Coolkenno History

RICHARD SHEANE & THE 1916 RISING: - Richard Sheane was born on May 20th 1871 to Richard and Susan Sheane of Coolkenno. The Sheane's were new to their Coolkenno farm, having taken over the lease from the recently departed Astleford Family. This modest farm was nestled on the gentle western slopes of 'The Hall' hill and bound with the townland of Killinure and incorporated a field that Coolkenno GAA uses today. Having searched the early life of Richard Sheane, it appears some of the online sources were wrong with his origins, stating he was born in Glenealy. However, young Richard is recorded as having been born in Coolkenno with the evidence attached below to this post. We do know that Richard and Susan Sheane moved to Glenealy not long after the birth of Richard Jr and from there they raised their family. Richard Jr would later establish an engineering firm and a foundry with his brother, simply known as The Sheane Brothers and Company. In 1908, Richard married Alice Haskins and together they settled near Morton's Lane in Wicklow Town. Richard Sheane would come face to face with the 1916 Rising, the most influential political and social occurrence of Ireland's recent history. Whilst visiting the capital to organise some business, he encountered the early signs of urban revolution. His diaries reveal to us that on Easter Monday, April 24th 1916, Sheane had heard brief rumours of the GPO in the city centre as having been taken by a rabble but failed to inquire more to the details until he noticed the lack of trams to transport him to the city centre. It also served to remind us of a rumour, which we had heard earlier in the day; to the effect that the Sinn Feiners had taken control of the General Post Office (The Irish Volunteers, the Citizen Army and IRB were wrongly referred to this title and had little or no association with Arthur Griffith's small Sinn Fein Party; something the 1916 veterans would later exploit and change in 1917-18.) This was being told, more as a joke, than a sober fact, but we were now to learn that it was a grim reality. We had of course to abandon our plan of going into the city or the park, as we were under the impression that neither place was at present suitable for a pleasure party. Sheane travelled back to Co. Wicklow and met some confusion and excitement as the news of the insurrection had started to spread from the city. The following day, he drove past St. Stephen's Green and noticed how quiet it was around the urban parkland with only barricades to show any social unrest. He would later hear of a terrific battle round the lower of Sackville Street (O'Connell Street) and at O'Connell Bridge. The remainder of the week, Sheane's work schedule was again hampered by the urban battles, however, he was near the thick of the shot and smoke. He saw the Sherwood Foresters march in step from the port to the aims of several rebel snipers at Mount Street Bridge and even heard about the gunboat that bombarded Liberty Hall and the streets around it. By the end of the week, Sheane would face the difficulties of getting from Co. Louth back to Wicklow and even encountered the ambushes at Ashbourne between the Irish Volunteers under Commandant Thomas Ashe and the RIC. His preserved notes about the week are a great first hand account of a man who clearly disagreed with the politics but instantly felt he was witnessing history. Richard Sheane died in 1955 aged 84 years. (Information and diary extracts from 'Wicklow Heritage' webpage