Christmas Cards 1916

A Christmas Card sent to Liam Langley by fellow Frongoch Internee M.J. Harris of Cork.  This card was posted on 23rd December 1916 the day before Liam's release from Reading Jail.

Statement Arrest Sean MacDiarmuid Tuam May 1915

Liam Langley's statement to the Bureau of Military History 1913-1921 in relation to the arrest of Sean MacDiarmuid.  This is the only statement Liam gave despite being involved in activities from the early 1900's up to the end of this period.  He maintained a dignified silence in relation to his involvement.  However a careful reading of this statement gives an insight into the difficulties encountered by the Nationalist movement in Tuam following the split in the Volunteers in the time preceding the 1916 Rising

Wedding Photos

 Liam married Mary Kelly (Mollie) on 4th July1927 in the Church of Our Lady of the Visitation, Fairview, Dublin 3. 

Wedding Party
Liam and Mollie seated centre,

Seated front right Lawrence Kelly, Mollie's Father;

Seated second from left Margaret Langley (nee Cavanagh),

Liam's mother; best man Barney Mellows left of Liam

Mollie and Liam bride and groom,
Kathleen Kelly (sister Mollie) bridesmaid,
Barney Mellows bestman

            

CONNECTING PAST AND PRESENT

Richmond Barracks local School Flag presented by Great Granddaughter of Liam Langley

As part of the 1916 celebrations each primary school in Ireland is being presented with a Tricolour and Proclamation at a special ceremony in the school. Richmond Barracks local school  was presented with theirs by Capt Ciara Ní Ruairc great granddaughter of Liam Langley,  she also read the Proclamation.  This is a reminder of the time Liam was imprisoned in Richmond May 12th until June 1st 1916 after which he was interned in Frongoch and Reading.

“If the saga of Easter Week is seen as a drama – the first act of which is centered on the GPO and the last act of the executions in Kilmainham Gaol, then the penultimate act was played out in Richmond Barracks.”

Liam Langley Chief Marshal at Barney Mellows Funeral 1942

Liam Langley on left without hat

Barney Mellows (1896-1942)   In 1911, along with his two brothers, Liam and Fred, Barney joined  Na Fianna Éireann, he was also a member of the Irish Volunteers. In the lead up to the Easter Rising 1916 Barney was involved in planning and preparation with the leaders in Dublin.  He spent considerable time at meetings in Tom Clarke's shop, in Sean McDiarmada's office 12 D'Olier St and the Irish Volunteers HQ at 2 Dawson Street. Barney was Battalion Commander of Dolphin's Barn and Director of Finance of Dublin Fianna until his arrest.

Barney was Liam Langley's best man at his wedding in 1927.  When both men were reinstated to the roles in the Civil Service in the 1930's they worked together in the Revenue Commissioners Office, Dublin Castle. After a battle with cancer Barney passed away in the Hospice on 25th February 1942.

The following is a Pathé newsreel of Barney's funeral, Feb 1942, at which Liam was chief marshal.

Old Fianna Eireann

Officers and soldiers Old Fianna Eireann April 1948
Liam Langley front row fourth from right

Officers Old Fianna Eireann

Liam Langley back row second from left

Tuam early 1900's

This picture features of group of men from Tuam early 1900's.    Liam Langley is in the second row second from right. Langley worked as a bookkeeper in McTigue's, Maher's and Fahy's stores in Tuam in the early 1900.  This may be a photo of the staff from one or other of these shops.

Another Tuam group outside Fahy's shop.  Liam Langley centre front.

Old Postcard of Tuam early 1900s

Seamus Nestor Na Fianna Éireann

Seamus Nestor

‘C’ Comp 2^nd Batt Dublin Brigade 1916-21 Fianna Éireann

1^st Batt Dublin Brigade IRA 1921/22

Seamus Nestor C.1930
Photo Liam Langley

'While a pupil in St. Patrick’s School, Drumncondra, Dublin, Seamus Nestor joined Fianna Éireann upon it’s re-organisation after the Easter Rising in 1916.  He was attached to Sean Heuston Sluagh, afterwards ‘C’ Company of the 2^nd Battalion, Dublin Brigade.  For almost three years he was just an ordinary member of the Fianna.  After passing through all his tests and being noted for punctuality and regular attendance on parades at lectures and camps, he was appointed Quartermaster of his Company at the end of 1919; in this capacity he attended classes in Musketry Instruction held by the I.R.A., afterwards imparting these instructions to Fianna on the use of small arms and grenades.  About this time he took part in a raid for cycles on the Central Telegraph Office.  Fifty machines were taken from the stores.

In 1920 he was appointed 1^st Lieutenant.  He was then one of the squad told off for special intelligence work in connection with enemy spy activities.

In May 1921 he was in an armed engagement with Crown Forces:  Accompanied by two others they served as covering party opposing a raid by British Military on a Fianna Camp at Finglas.  Armed with revolvers their fire held off the enemy until all the Fianna in camp, about sixty, had escaped.  Seamus visited the area on the following day and found the British Military still in the vicinity of King James’s Castle.  As he was returning he met a Dispatch Rider, whom he know, attached to the Department of Home Affairs, on his way to shift a dump at the Castle.  Despite the warning and advice given by Seamus the other insisted in taking a chance, having first handed over his dispatches which were addressed to Austin Stack, The Minister of Home Affairs, and were duly delivered.  At the time the capture of these documents would have been a very serious matter indeed.  The Dispatch Rider was arrested by the British Military, court-martialled and sentenced to a long term of imprisonment.  This arrest took place on 24^th May 1921.

Following these incidents the services of Seamus Nestor were immediately requisitioned by Commandant P. Holohan and he was transferred as Assistant Battalion Quartermaster to the 1^st Battalion, Dublin Brigade of the I.R.A.  In this capacity he was responsible for the purchase, custody and distribution of arms and the inspection of arms dumps in the area.  He had also to ensure that Company Quartermasters submitted full returns of arms and ammunition after armed attacks.  He served in this capacity to the end of hostilities.

During the Truce, his works as Q.M’s Assistant, if not so risky, remained just as heavy.  There was Camp Training at Mulhuddart, night manoeuvres and duties in connection with carnivals as a fund raising campaign, as well as continuing to purchase arms whenever possible.  Following on the Belfast purge, as part of his duties, he was responsible for the billeting and feeding of refugees from that city.  He took part in many raids for Belfast goods and did much duty at Fowler Hall.

During the last occupation of the Four Courts he was responsible for the transport of arms to and from there for Battalion use.  During the attach and bombardment of the Four Courts when the street fighting commenced in the area, Seamus, under the supervision of Quarter Master Corliss, undertook the collection of arms and ammunition from dumps and distributed them amongst the different garrisons.

On the 28^th June 1922 he reported to 44 Parnell Square and during the week he served at the Duke of Leinster’s house in Dominick Street and at Jenkins’ of Capel Street where the Garrison surrendered.

He was imprisoned in Wellington Barracks, ‘B’ Wing, Mountjoy Prison and transferred to Newbridge Barracks in January 1923; he took part in the mass hunger strike and was released in December 1923.

He joined the Irish Press staff in 1931, later becoming Limerick Branch Manager until he retired through ill health in 1954.  His death took place in Limerick on 23^rd March 1956.

Liam Langley
Battalion Commandant 2^nd (North Dublin) Battalion
Staff HQ Director Organisation and Education

23.7.57

Extracts from the account of Sean Nestor typed up by 

Liam Langley dated 23 July 1957

Influences on Liam Langley

Liam enjoyed reading and from an early age he was influenced by the many pamphlets and periodicals available in the early 1900's.  Below is one such pamphlet which is in Liam's collection of papers, Denvir's Monthly Irish Library. These publications consisted of collections of Irish poetry, history, and patriotic biography.  They were sold at 1d each and were referred to as Denvir's Penny Library.  This particular issue features an article by the Fenian Michael Davitt (1846-1906) , Fenian, member of IRB, agrarian agitator and founder of the Irish National Land League.  He was a labour leader, Home Rule politician and Member of Parliament.                                                                                          

As well as reading Liam Langley enjoyed drama and the theatre.  He introduced dramatic classes to the Tuam Sluagh of Na Fianna Éireann, 'The Eloquent Dempsey' being one piece staged by them. Liam attended many plays, mainly nationalist, one being The Membory of the Dead, with Constance de Markievicz in the lead role.  The programme from the play remains in his papers, this dates from around c.1912.

'Casimir Markievicz set up the  Independent Dramatic Company.  His first Irish plays feature  social comedy and obscure allegory however from 1908 in keeping with his wife’s increasingly radical stance, Markievicz’s plays veered into nationalist politics – most noted is the play the Memory of the Dead put on in both the Abbey and the Gaiety in 1910.  The theme dealt with by Markievicz was one of heroic patriotism.  Set in Sligo and Mayo during the 1798 Rising it deals with two rebels (one cautious, one hot-headed) in love with the same girl.  A wedding takes place to mislead the authorities about the planned Rising, the husband disappears and is suspected of betraying the rebels.  He is later revealed as a hero after his return in disguise and noble death.  His child is consecrated to set Ireland free, as the curtain falls.  The cast included Constance Markievicz, Helena Moloney and the young Fenian doctor Patrick McCartan and the charismatic Sean Connolly, who would later join the Abbey, and die on the roof of the City Hall during the 1916 Rising.’ (R.F. Foster, Vivid Faces, The Revolutionary Generation in Ireland 1890-1923)

Photography

From an early age Liam was a keen photographer.  He took many photographs of friends and neighbours in Tuam and later of his family.  A number of his glass plates have survived the various raids on his home by both the RIC and Free State Army as well as the many house moves during his life.  

Above is the original of the 'selfie',  Liam lined up his camera and took this photo of himself!

Daughter Ita c.1933

Son Jarlath c.1930

Unknown people, old glass plate from Liam's collection
Possibly Tuam c.1915

   LANGLEY FAMILY C.1942

Liam's wife Mollie standing, her sister Bree sitting
Children L to R Brendan, Nuala, Ita, Mairead, Jarlath 
Photo Liam Langley

With eldest daughter Ita around 1952