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Sheahan Stores – NCW
“Sheahan’Stores is a family-run supermarket and convenience store. The father and son team Michael and Anthony take pride in the fact that they are among the very few independent retailers still operating in Ireland. Prices are very competitive and each customer is guaranteed personal service. In Sheahan’s Stores, the atmosphere is friendly and upbeat and this ensures a relaxed and pleasant shopping experience. So visit us and infuse some “olde” world-friendly charm into your shopping day!”
Revolution Laundry Sheahan’s Store Newcastle is a laundromat located at TOP OIL, V42 HT67, Newcastle West, Munster.
Gala
Michael (Miko) Sheehan – Volunteer 1918-1923
Michael (Miko) Sheehan – Volunteer 1923
One Hundred years ago – this week my Grandfather Michael “Miko” Sheehan collected his few belongings and left the Curragh Camp in County Kildare having been detained there for siding with DeValera and the antiTreaty irregular members of the IRA.
Now the Sheehan, Murphy, and Gavin families and people of Kildysart can remember him and his pals for their patriotism.
Miko grew up in Ballylean, near Kildysart, Co Clare.
In 1914, county Clare was a hotbed of nationalism with the creation of the Irish Volunteers having local landowner John Biaconi O’Connell as its commanding officer. In 1917, Eamon DeValera won the Clare by-election for Sinn Fein with the help of local 1916 hero Peader Clancy. The West Clare Brigade of the IRA was established and Miko at 16 or 17 joined B Company at Kildysart.
He certainly was on active duty in 1918 carrying out raids for arms from ‘loyalists’ in the area. From the records, the haul was 1 rifle, a dozen shotguns, 3 swords, and plenty of mixed ammunition.
In late November 1920, Peader Clancy was killed in military custody in the Exchange Court, Dublin Castle. After a Requiem Mass was celebrated in Cranny for the late Peader Clancy, the battalion mobilised. The Mid-Clare Active Service Unit attacked the Kildysart RIC barracks. 13 members of B Company including Miko (Michael) Sheehan, Patrick Murtagh, Michael Meare, Michael McMahon and others participated. The RIC were pinned down and only relieved by reinforcements from across the Shannon after ‘rocket communication’ with Foynes as the roads had been successfully blocked with trenches by the volunteers.
After the Truce in July 1921, the situation was to change for the Volunteers due to the split in the IRA with some joining the fledgling Irish Free State Army and others Anti-Treaty forces loyal to de Valera. Miko was later to be captured and sent to Tintown Camp A at the Curragh. On March 19th, 1923 he was released.
He marries Annie Loughlin in 1926 and they had five children. Stephen, Jack, Tessie, Michael (Mick), and Nancy. Fianna Fail is founded in April 1926 and Miko becomes one of its supporters joining the local cumman, one of the earliest in County Clare.
From the late 1930s, Micko lived at Lacknashanna at his farm granted by the Land Commission outside Kildysart.
Many years later Miko (Michael) Sheehan applied for a special allowance under the Army Pensions Act. It is acknowledged that he had received the 1917-1921 Service Medal issued on 19th October 1951. His medal would have had the ‘Cormac’ bar to indicate he did active service with a flying column.
Micko died in April 1964 and is buried at Kildysart. Here is a death notice in the Clare Champion from May 1964 describing him as a member of the Old IRA:
Sheehan’s Pub and Restaurant
Founded in 1933, Sheehan’s is in its 3rd Generation as a Family run Pub in the center of Dublin. Beautiful Irish and international dishes served daily in comfortable, beautiful surroundings. Check out our Whiskey Lockers located through our side door.
17 Chatham Street, Dublin, Ireland
The Freeman’s Journal Sept 7th 1860
Court of Bankruptcy and Insolvency – Judge Berwick 1860 6th September
Henry J sunleck, Ardee Street summoned
Complaint by directors of the Great Southern and Western Railway Company
Forwarded a tierce of matches or other combustible matter.
Addressed to Mr Sheehan, Limerick – without distinct markings of the nature of the contents or giving notice in writing
Received at King’s bridge terminus
Prosecution under act 8th Victoria, cap.20, sec 105
Mr Charles Fitzgerald, sen. Prosecution. offence has fine 20l for each offence.
Presiding magistrate Mr Porter
not guilty plea
Patrick Leonard (drayman) examined by Mr fitzgerald
delivered to terminus – receipt. Tierce was over 5 cwt (hundred weight)
John Casey, railway porter, weighed the tierce: 5 cwt. 2 qrs. 10ibs
From Mr Sunleck, addressed to Mr Patrick C. Sheehan, Limerick, to be paid at Limerick.
company docket described contents as ‘black’
custom of railway servants was to ask what parcels it contained
- keeping them by themselves if they contained anything dangerous
Mr McKenna – the defence was that they had not sent matches or other prohibited items
Mr Timothy Hayes – Waterford and Limerick Railway – received tierce on the 4th of august, sent to mr sheehan, mr. sheehan would not take it as he said it contained a material called ‘Firelight’. it was sent back. when it arrived it was smoking, left outside a store, took fire, tierce opened, water thrown on contents to put out fire
packages of fire-lights were produced as evidence
the act – no person is entitled to carry oil of vitriol, gunpowder , lucifer matches or any other goods of dangerous nature – must be marked and give notice in writing
As the tierce did not contain those three listed items – the case was dismissed
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Tierce: an obsolete measure of capacity equal to 42 wine gallons. “a cask or vessel holding this quantity.” from the free dictionary. cwt: hundred weight (long) : 1 cwt = 112 IB = 50.8 Kg
Patrick Sheehan, begger 1857
“As for the actual Sheehan, what little we know for certain is that in September 1857, he was arrested for begging on Dublin’s Grafton Street.
This would be one of the scenes, a century later, of another great Irish ballad, in which Patrick Kavanagh “tripped lightly along the ledge” of a doomed love affair. But in the less poetic Grafton Street of 1857, Sheehan was charged with “causing obstruction to the thoroughfare” and sentenced to seven days imprisonment.
This despite the court hearing that he was a former soldier, blinded during the Crimean War, “in the trenches before Sebastopol”. His sacrifice had earned him a pension of “six pence per day for nine months”: which period having expired, he now had no recourse but to beg.
Written on a placard attached to him on the street, his claims were supported by a medal found in his pockets. A sergeant of Sheehan’s 55th Crimean regiment had also confirmed his bone fides in court.”
Patrick Sheehan, Crimean War vet.
“This sad story was published in September 1857 in The Freeman’s Journal: A young man named Patrick Sheehan was brought up in custody of Police-constable Lynam, charged with causing an obstruction on the thoroughfare in Grafton Street.
The constable stated that the prisoner was loitering in Grafton Street for the purpose of begging, having a placard on his breast stating forth that he had served in the Crimea in the 55th regiment; that he had lost his sight in the trenches before Sebastopol, and that he was discharged on a pension of six pence a day for nine months; and that this period being now expired, he was now obliged to have recourse to begging to support himself. A Crimean medal was found on his person … the prisoner was committed for seven days for begging.””
From Article: Ireland and the Crimean War; Leinster Leader
August 2002
The Story of the Sheehan Brothers of Fermoy & Vancouver
“So Costly A Sacrifice Upon the Altar of Freedom:” The Story of the Sheehan Brothers of Fermoy & Vancouver
“Through the late 20s and 30s the Sheehans became imbedded in Canadian life and took up citizenship. The children were well-educated in the local Catholic schools, and James operated his own store. With the outbreak of war in 1939, a number of the Sheehan children began to turn their thoughts to military service. Ultimately the majority of them did so– for example Thomas saw service with the 4th Battalion of The Canadian Scottish Regiment, while Michael went to sea with HMCS Laurier. For the three youngest Sheehans though, there was only one branch for them. Edward, Francis (Frank) and Henry (Harry) all set their sights on the skies.”
Eddie Sheehan
Eddie Sheehan is a Singer/ Guitarist from Fethard in County Tipperary, now living in Edinburgh, Scotland…
His website is:
https://www.eddiesheehan.com/about
In recent years Eddie has been performing mostly as a solo musician in Ireland, the UK and Scandinavia, continuing to enjoy the gift of singing and writing music. Eddie released two albums in the last three years “Let The Light In” in 2014 and just recently in August 2017 he released his new album Sharing a Song.
John Sheehan, Greenane, 1921
http://theirishrevolution.ie/1921-129/#.WvDFw9QvyM8
Civilian John Sheehan (about aged 26) of Greenane near Kanturk (near Kanturk)
Date of incident: ca. 5 March 1921 (abducted and later executed as suspected spy by IRA)
Sources: CE, 22 March 1921; FJ, 22 March 1921; II, 22 March 1921; CWN, 26 March 1921; Connaught Telegraph, 26 March 1921; Military Inquests, WO 35/159B/4 (TNA); WS 744 of Jeremiah Murphy, Michael Courtney, and Denis Mulchinock, 14 (BMH); Death Certificate for John Sheehan, died ca. 5 March 1921 (received from military inquiry held 24 March 1921).
Note: Armed men came knocking at John Sheehan’s door at Greenane. Sheehan told a close relative (wrongly said to have been his sister) not to open it: ‘It’s the Sinn Feiners come for me.’ British forces later found his body with a note declaring, ‘Spies, traitors, informers in Kanturk associated with military, police, and Black and Tans, you are all listed. Beware, I.R.A.’ At a subsequent military inquest, however, Lieutenant C. McKerren of the Machine Gun Corps stated that while Sheehan had been known in Kanturk as a ‘bad character’, he had never given information to the military. See Military Inquests, WO 35/159B/4 (TNA).
A butcher by trade, single, and aged about 26, Sheehan was abducted on about 5 March 1921 from his mother’s house in or very near Kanturk by a number of armed men. His body, with a bullet hole in the forehead, was found in a field on the farm of the Archdeacons near Kanturk on 21 March 1921 by the military and police; it was in a badly decomposed state and was removed to the Kanturk workhouse. His death was officially registered on foot of a coroner’s certificate received from the military court of inquiry held on 24 March. See CE, 22 March 1921; CWN, 26 March 1921.
This killing has the hallmarks of an IRA execution. Three former local Volunteers observed many years later: ‘During March 1921 a spy was found guilty of giving information to the enemy and was executed by members of the Kanturk Battalion. In view of the fact that relatives of this man are still resident in the locality and will probably continue to live in the district for many years to come, it is not considered desirable to elaborate on the details of this shooting.’ See WS 744 of Jeremiah Murphy, Michael Courtney, and Denis Mulchinock, 14 (BMH).
In 1911 John Sheehan (then aged 16) resided with his aunt Bridget Callaghan and his mother Kate Sheehan, Bridget’s sister, at Lower Greenane near Kanturk. His aunt was a ‘dealer in old clothing’, while his mother was a ‘dealer in confectionery’. Though Kate Sheehan indicated to the census enumerator that she had been married for sixteen years (with only one child), there was no sign of her husband. Bridget Callaghan, her nephew John Sheehan, and her sister Kate Sheehan shared a dwelling with only three rooms. All were Catholics.
Cornelius Sheehan, Blarney, 1921
http://theirishrevolution.ie/1921-146/#.WvDEu9QvyM8
Civilian Cornelius Sheehan (aged 54) of 198 Blarney Street, Cork city
(Blarney Street)
Date of incident: 19 March 1921 (killed as suspected spy by IRA)
Sources: II, 10 Jan., 22 March 1921; CE, 10 Jan., 21 March, 11 May 1921, 17 March 1926; CCE, 26 March 1921; CWN, 26 March 1921; CC, 1 June 1921; Military Inquests, WO 35/159B/3 (TNA); Monthly Summary of Outrages against the Police (CO 904/150, TNA); RIC County Inspector’s Monthly Reports, Cork City and East Riding, Jan. and March 1921 (CO 904/114, TNA); ‘Report on Operations’, CO 762/59/14 (TNA), Cork No. 1 Brigade (March 1921), Richard Mulcahy Papers, P7/A/38 (UCDA); Charles O’Connell’s WS 566, 3 (BMH); P. J. Murphy’s WS 869, 23-24 (BMH); Borgonovo (2007), 76, 100 (note 71); Murphy (2010), 41; Fin/Comp/2/27/300 [NA Dublin]. (We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Theresa Ellis, granddaughter of Cornelius Sheehan, in correcting elements of an earlier version of this entry with information from various sources she had gathered.)
Note: A former asylum attendant at the Cork District Lunatic Asylum (he had worked there for twenty-two years), Cornelius Sheehan (known as ‘Long Con’ because he was 6 feet, 2 inches tall) had gone on sick leave following an attack on the night of 8 January 1921 on Blarney Street. Two IRA gunmen fired at him and an RIC constable, wounding both. This incident occurred as he was returning home from work at the asylum, when he stopped to talk with Constable Carroll (of the Cornmarket Street RIC Station) near the Good Shepherd Convent. See II, 10 Jan. 1921. The police later reported that Sheehan had been ‘fired at and wounded owing to the fact that he kept company with a certain R.I.C. man in Cork. The constable was also wounded on this occasion.’ The police report in January 1921 concluded that the motive for this shooting was to murder the constable and his friend Sheehan, who was suspected of supplying information. See RIC County Inspector’s Monthly Report, Cork City and East Riding, Jan. 1921 (CO 904/114, TNA).
A police report provided a more specific account of this incident: ‘At 6:30 p.m. on 8.1.21 Constable John Carroll of Cornmarket Street was standing in Blarney Street speaking to Cornelius Sheehan. The constable was in plainclothes. They saw 7 or 8 men on the street near them and got the order “hands up”, and almost simultaneously with the order, several shots were fired. Sheehan was shot in the left shoulder and a bullet grazed the constable’s wrist. The constable drew his revolver and fired, but it is not known if anyone was hit.’ See Monthly Summary of Outrages against the Police (CO 904/150, TNA).
This encounter may have raised further suspicions within the local IRA. The Cork County Eagle of 26 March 1921 reported about a case heard in the Cork Police Court on 18 March, when in the course of the hearing Sheehan’s daughter had complained about a neighbour’s conduct; his daughter had indeed testified that her life and her father’s had been threatened by this neighbour. The following day (19 March), while he was at home with his wife and other family members at about 8:30 p.m., gunmen pounded on the front door of his house and demanded admission, and a revolver appeared through a small hole in the door. His wife refused to open it. Suspecting the worst, Cornelius Sheehan ran out the back door, where another group of gunmen were waiting and shot him; he died almost instantaneously with his eldest son at his side. See CC, 21 March 1921; CE, 21 March 1921. A doctor at the military inquest testified to an older wound on Sheehan’s shoulder and to two new bullet wounds that had caused his death. See Military Inquests, WO 35/159B/3 (TNA).
Both the Irish Independent of 22 March 1921 and the Cork Weekly News of 26 March 1921 reported that Sheehan was suspected of having given information to the police on the Clogheen IRA arsenal at the back end of the asylum farm. Crown forces had earlier raided this IRA arms dump on 13 January 1921 [when Mary Bowles was arrested]. According to the historian William Sheehan, this raid was conducted on the basis of information derived from the girlfriend of a soldier of the Hampshire Regiment; her information corroborated two other sources whose identities remain a mystery. See Sheehan (2011), 88. Since Sheehan was wounded some days before this, it appears improbable that the first shooting episode was connected to the Bowles’ raid.
It is apparent from the BMH witness statement of local Volunteer Charles O’Connell that ‘on further information from the brigade another spy was shot. This happened in ‘C’ Company area, though the job was carried out by ‘D’ Company.’ See Charles O’Connell’s WS 566, 3 (BMH). Corroborating this statement is an operations report from the First Battalion of the Cork No. 1 Brigade, which recorded that a ‘spy [had been] shot dead in Blarney St’ by members of the First Battalion on 19 March 1921. Another report in the same file dated 22 February 1921 revealed that two men of the same battalion had earlier ‘attacked [a] Black and Tan and [a] spy in Blarney Street. Both enemy seriously wounded; both our men escaped.’ See Richard Mulcahy Papers, P7/A/38 (UCDA). This February report suggests the IRA had come to suspect him already, referring to him as a “spy”.
The Sheehan family has long argued that he was innocent and had been set up by his landlord. In testimony given at the inquest into his death, his wife Abina Sheehan declared that ‘the only enemy my husband had was a woman—Mrs Abina Walsh of 196 Blarney Street—who had threatened to shoot my husband. The house [in which the Sheehans lived] was rented from her. She had declared in my presence that she would have him shot: “I will get him another bullet” [she had allegedly said].’ Some members of the party engaged in the killing had used the house of Abina Walsh (a few doors down from the Sheehans’ dwelling) to make good their escape after climbing over their backyard wall close to where the shooting had occurred. The evidence given by John Walsh (her husband) at the inquest alleged that he had seen three men at the door of his neighbour Cornelius Sheehan. The same three men had subsequently entered his kitchen [Walsh’s] from the backyard and then disappeared onto the street. They had goggles, similar to motor goggles, the glass of which was a dark colour. One ‘spoke with a rough country accent’. A daughter of the victim testified that she had seen about a dozen men then leaving the scene of the killing and that they had gone in the direction of Blarney. See Military Inquests, WO 35/159B/3 (TNA). The military and police from Shandon Street arrived shortly after the killing and moved the body to the house. Later, a military lorry arrived, and the body was taken to Cork Military Barracks. See CE, 21 March 1921; CWN, 26 March 1921.
It is possible that the landlord had set up Cornelius Sheehan with false allegations about informing, which played on IRA suspicions raised by the initial shooting episode, more especially since Abina Walsh’s threat to have him killed was made the day before he was fatally shot. A high-ranking officer in the British army, in reacting to the inquest evidence, certainly felt that there were sufficient grounds to question Abina Walsh further on this specific threat. As a result of a subsequent case at the quarter sessions in which Abina Walsh sought to repossess the house, which had been condemned by medical doctors as unfit for habitation (she had been instructed to put it back in order by Cork Corporation), she argued that repairs could not be done until the Sheehans were ejected as they were using the woodwork as fuel, and maintained that she had not received rent since Sheehan had been killed. Mrs Sheehan and her children were now clearly in a very difficult situation and were dependent on the St Vincent de Paul Society. She claimed that the Walshes had never given her husband peace or rest until he was killed while they were trying to get the house back from him. See CC, 1 June 1921. Abina Sheehan continued to live in the dwelling on Blarney Street for a little over a year after her husband’s death. Her landlord alleged she retained connections with the “Tans” and left Ireland with them, and that her twenty-year-old daughter married a Tan. Abina Sheehan denied she ever entertained Crown forces, and family members today state that her daughter never married a policeman. Abina Sheehan moved out of the house in late March 1922 and stayed briefly with her brother before emigrating to London in early April 1922. While it is clear that her subsequent compensation claim for lost furniture was grossly exaggerated, much of the landlord’s allegations against her appear to have been maliciously motivated. See Fin/Comp/2/27/300. Abina Sheehan claimed in 1926 that “the reason they were down on her was owing to the killing of the Clogheen boys” (CE, 17 March 1926). Since the six “Clogheen boys” were killed by police four days after her husband’s death, it is very unlikely Sheehan provided information in that case.
Cornelius Sheehan’s killing prompted a claim for compensation from his wife and children. Compensation of £2,890 was paid out to her by March 1923 (CO 762/59/14, TNA). As a consequence she was able to set up a boarding house in London. In 1911 the asylum attendant Cornelius Sheehan (then aged 44) and his wife Abina (aged 30) resided with three young children (aged 1 to 6) in house 5 in Knocknacullen West in the parish of St Mary’s Shandon in Cork city. The Sheehans were Catholic.
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