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Auction: 323 - The Numismatic Collector's Series Sale
Lot: 735

The Important 1916 Medal to Seamus O'Connaire, Dublin Brigade, Irish Volunteers, Who Served During the 1916 Easter Rising with the General Post Office Garrison. Personally Recruited By Patrick Pearse, He Delivered Pearse's Despatch to the Officer in Charge at Ballybough Bridge on Easter Monday, Ordering Him to Hold The Bridge At All Costs. Wounded By A Gun-Shot to His Foot, He Then Recuperated Alongside James Connolly at the G.P.O. Before the Evacuation and Surrender
1916 Medal, reverse privately engraved 'Seamus O'Connaire E. Coy. IV Battn. Dublin Brigade I.R.A.', with integral top riband bar, very fine

Seamus O'Connaire served during the 1916 Easter Rising with 'E' Company, 4th Battalion, Dublin Brigade, Irish Volunteers. A witness statement, given by James Kenny (the Anglicised equivalent of Seamus O'Connaire), of the same company, and therefore presumably the same man, dated 31.8.1948, states: 'About the end of March 1914 I heard a Company of the Irish Volunteers had been formed at Rathfarnham. I was anxious to join and with that intention went to Ballyboden Wanderers' Football field at Ballyboden where the Company held parades. Some of the older men approached me and told me I was too young and too small to join and sent me home. I was only 15 years old at the time and perhaps small for my age. However, I went again to the field the next parade night and was being turned away again when Patrick Pearse came over and said "let him stay- he won't be too small always." I enrolled that night into 'E' Company, 4th Battalion. Patrick Pearse was Captain. I was issued with a membership card and paid a weekly subscription of 2d, and also subscribed 1/- each week towards the purchase of a rifle and equipment. In addition I bought my own uniform. We had a parade one night each week at which we were drilled and instructed in the use of the rifle and bayonet by an ex-N.C.O. of the British Army. His name was Thompson. He was not a member of the Company as he was paid for his services.

The Company was about 100 strong when Redmond delivered the speech at Woodenbridge which caused a split in the Volunteers. We did not hold a meeting to decide which side to take, nor was it discussed at any parade. Those who followed Redmond just drifted away. About 50 remained with the Irish Volunteers. Recruiting after the split was very bad; in fact I don't think we got any recruits except a few senior boys from St. Edna's College [where Pearse was head master]. A large number of the senior boys of St. Edna's were already members of the Company. After the gun-running at Howth and Kilcoole, rifles were brought to the Company in small quantities at short intervals. They were drawn for by lots as they arrived. I got one of the first batch to arrive- a Martini Henry. We were allowed to take our rifles home. Later on we were issued with ammunition which we also kept at home. Before St. Patrick's Day 1915 every man in the Company had a rifle- either a Martini Henry or a Howth Mauser. Early in 1915 a miniature range was erected at the rear of St. Edna's College. We carried out a considerable amount of practice on the range with .22 rifles and most of the men became very good shots. About this time training was intensified- in addition to the weekly parades and route marches we had field exercises both day and night. The Company also took part in all 4th Battalion and Brigade manoeuvres held in various parts of Co. Dublin. During March 1916 we had target practices with service rifles in the woods at St. Edna's. Each man used his own rifle. Pearse took a keen interest in the training of the Company and seldom missed a parade or exercise.

On Holy Thursday 1916, Frank Mackin (killed in Easter Week) received orders from Pearse to mobilise the Company for manoeuvres on Easter Sunday. Mackin informed me of this and told me to parade at the Roman Catholic Church, Rathfarnham, on Easter Sunday at 12 o'clock. He also told me to wear uniform and equipment, to bring my rifle and ammunition, and also to bring 24 hours' worth of rations. I read the cancellation order in the Sunday Independent and later that morning I was outside Rathfarnham Church with some other Volunteers when Lieutenant Bulfin came along and told us to go home and stand by as we were still under orders. That afternoon we carried out rifle practice at St. Edna's.

Shortly after 9 o'clock on Easter Monday morning the order came through to parade immediately at Rathfarnham Church. The orders regarding uniform, rifles, rations &c. being the same as for Sunday, I went to the Church without delay, and as I was one of the first to arrive there, I was sent to mobilise other members of the Company. The students from St. Edna's who were members of the Company arrived with shopping baskets filled with ammunition. This was the first indication I received that something more serious than ordinary manoeuvres was intended. Everyone present had a rifle. I had 100 rounds of ammunition and I am sure that the others had the same amount. About 20 including myself were in uniform. We proceeded to Liberty Hall, some of us by bicycle, and the remainder by tram. Upon reaching Liberty Hall we were marched into Abbey Street where Lieutenant Boland halted us and gave us the order to "load", which we did. We proceeded in single file and reached the General Post Office at about 2 o'clock. It was already occupied by the Volunteers. A Volunteer in one of the front windows indicated to us to enter by the Princes Street side. As we entered Princes Street someone shouted "Here are the Lancers". Lieutenant Boland ordered us to line Princes Street. The front row adopted the kneeling position, the remainder standing behind. All had bayonets fixed and rifles at the ready. When the Lancers reached Nelson's Pillar they were fired on from the front of the G.P.O. They turned and retreated back towards Parnell Square. We then proceeded to enter the G.P.O. through one of the windows in Princes Street. When we got inside I saw Captain Pearse directing operations. He carried a revolver in his hand. The men were busy barricading the windows with ledgers, mail bags &c. I was detailed to take up a position at one of the front windows. That afternoon Pearse asked for someone to volunteer to deliver a despatch. I volunteered for the job. Connolly wrote the dispatch. Pearse handed it to me and told me to deliver it to the Officer in Charge at Ballybough Bridge. He also told me he was sending a section of men to reinforce that position and that I could go with them. I took my rifle with me and also a revolver which I had picked up in the G.P.O. earlier. I did not know any of the men I was going out with. We left by the main door and as we turned into Earl Street I saw a number of Dublin Metropolitan Policemen standing against shop fronts. Immediately they saw us they ran down a side street. We reached Ballybough Bridge without further incident. I handed over the despatch to the Officer in Charge. After reading it he told me to tell Pearse his order would be carried out to the last. I understood the despatch was to hold the Bridge at all costs. He then gave me a despatch for Pearse which I delivered on reaching the G.P.O. Pearse handed it to Connolly who, after reading it, said "that's good".

I again took up the position at the front window I had previously occupied. Some time afterwards two foreign seamen came to one of the windows and offered their services. They were brought inside and asked if they could use guns; they said they could. They were then asked why they wanted to fight. One replied that they wanted to fight for the small nations- one of the men was Dutchman and the other a Norwegian. One of them was then given a shotgun which he accidentally discharged, wounding me in the foot. I was brought to the first aid station and attended to by Dr. Ryan [James Ryan, later Minister for Agriculture], who removed the shot and dressed the wounds. I do not know who admitted the seamen, or who questioned them; nor do I know what happened to them. I did not see them after the shot had been discharged. After my wound had been dressed I continued at my post and only left it for short periods for meals. On some occasions the Cumann na mBan [the Irish republican women's paramilitary organisation that was an auxiliary of the Irish Volunteers] brought food to us at our posts. On Tuesday James Connolly left the building to carry out a reconnaissance; some time later he was brought in badly wounded in the leg. He remained on a stretcher for the rest of the week. We were sniped at continually from various places, particularly from Purcell's. From Wednesday on things were getting rather hot. About this time we were also subjected to grenade attacks also principally from Purcell's and later we were shelled from the Helga which was anchored in the Liffey. My foot continued to trouble me and I was somewhat lame. On one occasion when a member of Cumann na mBan brought food to Connolly and myself, Connolly turned to me and laughingly said "it's a grand thing to be wounded to get all this attention". On Wednesday night I was relieved for a few hours to get a sleep. We slept in our clothes on mattresses on the floor of a back room. This was the only sleep I had for the week. The shelling of the building increased considerably on Thursday. Early on Friday the roof and upper portion caught fire and soon the top of the building was a mass of flames. During the day part of the roof collapsed. The fire spread very rapidly and on Friday morning it had reached the ceiling of the ground floor. It was then decided to evacuate the building. The evacuation was orderly and well planned. We left by the Henry Street door. As each man left he was given provisions to carry. I was quite close to Connolly who was carried on a stretcher. We crossed Henry Street and into Henry Place. Our objective was Moore Street. To get to Moore Street we had to pass the junction of Moore Lane and Henry Place, where the British had a barricade and several machine guns, which kept up a continuous fire. It was at this spot that we suffered a number of casualties. We dashed across singly. Those of us who got across safely got into buildings and broke our way from building to building until we reached Moore Street. On Saturday morning we were lined up in a yard off Moore Street where Pearse addressed us. He said that in order to save the lives of the women it had been decided to surrender, and that we would probably not see him again. Some of the leaders might be detained, but the men would be allowed to return to their homes. Later that day we were marched under our own officers to O'Connell Street and halted opposite the Gresham Hotel. Here we were scrutinized by detectives and afterwards ordered to "lay down" arms. We were then marched to the grounds of the Rotunda Hospital. We were compelled by the British to lie down on the wet ground, and were not given any food or drink. We remained like this all Saturday night. On Sunday morning we were marched under strong military guard to Richmond Barracks. As we passed through the streets some people jeered us and appeared very hostile towards us. One of the soldiers escorting us snapped my watch from me. I did not see it again. At Richmond Barracks we were given bully beef and dog biscuits but were not given anything to drink, not even water. We were again scrutinised by detectives who pointed out the leaders. Those who had been pointed out were brought under heavy guard to another part of the Barracks. That night we were marched to the North Wall and put aboard cattle boats. On arrival in England I was sent to Knutsford Prison. After about 3 months I was transferred to Wandsworth Prison. About a week after my arrival at Wandsworth I was brought before the Sankey Commission and questioned about my Volunteer activities and if I knew beforehand that the rising was to take place. I was then served with an internment order and sent to Frongoch. I was released in July 1917.'

Sold for
$3,000