Ned Grogan

The longest standing member of the Fianna Fail Party in Cashel is Ned Grogan. To date he has been a member for fifty-four years and, if his present foot problem comes right, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be a member for many more years. The reason is that Ned is perky and alert still and, although he claims not to remember as much as he’d like, he is very much alive and well. Although house bound as the result of a recent operation, he gets out for the occasional drink and is looking forward to the Old IRA Mass and get-together in Rosegreen on November 8th.

Born in New York

Ned was born Edmund Grogan in New York on May 13th, 1899. His father, from Shanballa, had emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 17 years, and his mother came from Tipperary Town. He went to school in New York but has no memories of those days. He had an older brother, William, who is still in the U.S. When his father died in 1908, Ned came home to be reared by his uncles, Jim and Jack, and Auntie Statia in Shanballa.

He went to school in Templenoe to teachers, Michael O’Grady and Mrs. Halpin. There were fifty to fifty-five children in the school, and no Irish was taught. Ned remembers a man who used to cycle out from Cashel in the evenings to teach them Irish: ‘We used to try to puncture his bicycle!’ revealing their lack of enthusiasm. Later in gaol Ned got another opportunity to learn the language but didn’t regard it as a priority.

There was plenty of cane in the school and Mr. O’Grady was indiscriminate in its use. His son, who had an impediment, exasperated the father so much one day that the latter threw a pointer at him. The pointer missed and hit Ned in the leg. He was out of school for a fortnight!

Among his companions were the Hennessy family, including the famous Dr. Jack. They played hurling and football. Ned was a bright student and did not finish until he was sixteen years of age. He and Phil Hennessy were the only boys to stay on until that age. Most left at 14 and many earlier.

Went to Work on the Farm

When he left school, he worked with his uncles on the farm in Shanballa. World War 1 began in 1914 and the Rising took place in 1916. He stayed on the farm. In the following year he joined the IRA in Cashel. He was then 18 years of age. He was sworn in by Seamus O’Neill, who was a teacher in Rockwell. O’Neill later lost his job as a teacher, joined the Guards, and became a superintendent. Other to join at the time with Ned were Paddy Hogan, Paddy Casey and Paddy Philips. They took the oath and promised to defend Ireland and help he get her freedom: ‘It was and impressive occasion. Membership involved attendance at meetings, which took place at the back of the school in Ladyswell (where the Little Chef is at present) and drilling. The membership increased to nearly fifty, but when times got hot, many dropped out.’ Starting as a Private, Ned rose through the ranks to Section Leader and, later, to Quartermaster of A Company, Cashel. Afterwards he rose to the rank of Vice-Commandant.

Cashel Politics

Cashel politics at the time were mostly British: ‘The National inspiration came from the country rather than the town.’ Socially there wasn’t much to do: ‘For a country fellow it was a question of cycling into the town and walking up and down in the hope of meeting a girl.’

Occasionally there was a play to go to. Ned had a bicycle with a back pedal brake - you pedalled backwards in order to stop it!

The first car in the town was in Hannigan’s garage in Ladyswell. There were two butcher’s stalls, Maher’s, where Walsh’s is at the present, and Skehan’s, where Buckley’s is now. Matt Hanley had a bakery at the back of Walsh’s butcher’s shop and Corby’s had one in Mikey Ryan’s. There was a cheese factory and a creamery, McCluskey’s on the Cahir Road. There were four hotels, Ryan’s, at the top of Main Street, which was burned down in 1958, Corcoran’s, where Jackie still lives, Grady’s, where the Capitol Bar now stands, and Stewart’s where Halla ana Feile is today. Dean Kinane was in charge of the Catholic flock, ably assisted by ‘black’ Fr. Ryan, because of the colour of his hair, and Fr. Condon. The military were garrisoned in Hogan Square and, for a while, occupied St. Patrick’s Hospital, which was then known as the County Home. There was a Fever Hospital where Our Lady’s Hospital stands today. It was an old, gaunt building of three storeys and John Feehan knocked it, when it was decided the build the present hospital. The streets were unpaved and made of broken stone. The town was lit by gaslights, and Fr. Condon followed thee hounds.

Golf Course

There was a nine-hole golf course on the Clonmel Road, where John English’s place is today. It had a membership of about fifty. At the time the land was leased from a man called Stapleton. Marshal William Hackett used to look after it. The District Inspector’s wife, Mrs. Norris, was a captain. Miss Corby played off a handicap of four. Pakie Purcell was one of the best golfers. Other players included bank manager, Mr. Doran, and a Mr. Spain, a Customs and Excise man, who used to live in John Street. John Feehan and Mick Davern, as well as some of the priests from Rockwell College, also played in it. The club house was burned down during the troubles in 1920-21 ‘because the I.R.A. wanted the timber in it.’ It put an end to golfing in Cashel.

War of Independence

The War of Independence had now arrived and I.R.A. activity increased. Ned’s duties as a member included raiding for arms: “Anyone whom we suspected of keeping guns in the house we raided.” There was also despatch riding to keep in contact with surrounding units. Ambushes had to be planned and barracks raided: “We used to do our drilling in Pierce McCan’s place in Dualla.” Among the ambushes carried out was one on Drangan Barracks in 1921. Paul Mulcahy was another who was very prominent during these times.

Finally, July 1921 brought the Truce: ‘We took over the barracks in the town.” There was a big influx into the I.R.A. after that. Ned was now Vice-Commandant, 2nd Battalion, Third Tipperary Brigade. His Commandant was Sean Downey. When the Treaty was signed and the division took place withing the ranks, more that three to one were in favour of the Free State. Why did he take the republican side? Ned’s answer is simple: “I had taken the oath to the Republic, and we had got less than that,” He doesn’t agree that personalities played a big part in members’ decisions but does admit that “We were in favour of the side taken by Dev.”

Imprisonment

Ned was arrested after the taking of the Four Courts in June 1922, and interned at Templemore. Not long afterwards he escaped: “We sent out one of the guards to the canteen for stout. The other was on our side, so we tied him up and left him in the cell.”

Six or seven escaped. Three were recaptured. They were Burke, Russell and O’Shea, all from North Tipperary. Russell was an uncle of Fr. Russell, who was chaplain in the convent. They were later executed for raiding a mail train, after being caught armed. Ned was on the run for some time but was eventually captured. He escaped execution because he was captured without arms. He was sent to Limerick jail and later to the Curragh, where he was to remain until Christmas 1923.

There wasn’t much to do in the Curragh: “We spent our time making rings out of two-shilling, one-shilling, and half-crown pieces. We also had the opportunity to learn Irish, but not many availed of the opportunity. We could play all the games we liked.” Another occupation was making McCrammie bags. These were made from Scottish twine and were really knot bags: “I made a good few of them, and there’s one of them around still, owned by Mai Stapleton.”

While in jail Ned was one of the prisoners who went on hunger strike for fourteen days. Some stayed on strike longer. “We did it to try to be released but it was no use, and we gave up.” Not long after getting out he was arrested again, this time for taking over Hannigan’s garage in Ladyswell: “They were Free State and we wanted the cars for I.R.A. activity.