Though much has now been written about hunger striker Joe Murphy , little to nothing was known about his fiancee Mary O'Leary. In fact it wasn't even generally known ( outside of family circles ) that he even had a fiancee up to very recently. This article will outline the tragic life of Mary O'Leary and the appalling manner in which she was treated by the authorities leading up and including Joe Murphy's death. The Togher Historical Association would sincerely like to thank Sean Delaney ( Mary's Grandson ) for his efforts in compiling this article and also Jim Hegarty for arranging the meeting.
Mary O'Leary was born in 1901 and lived at No.8 Cookes Lane off Shandon Street. The lane does not exist anymore following the slum clearances of the 1930s by Cork Corporation. Her parents were Denis and Anne while her siblings were Ellen ( Nellie ) , John and a younger brother Denis. In line with the high infant mortality rate of the time , her mother sadly had lost three babies during childbirth.
8 Cookes Lane off Shandon St.
Little is known of Mary's childhood or indeed even when she first met Joe Murphy. However through Joe's work as a Cork Corporation worker , it is evident that he met her perhaps through his work. Their subsequent engagement when she was barely 19 and plans for marriage were forever changed by Joe's status as a volunteer. She would have known of his activities and supported them. However she could not have known what the future held for her.
for news of the hunger strikers 1920
When Joe was arrested and imprisoned in Cork Gaol it was only family members who could attend which completely ostracised Mary. Even though she was his fiancee she was not technically a family member. However , Mamie and Nan Hegarty , sisters of Joe's commanding officer John Joe Hegarty were trained nurses and were given permission to give care to Joe Murphy. As his condition worsened she used a prison pass given to her by Joe's family and posing as his sister was able to see him. It must have been some comfort to the now dying Joe to have his fiancee by his side. Sadly she was the last person to see Joe Murphy alive shortly before his death. It is reputed that Joe gave her his miraculous medal which she smuggled out of the prison. It is here that Mary seems to disappear but it may have been a suggestion by those who knew her that given the volatility of the situation and the possible backlash against her own family that she should perhaps fade into the background.
with baby Breda 1925
Following the events of the passing of Joe Murphy , Mary had to face reality and try to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Cobh at the time was still one of the ports under British control and it was fate that had a U.S. Navy ship in the harbor which lead to Mary O'Leary meeting a U.S. Army soldier while on shore leave. His name was Corporal Timothy Owens and after demobbing he began courting Mary. They would go on to marry circa 1924 and live on Moriarty's Lane off Shandon Street.
Danny , Denis and Kitty
They went on to have 4 children ; Breda ( Sean's mother ) b.1925 , Daniel b.1926 , Denis b.1928 and Kitty b.1929. Timothy suffered greatly from depression as it was known as at the time - it was actually Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from his time in World War I. He went back home to the States for a while to try and cure himself and then returned to Ireland where he took up a job in Forde's. It was here that he was subjected to bullying from fellow workers who believed he acquired the job because of his American nationality , the owner Henry Forde being Irish American. Sadly the demons won and Timothy would eventually take his own life. Horrifically , it was his eldest daughter Breda , then only 4 years of age , who opened the front door of their home to find him hanging. Following her husband's death she held down three jobs including working at Egan's opticians in Blackrock to help support her young family. Mary never remarried and would live to the ripe old age of 85 , dying in 1986. She is buried in Curraghkippane graveyard. MSRIP†
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