James J. O’Byrne
314-316 Crumlin Road
Died 20th January 1966
J.J. O’Byrne was the son of an evicted tenant farmer from Valleymount, Co. Wicklow. As a young man, he attended St. James’s School in Dublin and went on to earn an arts degree from University College Dublin. He later taught at St. Augustine’s School in Waterford prior to accepting a teaching position at a secondary school in Athy in 1916. While in Athy, he took an active role in the Gaelic League and was a prominent figure in the local Sinn Féin Club. He fought in the Easter Rising and was later imprisoned in Frongoch, Wales for a short period of time. When he returned to Ireland, he taught at St Enda’s school with Margaret Pearse (sister of Padraig Pearse).
From 1918 O’Byrne came to prominence in Sinn Féin when he gave several public speeches. On 11th May he spoke about the difficulties of local traders due to a shortage of silver coins due to the Great War. This led to pensioners not being paid. In June 1918 he was a key speaker along with Dr Higgins, father of Kevin Higgins. On 15th August 1918 following the success of Sinn Féin in the Cavan Bye-Election, O’Byrne issued a statement on behalf of Sinn Féin at Emily Square, Athy, Co Kildare. He asserted that both opposing sides at the Versailles Peace Conference must back Irish self-determination, ‘which has at last emerged into the full sunlight of national consciousness and no power on earth can drive us back.’
Inevitably he was arrested the following day and while kept in custody was not tried for almost two weeks. The Athy Board of Guardians at its next meeting passed a vote of protest at O’Bryne’s arrest by all the members with the exception of the Chairman T.J. Whelan. Athy Urban District Council also condemned the British government ‘for arresting and imprisoning Irish men without charge’.
In late August 1918, J.J. O’Byrne was court-martialed in Maryborough alongside six others following his arrest after addressing 200 men at Emily Square on 15th August. His arrest sparked local outcry, with the Athy Urban District Council and Athy Board of Guardians (except Chairman T.J. Whelan) issuing formal protests. After nearly two weeks in custody, O’Byrne refused to recognise the court’s authority, state his name, or accept a charge sheet that incorrectly named him ‘James John O’Byrne’. Sergeant Heffernan of the Athy R.I.C. presented O’Byrne’s 15-minute Sinn Féin manifesto speech and a Duke Street calling card as proof of identity; O’Byrne corrected him, stating, ‘my name is James Joseph, not James John.’ Following his conviction on the charges, O’Byrne remained in custody and was sentenced fortnight later to twelve months of imprisonment.
When J.J. O’Byrne was imprisoned, he was married with four young children. He had met Esther Bates of East Wall, Dublin, at a Gaelic League meeting, and they married in 1910. Together, they raised twelve children. While teaching at the Westland Row Christian Brothers School, O’Byrne and his family resided for many years on a farm in Barrowhouse, on the border of Laois and Kildare. The family relocated from Athy in March 1937.
O’Byrne partnered with Margaret Pearse to establish Árdscoil Éanna, driven by a shared commitment to broadening access to secondary education. A school modeled after Pearse’s St. Enda’s School, where Margaret became one of the inaugural teachers. Árdscoil Éanna was opened in St Agnes Park, Crumlin on the feast of the Guardian Angels, October 2nd 1939, by James and Ester O Byrne as a lay Catholic Secondary school Margaret Pearse, Padraic’s sister provided much of the school equipment and taught religion in the school in the early years. In 1941 the school moved to bigger premises on the Crumlin road to accommodate increasing pupil numbers. While originally founded as a boys secondary school, girls were enrolled after the first year, it became one the first Catholic Co-educational schools in the country. Later a primary school was added
Passing away in January 1966, just four months after his wife Esther’s death, J.J. O’Byrne was among the dedicated yet overlooked patriots. His active involvement with Sinn Féin and the Gaelic League throughout the turbulent War of Independence left a legacy that continues to inspire pride in Irish history.
References:
- Eye on the Past, James Joseph O’Byrne; Frank Taaffe – Tuesday 31st May 2016
- Drimnagh Parish
- Find A Grave