehy, the farmhouse is in an area known locally as ‘The Furnace’, where the three counties of Cork, Waterford and Tipperary meet. Araglin village itself is within the Casey lands, including the R.I.C. Barracks, latterly the Garda barracks. This line of Caseys are buried in Shanrahan Graveyard near Clogheen.
Patrick was the first born of John Casey and Mary Anne O’Sullivan who were married on St Stephen’s Day, 26th December, 1899 at Glanworth Church. Mary Anne was the fourth child of Michael and Johanna O’Sullivan who had a shop/pub in Glanworth. Mary Anne’s sibling included Catherine who married
John Daly, Kilworth, who had a shop/pub in Kilworth village; Rev. Fr Michael O’Sullivan, ordained in 1892 at Maynooth, served in the Australian missions till 1905 and returned to the Diocese of Cloyne serving as curate in Ballyvourney, Dromina, Banteer, Freemount and finally as parish priest in the parish of Clondrohid; Ellen married Patrick Walshe, Kilally, Kilworth who farmed in Kilally; Hannah who married William Mullins, Kilbehenny who had a shop/ pub in Kilbehenny, along with a farm and served as Rural District Councillor; and Anne, who married James Lenehan, Glanworth who had a shop/pub in Glanworth.
Patrick attended primary school at Ballyheaphy School, as was the norm at the time, from about the age of 8 to 14. Patrick was unusual, in that he continued his education in secondary school at St Colman’s College, Fermoy in 1916. This was a rare event for someone from a rural area at the time, so much so that in doing this research, I haven’t come across the same for any of his contemporaries.
Why did Patrick get this opportunity? This is best explained from a notice in The Cork Examiner on Thursday, 31st August, 1916 titled ‘St Colman’s College Fermoy – Re-Opens September 4th – CANDIDATES FOR SCHOLARSHIP SHOULD ATTEND’. On Friday, September 1st sixteen successful entrance candidates for the year 1915-1916 were listed. Amongst these was one ‘Patrick Casey, Araglin, who won a scholarship value £10’. Other successful candidates locally were James D. Corbett, Liscarroll (£15), Michael O’Donnell, Kildorrery (£15), Edmond O’Brien, Ballyporeen (£10) and Anthony O’Dwyer, Kildorrery (£5).
The activities in Ireland around the year 1916 when Patrick entered St Colman’s needs little introduction, where the events of the failed Easter Rising reignited the national spirit to fight for the right to self-govern. Patrick, now 16 years old, was no different than his contemporaries and joined the Irish Volunteer company in Araglin when the organisation was reinvigorated after the conscription crisis subsided. The Araglin Company branch of the Irish Republican Army was now part of the Fermoy Battalion, Cork No 2 Brigade, led by company Officer Commander Con Leddy, a fellow Gortnaskehy native, as was Patrick. When Patrick returned to St Colman’s College, he did likewise and founded a company branch in the college. They followed the example of others and held company drills twice weekly led by their Office Commander, Patrick Casey himself. During the summer holidays, Patrick returned to Gortnaskehy and resumed with the activities of the active company there.
In October 1918, Patrick enrolled in All Hallows College in Drumcondra, Dublin and started his initial steps on the journey of becoming a priest. Along with the vocation, Patrick continued his education here with vigour. At every opportunity when there was a break from All Hallows College, Patrick returned to
Gortnaskehy and immediately resumed with the Araglin Company receiving permission on each occasion to do so from company O/C, Con Leddy. During one of these breaks home in April 1919, Patrick was central to the planning of the raid on Araglin RIC Barracks, in that he was one of the first volunteers that suggested the raid, from constantly observing the RIC constables’ movements to and from the barracks. Patrick was ideally positioned to carry out this intelligence work, being a near neighbour of the barracks in the village. The raiding party participants fell to others, as Patrick would be well known to the RIC constables and sergeant.
By now, Patrick was very active with volunteer activities, along with the many other men and women locally and was certainly involved when ordered to burn the now abandoned Araglin RIC Barracks on 4th April, 1920, which saw a concerted effort across Ireland to attack and destroy barracks, of which 30 were targeted that night