THE O'BYRNE'S OF KILLABEG
The earliest recordings of the O’Byrne Family can be found in the local Parish and land records. Using these sources and with the help of Patrick O’Byrne & Florence Cunningham, I’ve been able to piece together this fantastic historical legacy.
Today, beside St. Finian’s church at Kilquiggan you will see the three graves of Lady Fitzwilliam, Fr. Kaye and Canon Joseph O’Byrne. From quite a large family, many of the Killabeg O’Byrne’s dedicated their lives to religious orders and to charitable work across the world.
The story of the O’Byrne’s originates from the nearby hillside townland of Seskin. The family lore states that they procured the old farmstead of Thomas Dowling at Killabeg via an agreement in the 1890s. Beforehand, Patrick O’Byrne (pictured) had married Mary Tallon on November 17th 1870. Their marriage registration simply records their ages and parents names (Laurence & Anne Byrne and Peter & Anne Tallon). Together they would create a large family that would eventually establish themselves at the Killabeg farm. Their children included Mary O’Byrne(1876-1959); Michael O’Byrne (1893-1927); Canon Joseph O’Byrne (1896-1972); Peter O’Byrne; Judge John D. O’Byrne; Katie O’Byrne; Annie O’Byrne; Paddy O’Byrne; Lawrence O’Byrne; Fr. Edward O’Byrne and James O’Byrne. You might see some of these names further along in this post along with detail of their fascinating lives.
Michael O’Byrne (1893-1927) had married Lily Murray. During the War of Independence (1919-1921), O’Byrne was wanted by the British authorities and the house at Killabeg was forcibly raided by the Black & Tans. O’Byrne escaped via Bowes Lane (now Troy’s Lane) to hide in the fields above the village of Kilquiggan. His brother, Fr. Edward O’Byrne, a student of Maynooth, was arrested in his place and incarcerated by the British. A surviving letter from Canon Joseph O’Byrne to Fr. Edward, from the O’Byrne Papers, describes the period after his release in August 1921.
“My dear Ned,
All hail thou amor! Greetings to the hero! Fall down ye slaves for he the conqueror comes! Free from chains and dungeon deep, breathes he once more, the air of freedom. In prison dark, his spirit brave, I feel in poetic strain! No need to tell you how pleased I was to hear of your release and still more pleased to hear of the President’s (De Valera) generous action. What a lucky beggar you are to have ? of the tyrant’s cup! In future years, as citizen of our great Republic you can say with pride, ‘I did my little bit for Ireland’s freedom.’ Speed the day when all those spotted tyrants shall be driven from our shores to give place to righteous and just citizens of a free land. You see the strain is there. No use trying to get away from it. I want a long letter from Mother and you before I write again.
Yours in poetic mood,
Joe
August 4th 1921”
Fr. Edward O’Byrne would continue a jubilant life within the church and letters from dignitaries and various Taoisigh show the connections had between the O’Byrne’s and the founding fathers of the Irish state. Formal letters survive in the family papers from William T. Cosgrave, John A. Costello, Liam Cosgrave with official stamps.
Interestingly one perfectly surviving letter to the O’Byrne’s of Killabeg further highlights their connection to the founding members of the Irish state. Kevin O’Higgins TD used the Killabeg farm as a safe house during the turbulent years of war. His letter to the O’Byrne’s (pictured) is quite beautiful written with the warmest thanks. O’Higgins would become a very controversial Minister of Justice in the fledgling Irish Free State. His signing of the death warrants of 77 untried Republicans during the Civil War eventually sealed his fate and in 1927, he was assassinated in a revenge act by the IRA.
“Refusing the hospitality of a King, and evading his servants who had instruction to convey to me his most pressing invitation and to take no refusal. I have spent many pleasant days beneath this roof. May its owner and his family live to see it to realization of their hope and the fruit of their labour...An Irish Republic.”
Kevin O’Higgins
It is clear that the O’Byrne Family chose to support the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. Another brother, John O’Byrne, held a prominent and influential role in the new justice system of the new Irish Free State. His 1954 obituary gives great detail about his life.
“A native of Seskin, Co. Wicklow, he was born in 1884 and was educated at the Patrician Monastery, Tullow. He was an M.A. of the old Royal University, from which he graduated in 1907 with first place and first-class honours. He became a second division clerk in the Civil Service and after some time in London, was transferred to the Irish Land Commission Offices in Dublin, where he acquired a knowledge of the intricacies of the land laws, which later was invaluable to him in his legal practices. He left the Civil Service to study law, and was called to the Bar in 1911. During the events leading up to the Treaty negotiations he was appointed a member of the constitutional and international committee set up by Arthur Griffith to advise the delegates on questions of international law.
His services were so highly appreciated that, when the committee was formed to draft the constitution, he was selected as one of the members.....In 1926, he was appointed a Judge of the High Court in succession of the late Mr. Justice O’Shaughnessy, and was succeeded as Attorney-General (of the Irish Free State) by Mr. John A. Costello. He was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court in 1940.”
John O’Byrne had also been an associate of the 1916 leader, Sean MacDiarmada in the early 1900s through Irish classes. He also ran as an unsuccessful Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin candidate in the controversial General Election of 1922 before the outbreak of the Irish Civil War. His list of duties also included Delegate of the Irish Free State in the League of Nations. His association with the Free State Constitution is possibly his most progressive work, however, it was replaced by De Valera’s Constitution in 1937.
The O’Byrne name continued through the brother of Fr. Edward, Michael, Canon Joseph and Judge John O’Byrne. James O’Byrne married Margaret Kavanagh and together they created a new generation of the O’Byrne Family at Killabeg. It now survives through their great-grandson, Patrick O’Byrne.