SEÁN MAC DIARMADA
A great Irishman and a great Leitrim man
The 1916 Easter rising
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There was a society called the Irish Republican
Brotherhood (IRB) the wanted to separate from
Britain.
The leaders were Mac Diarmada, Pearse, Connolly,
Clarke, Mac Donagh, Ceannt and Plunkett.
On Easter Monday they set up headquarters in the
General Post Office in Dublin and proclaimed an
Irish Republic.
After five days of fighting the Irish rebels
surrendered and the leaders above were executed.
Headquarters of the 1916 Rising:
G.P.O. O’ Connell Street
SEAN MAC DIARMADAS EARLY LIFE
Sean was born in Kiltyclogher in north Leitrim in 1884.
He lived in a thatched cottage which remains as a
monument to him.
Sean ran away from home when he was a teenager.
He then spent two years in Glasgow.
He then came back to Belfast and joined the secret
council(Belfast circle)IRB.
In 1907 Sean was elected to head of Sinn Fein.
Sean was the first man in Leitrim to go house to house
canvassing and organising for Sinn Féin.
Seán’s Home
Seán’s home at Laughty Barr,
Kiltyclogher, Co. Leitrim
Sean Mac Diarmada’s Organisations
Sean Mac Diarmada worked as a barman in Belfast
 He joined the ancient order of Hibernians(A.O.H.)
1906 he joined Sinn Fein and the Gaelic League
 Mac Diarmada was promoted to the supreme council of
the I.R.B
 1910- he became the manager of the newspaper Irish
Freedom
 1913- became a member of the Irish Volunteers
 1915- he became a secretary of the I.R.B. and became
a secret military of the I.R.B
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Sean Mc Diarmada’s personality
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Sean was a quiet gentle person.
He was very fond of his family.
He was extremely patriotic.
He was great at organising men and events.
He was part of secret organisations so was very
trustworthy
He had polio and walked with a cane and endured
a lot of pain.
Proclamation of the Irish Republic
Mc Diarmada and the Rising
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Easter 1916 was the time fixed for the beginning of the
ill-fated rising. The Volunteers were unsuccessful in their
attempts and were forced to surrender by the British
forces.
He played a big part in the Easter Rising as a leader.
Sean MacDiarmada fought in the G.P.O., where he was
attached to the headquarters staff under James
Connolly.
It was Sean MacDiarmada that read Padraig Pearse’s
letter of surrender to those in the G.P.O.
Sean Mac Diarmada was executed by firing squad on
May 12th, 1916.
Here is Seán’s final letter
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Kilmainham Prison
Dublin
May 11th 1916 .
My Dear Daly ,
Just a wee note to bid you Goodbye. I expect in a few hours to join Tom and the other heroes in a
better world . I have been sentenced to a soldiers death - to be shot tomorrow morning .
I have nothing to say about this only that I look on it as a part of the day's work . We die that the Irish
nation may live . Our blood will rebaptise and reinvigorate the old land . Knowing this it is
superfluous to say how happy I feel .
I know now what I have always felt , that the Irish nation can never die . Let present day place hunters
condemn our action as they will , posterity will judge us aright from the effects of our action .
I know I will meet you soon , until then GoodBye . God guard and protect you and all in No. 15 . You
have had a done trial , but I know quite well that Mrs. Daly and all the girls feel proud in spite of a
little temporary and natural grief , that her son and the girls , their brothers as well as Tom are included
in the list of honours .
Kindly remember me especially to Mrs. Clarke and tell her I am the same Seán that she always knew .
God Bless you all
As ever
Sincerely Yours
Seán MacDiarmada. "
A great Irishman
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Seán Mc Diarmada was not only a great Leitrim
man but a great Irishman.
He is often forgotten because of the quiet way he
went about his work for the freedom of Ireland.
Our County football grounds are named after himPáirc Seán Mc Diarmada- and football teams, a
school, many streets and a Dublin Bus Station are
also named after this great Irishman.
Monument at Kiltyclogher Crossroads