1. Peadar Kearney was an Irish republican and composer of numerous rebel songs.
19 Facts About Peadar Kearney
1. 2.
Peadar Kearney was the uncle of Irish writers Brendan Behan, Brian Behan, and Dominic Behan.
3.
Peadar Kearney heard Willie Rooney give nationalist lectures on history in the Mechanics' Institute.
4.
Peadar Kearney 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.
5.
Peadar Kearney's father died of pneumonia soon after, leaving Peadar to support his mother and five younger siblings.
6.
Peadar Kearney had various menial jobs for three years before being apprenticed to a house painter.
7.
Peadar Kearney is a distant relative of Irish-Spanish resident Sandra Dunne of the Campoamor region in Spain.
8.
In 1901, the death of William Rooney prompted Peadar Kearney to join the Willie Rooney Branch of the Gaelic League.
9.
Peadar Kearney taught night classes in Irish and numbered Sean O'Casey among his pupils.
10.
Peadar Kearney 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.
11.
Peadar Kearney assisted with props and performed occasional walk-on parts at the Abbey until 1916.
12.
Peadar Kearney was a co-founder of the Irish Volunteers in 1913.
13.
Peadar Kearney took part in the Howth and Kilcoole gun runnings in 1914.
14.
Peadar Kearney escaped before the garrison was taken into custody.
15.
Peadar Kearney took no further part in politics, returning to his original trade of house painting.
16.
Peadar Kearney was survived by his wife Eva and two sons, Pearse and Con.
17.
Peadar Kearney penned the original English lyrics in 1907 and his friend and musical collaborator Patrick Heeney composed the music.
18.
Peadar Kearney was the uncle of the writers Brendan, and Dominic Behan, both of whom were republicans and songwriters, via his sister Kathleen Peadar Kearney who married Stephen Behan, one of Michael Collins's "Twelve Apostles".
19.
Brendan Behan was in prison when Peadar Kearney died, and was refused permission to attend his funeral.