Lot No: 119

Peadar O Cearnaigh Peadar Kearney (1883-1942) 

An extremely important collection of personal mementos, manuscripts, documents, photographs and personal ephemera relating to his service as an Irish Volunteer and his poetry, plays and lyrics, including A Soldier’s Song (Amhrán na bhFiann).

Published Estimate: €0-0
Price Realised: €0

Peadar Kearney and thence by descent to the present owners


Peadar Kearney worked first as a labourer in Dublin, where he was born and educated. In 1911 he got a job at The Abbey Theatre as a props man where he met Patrick Heeney who helped him score The Soldier’s Song which he had composed while in 1909-1910 (according to his own manuscript in this archive). He had joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood in the early 1903, and became a member of its Supreme Council. He was a founder member of the Irish Volunteers and The Soldier’s Song quickly became the Volunteers’ most popular marching song and was widely published (see lot 87 for an early version). It was sung in the GPO during the Rising (see lot 137). In the 1916 Rising Peadar Kearney fought under Thomas MacDonagh at Jacob’s biscuit factory in Bishop Street. He evaded capture after the Rising was put down but was arrested during the War of Independence and interned at Ballykinler Camp in County Down in 1920-21. A close friend of Michael Collins, Kearney supported the Free State in the Civil War. He continued his writing in the 1920s and 1930s but his main source of income was from house painting and casual labour and he lived in relative poverty during the last twenty years of his life. As can be seen from some of the documents in this archive he campaigned to establish his rights to The Soldier’s Song which had been unofficially adopted by the Free State as The National Anthem in 1924. Although he received some money from American sources in 1919-21 according to his own account in this archive he never received any money from the government during his lifetime and the official transfer of copyright was only resolved in the early 1960s, nearly twenty years after his death. Peadar Kearney has been compared to Thomas Moore as one of Ireland’s great lyricists. Among the other songs that Kearney wrote are: Down By The Glenside (The Bold Fenian Men), The Three-coloured Ribbon, The South Down Militia, Nell Flaherty's Drake, Whack Fol the Diddle, Knockcroghery, Down by the Liffey Side, and both he and Patrick Heeney collaborated in the composition of Michael Dwyer. The following is a list of some of the more important items in this historic archive: 1916 Rising Service Medal inscribed to Peadar Ó Cearnaígh, in the original presentation box, with a covering note dated 1942; His original Irish Volunteers Dublin Brigade mobilisation order for 23rd April 1916 (Easter Sunday, the original date for the Rising), laid down on a backing card (a note by Kearney says that the card was in Padraic Pearse’s handwriting). The Soldier’s Song. A manuscript verse from the song, in Peadar O Cearnaigh’s hand and signed by him in Irish at Baile Choinnleora (Ballykinlar), Samhain (November) 1921, on a folded card, with a manuscript poem by another writer on other side. The Bold Fenian Men, as sung in B. Wing, Portlaoighise Príosúin, Laoighis, Meadhon Foghmhair 1922. Manuscript in Peadar O Cearnaigh’s hand, folded card, with another poem in pencil in the blank spaces. Peadar O Cearnaigh. An unpublished poem by Brendan Behan, manuscript, in Behan’s hand, three verses of four lines, with typescript note stating it was written for Eva (Peadar’s wife) on the death of her husband, 24th November 1942, while Behan was a prisoner in Mountjoy Jail. This must be one of Behan’s earliest compositions. Brendan Behan was Peadar Kearney’s nephew – his mother was Peadar’s sister Kathleen, “Mother of all the Behans”. Cumann Sean-Óglách 1916 (1916 Veterans Association), Programme for First Reunion and Smoker, Barry’s Hotel, Dublin, 25.11.1938. Programme, 3 pp, printed by Three Candles, including verse and chorus of A Soldier’s Song with Peadar Ó Cearnaigh’s manuscript signature; and signed on rear blank page by nine 1916 combatants including Sean O’Farrelly, Liam Daly (GPO), Sean Bermingham (GPO), M.J. Staines (GPO), Piaras Béaslaí (Vice-Commdt. 1st Batt.), Seamus Kavanagh (Stephens Green) and others. Peadar Ó Cearnaigh. A three page folio manuscript statement concerning the authorship, publication and copyright of A Soldier’s Song, headed ‘2nd Statement, August 26th ’26’, signed at end by Peadar O Cearnaigh and in his hand throughout. A most interesting and important statement, setting out the song’s publication history in detail, probably drafted with a view to transfer of the copyright to the State. In it he states the date of composition of The Soldier’s Song as “early in 1910 or late in 1909” and not 1907 as given by many writers. With a typescript copy of same. Autograph signed letter to Peadar from Piaras Béaslaí dated 21.8.1937, offering some alternative versions of a line by Peadar. Coisde Cuimhneacháin Seachtmhaine na Cásca (Easter Week Memorial Committee),Jacob’s Garrison. Roll of Honour (to be lodged in the National Museum). Printed letter from Sean Colbert, signed, 14.10.’35, inviting Peadar Kearney to sign the Roll of Honour at Gardiner’s Row. An original photograph of the inmates of Hut 23, B Line, Ballykinlar, Co. Down (circa 1920-21), inscribed on reverse with some of their names and signed by Peadar O Cearnaigh. Original photographs of Brendan Behan (signed by him on reverse), and of Peadar Ó Cearnaigh aged 27 (with a stage set behind, probably at the Abbey Theatre).A small prayer book in Irish, edited by An t-Athair Ó Críocháin (Father Crehan), inscribed by the editor to Padhraic Ó Conaire (the writer), and further inscribed by Peadar Ó Cearnaígh saying it was given to him by Ó Conaire in 1922. A legal document (typescript copy), 2 pp large folio, being a Transfer of Copyrights in words and music of the Soldiers Song, drawn up by Miley & Miley of Sth. Frederick Street, Dublin, dated 12 October 1933. The parties are Peadar O’Cearnaigh & another (1st), Dublin Theatre Co. Ltd. (2nd), The Talbot Press Ltd. (3rd), and the Minister for Finance (4th). This appears to be a transfer of all remaining rights in the Soldier’s Song to the State. A printed Agreement, 2 pp, between the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society Limited of London and Peadar O’Kearney Esq., dated 1 Feb. 1939, signed by the Society’s representative but not by Peadar (presumably his copy). A certified copy of Peadar’s birth certificate, 1883; and his military service pensions certificate dated October 1926. A collection of issues of Na Bac Leis (produced by prisoners at Ballykinlar 1921, very scarce). A group of typescripts by Peadar including a play in English about Wolfe Tone dated 1907, another play in Irish, and an article about the aftermath of the Rising, describing how he got away after the surrender (not included in this form in Seamus de Burca’s biography). A collection of loose pages with manuscript poems, drafts, music and other items, mostly in Peadar’s hand (second folder); also a printed leaflet with words of A Soldier’s Song. Poems include Bodenstown 1917 Two Abbey Theatre programmes, one signed by members of the Behan family, also an issue of Envoy signed by Brendan Behan, a worn copy of Peadar’s published book of poems signed by him, a good pencil drawing of Peadar as a young man, indistinctly signed, dated August 1945, presumably drawn from a photograph, and a few other items.A pencil drawing of Peadar Kearney based on a photograph of him as young man dated 1945, three years after his death Collected Verse (1920-1938) by Peadar Ó Cearnaígh “typed by himself, at 25 O’Donoghue Street, Inchicore, in the City of Dublin” 20pp foolscap plus typed transcripts of his letters to Eva, his wife, while he was incarcerated at Ballykinler Camp 1920-21. Correspondence to Peadar Kearney including 1922 letters from Tom Barry, Cork, William Sweetman, editor of The Irish Press 1939, letters from various publishers and Associated Copyrights Limited concerning the copyright of The Soldier’s Song, a letter (1936) from The National Museum seeking a loan of original manuscripts related to The Soldier’s Song. A printed poem, Uaigneas, by Brendan Behan and with a manuscript dedication in Irish by Behan. “A Survey of That Field on the Lands of Funshog Part of the Holding of Peter Kearney and let by him for grazing for season 1865 to Nicholas Carberry” a single manuscript page from a lease concerning Peadar Kearney’s grandfather.