He was commonly referred to as the "Blacksmith of Ballinalee".[3]
Early life
He was born John Joseph McKeon on 30 September 1893 at Bunlahy, Granard, County Longford, the eldest son of Andrew McKeon and Katherine Treacy.[4] After a national school education, he trained as a blacksmith at his father's forge and, on his father's death in February 1913, he took over the running of the forge and the maintenance of the McKeon family. He moved to Kilinshley in the Ballinalee district of County Longford to set up a new forge.
Mac Eoin came to prominence in the Irish War of Independence as leader of a flying column of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). In November 1920, he led the Longford Brigade in an attack against British forces in Granard when they were carrying out a reprisal attack, forcing them to retreat to their barracks. On 31 October, Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) district-inspector Philip Kelleher was shot dead in Granard, and the Auxiliary Division proceeded to set fire to parts of the town. The next day, Mac Eoin held the village of Ballinalee situated on the Longford Road between Longford and Granard. They defended their position against superior forces, forcing them to retreat and abandon their ammunition. In a separate attack on 8 November, Mac Eoin led his men against the RIC at Ballinalee which killed an eighteen-year-old constable and wounded three others.[7] The small RIC garrison allegedly sang "God Save the King" as they took up positions to return fire.[citation needed]
On the afternoon of 7 January 1921, a joint RIC-British Army patrol consisting of eleven policemen and nine soldiers arrived on the street outside the home of Anne Martin in Kilshruley, where MacEoin was staying. Mac Eoin's own testimony at his trial (which was not contested by any parties present) states that:
"I was at the table writing when I was informed of the advance of the party. My account books were left in this house for safety. I was in partial uniform, wearing Sam Browne belt and revolver with two Mills No. 4 bombs in my pocket. Owing to some females being in the house, I had to get out as I could not endanger them by putting up a defence in the house, and as this Officer and Police Force had already signified to my sister and mother their intention to shoot me on sight, I decided to give them a run for their money. I stepped out on the street, about three paces directly in front of the oncoming force, and opened fire with my revolver. The leading file fell, and then the second file in the gateway brought their rifles to the ready. I then threw a bomb, and jumped back behind the porch to let it burst. When it had burst and the smoke had lifted, I saw that the whole force had cleared away, save the officer who was dead or dying on the street."[8]
The RIC officer Mac Eoin killed was district-inspector Thomas McGrath; he also wounded a police constable as well.[9]
British Army intelligence file for John J McKeon
On 2 February 1921, the Longford Brigade ambushed an Auxiliary Division detachment at Clonfin using a mine. Two lorries were involved, the first blown up, the second strafed by rapid rifle fire. District-inspector Worthington Craven was hit by two bullets and killed.[10] District Inspector Taylor was shot in the chest and stomach. Four auxiliaries and a driver were killed and eight wounded. The IRA volunteers captured 18 rifles, 20 revolvers and a Lewis gun. At the Clonfin Ambush, Mac Eoin ordered his men to care for wounded prisoners of war at the expense of captured weaponry.[11] This earned him both praise and criticism, but became a big propaganda boost for the IRA's efforts, especially in the United States.[12] He was admired by many within the IRA for leading practically the only effective column in the midlands. In July 1920, he was among the majority of commanders who were prepared to sign the Agreement recognizing the Volunteers as the Army of the Republic. The Oath of Allegiance was "for the purpose of ratifying under the Agreement under which the Volunteers came under the control of the Dail".[13]
Mac Eoin was captured at Mullingar railway station in March 1921, imprisoned and sentenced to death for the murder of McGrath.[9] His family home was near Currygrane, County Longford, which was also the family home of Sir Henry Wilson, the British CIGS. In June 1921, Wilson was petitioned for clemency by Mac Eoin's mother (who referred to her son as "John" in her letter), by his own brother Jemmy and by the local Church of Ireland vicar, and passed on the appeals out of respect for the latter two individuals. Three
members of the Auxiliary Division had already given character references on his behalf after he had treated them chivalrously at the Clonfin ambush in February 1921. However, Nevil Macready, the Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, confirmed the death sentence; he described Mac Eoin as "nothing more than a murderer" who was probably responsible for other "atrocities", but also later recorded in his memoirs that Mac Eoin was the only IRA man he had met, apart from Michael Collins, to have a sense of humour.[14] His second-in-command was from North Roscommon. Sean Connolly had a colourful career as head of Leitrim brigade.[citation needed]
Mac Eoin wrote the following letter to his friend (and classmate at Moyne Latin School) Father Jim Sheridan, a combatant in the Old IRA and a 'flying column' member, who had been ordained and sent to Milwaukee to study theology:
Dear Jim, Last week I was tried, convicted and sentenced to die three weeks from today. My poor mother was here yesterday to request that my body be turned over to her for Christian burial. They refused and told her that my body would be buried in quicklime in the prison yard. If you write immediately, I will receive your letter before I died. Farewell, Jim. Pray for my soul.
Seán Mac Eoin and Alice Cooney on their wedding day, 21 June 1922.
He was eventually released from prison — along with all other members of the Dáil, after Collins threatened to break off treaty negotiations with the British government unless he were freed. It was rumoured that Sean Mac Eoin was to be the best man at Collins' wedding.[15]
Mac Eoin joined the National Army and was appointed GOC Western Command in June 1922. During the Civil War he pacified the west of Ireland for the new Free State, marching overland to Castlebar and linking up with a seaborne expedition that landed at Westport, County Mayo. He was one of a number of Free State generals whom IRA deputy commander Ernie O'Malley ordered to be shot on sight for ill-treating prisoners.[17]
Mac Eoin was later appointed to head the Curragh training camp in August 1925, quartermaster general in March 1927 and chief of staff in February 1929.
Political career
Mac Eoin in 1945
He resigned from the Army in 1929 and was elected at a by-election to Dáil Éireann for the Leitrim–Sligo constituency, representing Cumann na nGaedheal. At the 1932 general election, he returned to the constituency of Longford–Westmeath, and—with the merging of Cumann na nGaedheal into Fine Gael—continued to serve the Longford area as TD in either Longford–Westmeath (1932–37, 1948–65) or Athlone–Longford (1937–48) until he was defeated at the 1965 general election.
Mac Eoin retired from public life after the 1965 general election and died on 7 July 1973. He married Alice Cooney on 21 June 1922, at a ceremony attended by Griffith and Collins; she died on 16 February 1985. They had no children.[4]
Legacy
Seán Mac Eoin's burial site in Ballinalee, Ireland
On 16 June 2013, during the 'General Sean MacEoin Commemoration Weekend', a statue of Mac Eoin was unveiled in his home town of Ballinalee; on the same day a plaque was unveiled in Bunlahy, his birthplace. Both the statue and the plaque were unveiled by Enda Kenny, the then Taoiseach, who laid a wreath at the statue.[18][19]
The forge that he worked in is still standing and is known as 'Mac Eoin forge'.[20]
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