Biographies of Our Forefathers

Biographies of Our Forefathers

Michael "Mick" Casey

Michael Casey was the son of Margaret Tinneny and Michael Casey of Belturbet, county Cavan, Ireland. He was born in Belturbet, February 18, 1880 and baptized the following day in Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Belturbet. The original civil registration record of his birth has an annotation that his father was an army pensioner. The sponsors at his baptism were his mother's brother Thomas Tinneny and Sarah Hanlon.

Mick’s parents, were married in Saint Mary's, Belturbet October 8, 1872. The sponsors for their wedding were Catherine McDermott and E. M. Deering. Michael’s father spent a career in the British Army. He served in the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards. It wasn't uncommon, according to Phil Tinneny of Goladuff, for Irishman to join the British service. He said the British Irish Fusiliers, was made up of all Irishmen. Phil also said the Irish typically didn't serve in command positions and were not policy makers but were simply soldiers. The Casey family lived in various locations throughout Michael senior's military career. At one point they were assigned to India where Mick’s father served as a farrier sergeant and his mother as a midwife.

Michael and Margaret had 3 children Richard, Anne and Michael "Mick". It’s unknown when his father died but his mother died a widow in the 1930s and is buried in the Churchyard of Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church, Drumalee, Belturbet.

Mick’s older brother Richard was born September 13,1873 in Belturbet. Like his father he served in the British Army. He enlisted in the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons in 1891. His regiment number was 3105. He served throughout the South African Wars1899-1902, then spent 10 years as a prison guard and died in South Africa.

Mick’s sister Anne was born November 26,1874 in Newbridge, county Kildare Ireland. She was baptized in Newbridge December 13, 1874. Anne married Peter Larkin who was a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary. They had 8 children. One of the children was Margaret who was born about 1906. By 1920 Anne was a widow and lived in or near Belfast.

Photo of Main Street Belturbet with Holborn Hill rising in the background taken about 1899. National Library of Ireland.

When the above photo was taken the Casey family lived in a single family home near the top of Holborn Hill. That year 19 year old Mick was selected to be a postman in the town.

After Mick's father retired from the Army the Casey family lived in a home at 29 Holborn Hill in Belturbet. Mick and his wife Carrie Hamilton took over the home after Richard and Anne left the area and his mother past away. They lived there throughout their married life.

The Casey Home at 29 Holborn Hill 2023.

Holborn Hill in 2023 with the Casey home the third house on the left. Google Image.

July 11, 1897 Mick had a run in with Constable Thomas Loogan, Royal Irish Constabulary. That day the constable cited Michael for allowing his dog to be on the public street without being effectively muzzled for which Mick was fined six pence and 1 shilling court cost.

The above are extracts from the Petty Sessions Court Records Belturbet, county Cavan concerning Mick’s case as a defendant in the unmuzzled dog case.

The January 2, 1899 edition of The London Gazette announced Mick, "after open competition", was appointed to the position of Postman in Belturbet. An appointment that would turn out to be his life work culminating in many years as Postmaster of Belturbet.

The Belturbet Post Office

In 1904, five years after Mick’s appointment as postman in Belturbet, a new post office was built on Main Street in Belturbet which is still in service in 2023. It was in and from that building that Mick served the Belturbet community throughout his working life.

By 1901 Michael’s father had past away. His 48 year old mother Margaret was listed as head of the household at 29 Holborn Hill and a widow on the Census of Ireland taken March 31. Her occupation was listed as Midwife. Also in the home was Mick’s older sister, 24 year old Annie. She was unmarried and working as a dressmaker. 21 year old Michael’s occupation was listed as postman in Belturbet. All were Roman Catholics and could read and write. Curiously the census showed that Michael and his mother were born in county Cavan while his sister’s birthplace was listed as county Kildare. Since their father had served in the Army it’s likely he and Margaret were stationed in Kildare with the Army when Annie was born.

The homes of two of Mick’s relatives were also listed nearby on the 1901 census. His mother’s brother Thomas Tinneny and his family of 6 were enumerated at 22 Holborn Hill and his uncle Francis Tinneny and his family of 7 at number 25 Holborn Hill. Thus the Tinnenys were well represented on that street at the turn of the century.

The 1911 Census revealed changes in the Casey home. Michael’s sister had married and was no longer enumerated in the home but her 5 year old daughter Margaret Larken was. Another change was that Michael’s mothers occupation was listed as District Nurse verses Midwife as she was on the earlier census. Michael’s occupation was described as Postman GPO.

May 1, 1920 Mick was arrested and jailed for alleged IRA activity. In a classified Army intelligence memo Mick was described as an extremest and lieutenant in “A” Company, 2nd Battalion, Cavan Brigade the IRA.The report further stated he was believed to be connected with the burning of Belturbet Military Barracks in April 1920, that he went on a hunger strike while confined and was released 1st May,1920. Following his release Mick returned to his position at the Belturbet post office

Mick was next arrested November 24, 1920 following national upheaval associated with the death of Terence James MacSwiney (28 March 28, 1879 – October 25, 1920). MacSwiney was elected as Sinn Fein Lord Mayor of Cork during the Irish War for Independence in 1920. He was arrested by the British Government on charges of sedition and imprisoned. His death October 1920, after 74 days on a hunger strike, brought him and the Irish Republican campaign to international attention. This time the arrest landed Mick in the Ballyrkinler Internment Camp.

Mick's cousin, Phil Tinneny of Goladuff, provided a version of circumstances surrounding Mick’s arrest. He said "Mick was a great Sinn Feiner and was very much for the freedom of Ireland. He didn't drink and was very reliable and as a result had a good job with the government as the Postmaster of Belturbet. He said Mick's political ideas and actions got him into trouble at times. He said Mick was arrested and punished on the occasion of the death of MacSwiney. Mick, in sympathy for the Lord Mayor’s death, declared the occasion a holiday and closed the Belturbet post office. This was offensive to the British. For this transgression he was arrested, jailed and made to wear wooden thumb screws for some time. It’s unclear if the reference to the thumb screws was a punishment while in the internment camp. In spite of his previous arrest and confinement and his internment he was returned to the head postman position because he was so reliable".

Another mention of Mick’s second arrest was provided in 1996 by 82 year old Eugene Leddy of Belturbet during an interview with Rich Tinneny. Eugene said Mick discussed his internment at Ballykinler for his involvement with the IRA and said Mick was released with The Peace at the end of the War For Independence in 1921. Mick told Eugene that another prisoner with him was Frank Higgins and the two of them made great music while in prison.

Mary Tinneny O’Kane, granddaughter of Mick’s uncle Tommy Tinneny of Belturbet, provided additional comments associated with Mick’s arrest and Internment. She said that Mick was a big man with the IRA and that her grandfather was a friend of the District Inspector of Police. Tommy asked the Inspector how they had learned of Mick's illicit activity. The Inspector told him a member of the IRA informed on Mick. The informant was likely a government plant. As a result of his arrest November 24th on December 5, 1920, Mick was interned in the Ballyrkinler Internment Camp where he remained until his release March 21,1921.

Ballykinlar Internment Camp.

Ballykinlar Internment Camp 1920. Credit National Museum of Ireland.

The Ballykinler Barracks were built in 1901.The sprawling site was pressed into service as an internment camp for Irish Republican prisoners during the Irish War of Independence in 1919. After the Partition of Ireland, the new Government of Northern Ireland continued to use the base for internment. Former IRA prisoner Louis Joseph Walsh, interned in Ballykinlar Camp, said, “The camp regime was notoriously brutal - prisoners were shot dead for minor infractions, such as standing too close to the barbed wire fence that kept them penned in.” Ballykinlar internment camp housed over 2,000 men from the thirty-two counties of Ireland and was the first mass internment camp in Ireland during the Irish War of Independence.

Below are several pieces of artwork by various prisoners as depicted in 'The Book of Ballykinlar' from the Military Archives in Rathmines, Dublin.

Sketch of Internees in the yard around the huts.

The camp was in two parts, referred to as Camp Number 1 and Camp Number 2, with each camp comprising about 38 huts, each hut housed up to 25 internees. Mick was in Camp 1, hut 33.

Sketch showing the internal view of one of the hut.

Sketch of the camp chapel. Fr. Seán Mc Lister was the camp Chaplin.

The accounts above related to Mick’s internment obtained from his family and friends provided little and even conflicting information. Records released by the government in 2022 reveled more details in official documents. These included correspondence to and from his mother, intelligence reports, details and dates associated with his arrests and internment.

Following is the description of Michael Casey’s internment file provided in British National Archives. Reference: WO 35/122/12:

"Description: Arrest, internment and release of Mick Casey from internment; member and officer of Irish Volunteers and Irish Republican Army and strongly suspected of being connected with Belturbet outrages; 1st May, 1920 Arrest Belturbet, county Cavan - Released on Hunger strike, 11th May, 1920; Re-arrested 24th November, 1920 and interned 5th December, 1920 - Released 21st March, 1921. Dates: 1920-1921 Held by: The National Archives, Kew; Former reference in its 2/33788; Access conditions: Closed For 29 years".

Army Central Registry Communications Form index of communications associated with Michael Casey’s internment. Expanded lower section below.

Expanded extract views listing each communication associated with Mick’s internment at Ballykinlar internment camp.

Following are images of correspondence included in the above communication Index:

December 8, 1920 letter from the Secretary of The General Post Office Dublin requesting military officials provide information concerning Mick’s arrest. At the time of his arrest Mick was a postman in Belturbet.

December 10, 1920 Transmittal Letter from HQ 1st Division Belfast to Army Headquarters Dublin. Provides General HQ with 1st Division response to the Secretary, General Post Office Inquiry.

December 10, 1920 Acknowledgement Letter from the Adjutant Generals office to the Secretary of the General Post Office.

December 12, 1920 Note from a British officer identifying Mick as being prominent in the IRA and being on the Black List a long time.

14 December, 1920 Stamped intelligence note describing suspicion of Mick’s activity with the IRA and his arrest history.

December 17, 1920 Letter from the 1st Division Command to General Headquarters Command identifying Mick as one of Dr. Stewart's band of Rebels.

December 20,1920 response from Army General Headquarters to the Secretary of the General Post Office providing basis of Mick’s arrest.

December 28, 1920 Transmittal Letter accompanying Mick’s appeal for release. It includes a request to confirm information about Mick’s IRA involvement and requests additional information

January 5, 1920 - Secret Memo General Headquarters Ireland. Intelligence information about Mick Casey.

Undated appeal for release from internment from Mick Casey to the Commandant of Ballykinlar.

January 29, 1921 Two page annotated letter from Mick’s Mother to army officials proclaiming Mick’s innocence, pleading for his release.

January 31, 1921 Letter from a captain on the staff of the Deputy Adjutant General rebuffing Mick’s mother’s account of him not being involved in the IRA. Informs her that his case was referred to the Civil Advisory Committee for consideration.

February 3, 1921 Letter from Margaret making a second plea for her son’s release.

February 9, 1921 Secret document from the 15th Infantry Brigade Command citing Mick’s arrest May 1920, his hunger strike while confined, and his subsequent internment December 5, 1920.

February 9, 1921 Letter eleven weeks following Mick’s arrest his widowed mother wrote another letter again advocating for favorable consideration of her son’s appeal for release. In the letter she cited her many Tinneny relative’s military service in the forces of the Crown.

February 15, 1921 Letter from the General Staff concerning Mick’s appeal refuting his mother’s claim of Mick’s mistaken arrest.

April 11, 1921 Secret memo to the Headquarters Irish Command notifying them of Mick’s release from internment March 21, 1921.

April 14, 1921 Memo from the office of The Under Secretary, Dublin Castle notifying the General Headquarters Irish Command to cancel his internment order.

Mick was released from Ballykinlar Interment Camp March 21, 1921 along with three other internees. They were released on the recommendation of the Civil Advisory Committee that had been appointed to review appeals. He returned to Belturbet and to his position with the postal service.

About 7 years after Mick was released from internment he married Caroline “Carrie” Hamilton in the fall of 1928. Carrie was the daughter of Henry and Bridget Hamilton. They were married in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Belturbet. The sponsors in their wedding were William McElgunn and Mary Grogan. Carrie’s father was a soldier in the British Army and assigned to the Army Barracks at Aldershot, England when Carrie was born there about 1883.

The 1901 Census of Ireland enumerated the Hamilton family at quarters 14.7 Barrack Hill in the British Army Barracks in Belturbet. Carrie was 18 year old and single. Her mother Bridget, age 39 was listed as “Wife” and “Head of Household.” Bridget’s other children enumerated in the house were Agnes 16, Albert 13, Edward 12, Maud 1 and William 9. All were listed as Roman Catholic.

1901 Census of Ireland showing Carrie Hamilton and family residing at the British Army Barracks Belturbet.

Note: The fact that Carrie’s mother was listed as “Head of Household” yet not as a Widow on the census is curious. Examination of the individual household forms of the other homes on Barrack Hill revealed that only the Heads of Households in the series 14 numbered houses were listed with no male’s as Heads of Households. It would appear that the military members who are in fact Heads of the Households are not listed as such or the military member Heads of Household were deployed from the barracks when the census was taken and thus not enumerated.

Military Pension forms on which Carrie, her deceased father Henry and her brothers Edward and William are listed.

Mick and Carrie were well liked and respected in the community. Eugene Leddy recalled Mick was great at playing Irish classics and that he taught many of the young folks in and around Belturbet to play the fiddle. He also said Mick and Carrie performed in plays in Belturbet on their own as well as with groups. Mick and several other men played their fiddles at Sunday Mass in old Saint Mary's Church in Belturbet.

Carrie was described as being very gracious by Mick’s cousin Joseph Tinneny (Fr. Joachim O.F.M). During a visit to Belturbet with his mother Mary Ellen McShane following his ordination in 1955 they visited with Mick and Carrie and stayed in their home. Fr. Joachim fondly recalled Mick playing the fiddle and how he was loved in the town.

Francis “Frankie” Davis, son of Margaret’s sister Annie Tinneny Davis served in Ireland during World War II. He periodically visited his cousin Mick and Carrie in Belturbet. Frankie kept track of his mother’s brother Francis Tinneny and his family in America through Mick. After their arrival in America the last names of Frank and his family was changed to Tierney. It was Mick Casey who wrote to Francis in America informing him that his father Thomas Tinneny of Belturbet had died. Frankie Davis also learned from Mick that his cousin, Francis’s son Francis, was wounded in combat and received a Purple Heart medal during World War II.

Eugene Leddy said Mick was a great walker and that he delivered the mail throughout Belturbet on foot and was well known for walking about the town after he retired sometime after 1955.

Mick’s cousin, Elizabeth “Betty” Tinneny of Roslea, county Fermanagh, many years later recalled fondly that she and her sister enjoyed visiting Mick and Carrie at their home in Belturbet. She said they were very religious. Betty said, she and her sister were always awakened at 7:00a.m. Sunday mornings to go to the 8:00 a.m. Mass -- no matter how late they had been out dancing and having fun the night before.

Mick enjoyed a long and successful career in the postal service.

Back Row - P. Reynolds, Sean Small, Thomas Eiggans, Jim Kenna.

Front Row - A McLaughlin, Mick Casey, G. Steenson, Minnie Clarke, Thomas Clark.

Courtesy of Ramon McLaughlin.

One source interviewed said Carrie died quite awhile before Mick. An unverified record indicated she past away 1962. It’s is likely she is buried in the churchyard of Saint Patrick’s Church, Drumalee, Belturbet. At some point after his retirement from the post office and Carrie’s death, Mick moved from Belturbet to Belfast, Northern Ireland. He lived out his final years there with his widowed sister Anne or one of her children. He and Carrie had no children.