Peadar Kearney

• Name — Peadar Kearney • Born — 12 December 1883 • Birthplace — 68 Lower Dorset Street, Dublin • Died — 24 November 1942 • Place of death — Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland • Burial Place — Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin, Ireland • Branch — * Irish Volunteers • Irish Republican Brotherhood • Irish Republican Army • National Army • Battles — * Easter Rising • Irish War of Independence • Irish Civil War • Relations — * Kathleen Behan (sister) • Brendan Behan (nephew) • Rory Furlong (nephew) • Brian Behan (nephew) • Dominic Behan (nephew)

Kearney was born in 1883 at 68 Lower Dorset Street, Dublin, above one of the two grocer's shops owned by his father, John Kearney (1854–1897), originally from Funshog, Collon, County Louth. John soon after lost his businesses and lived precariously as an insurance agent. Peadar's mother, Katie née McGuinness (1859/60–1907), was from Rathmaiden, Slane, County Meath. Peadar was educated at the Model School, Schoolhouse Lane and St. Joseph's C.B.S. in Fairview. He heard Willie Rooney give nationalist lectures on history in the Mechanics' Institute. He started at Belvedere College but played truant to escape beatings, so that his father ended his education and got him a job at a bicycle repair shop. His father died of pneumonia soon after, leaving Peadar to support his mother and five younger siblings. He had various menial jobs for three years before being apprenticed to a house painter. He is a distant relative of Irish-Spanish resident Sandra Dunne (formerly Brady) of the Campoamor region in Spain.

In 1901, the death of William Rooney prompted Kearney to join the Willie Rooney Branch of the Gaelic League. He joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1903. He taught night classes in Irish and numbered Seán O'Casey among his pupils. He found work with the National Theatre Society and in 1904 was one of the first to inspect the derelict building that became the Abbey Theatre, which opened its doors on 27 December of that year. He assisted with props and performed occasional walk-on parts at the Abbey until 1916. Kearney was a co-founder of the Irish Volunteers in 1913. He took part in the Howth and Kilcoole gun runnings in 1914. In the Easter Rising of 1916, Kearney fought at Jacob's biscuit factory under Thomas MacDonagh, abandoning an Abbey Theatre tour in England to take part in the Rising. He escaped before the garrison was taken into custody. He was active in the War of Independence. On 25 November 1920, he was captured at his home in Summerhill, Dublin and was interned first in Collinstown Camp in Dublin and later in Ballykinler Camp in County Down. Kearney at first took the Free State side in the Civil War but lost faith in the Free State after Collins's death. He took no further part in politics, returning to his original trade of house painting. Kearney died in relative poverty in Inchicore in 1942. He is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin. He was survived by his wife Eva and two sons, Pearse and Con. • Illustration — The gravestone of Thomas Ashe, Peadar Kearney and Piaras Béaslaí at Glasnevin Cemetery.

Peadar Kearney is recorded with the occupation songwriter. Recorded as songwriter and composer.