All my life, the family history has been that my great-grandfather fought in the Easter Rising, went to jail, came out, was harassed by the police and eventually decided to come to the US. He was from Cashel, Tipperary (which surprised me that there was an Easter Rising connection, but stranger things have happened).

In the 1930s he moved the whole family back to Cashel from NYC to take advantage of some program to give land (or something) to the men who fought (?), but there was no work so after seven or eight months he returned to NYC.

I'd like to prove it.

Would a regular genealogist be the place to turn? I figure I can look in court records tied to the Rising, prison records at the same time, and maybe records from the Tipperary Brigade(s) (if any such thing exists).

Does any of that sound reasonable/unreasonable in any kind of definite way? If it sounds doable, what kind of records should I be looking for and whom should I contact to begin the search?

grma

ps - I have emailed the genealogists on the NLI site, but have yet to hear from any of them. I'm just wondering if there are other routes I can pursue while I wait.

I would try the Irish Army - I think they might be the holders of records about schemes like that.

There was certainly a very active Tipperary Brigade in teh war of independence.

Google turned this up.

http://www.theeasterrising.eu/087_BMH/B_MHistory.htm

Nasc díreach
http://www.military.ie/dfhq/archives/bureau.htm

They appear not to have an e-mail address, but might be able to guide you.

GRMA as na nascanna sin a Aonghuis.

Tá alt nó dhó i nGaeilg. http://www.mileata.ie/dfhq/archives/ffbadge.htm Bheinn ag súil, ní hamháin le tuilleadh, ach le gach alt i nGaeilg chomh maith leis an mBéarla.

Is beag dream san Státseirbhís a chuireann ábhar ar fáil i nGaeilge.

Is fíor duit mo léan. Braithim go dtéimid céim chun tosaigh agus céim ar gcúl gach lá. Tháinig bileog BSL i nGaeilg arís inniu agus neamart na Gaeilge le feiceáil agam ar an suíomh san anocht.
Meileann Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla go mall. Tá súil agam go meilfidh sé go mín le himeacht ama.

Sin an dóchas atá agam.

Tá meoin le meilt agus le fuineadh, go hairithe meoin an TOITD agus an "ach níl aon éileamh".

Is é mo mheas nach bhfuilimid ach ag scríobadh timpeall ar an screamh go leor den am in ionad tabhairt faoin dearcadh san i gceart. Tá mo chloigeann ag meabhrú air le blianta ar nós go leor eile ar m'aithne. Tá an t-am ag teannadh linn a mbeidh orainn labhairt le muintir an dearcaidh sin agus rud éigin ciallmhar agus fiúntach a chur ar a súile dóibh. Ní dóigh liom go gcuirfidh siad i gcoinne a ndéarfaimid leo ach oiread.

Tá sciar ann a éistfidh, má éiríonn linn teacht thart ar an sciar eile nach bhfuil sásta éisteacht agus a scaipeann claon-scéalta faoin nGaeilge agus na nobodies a labhraíonn í.

Try the Irish national archives website first. Start with recounting his steps from the 1930's back. He may show up on the 1911 census in Tipp, however this wont be available online until the end of the year. The Tipperary brigades were more active during the tan war, but the Irish National Archives do have lists of IRB volunteers, however they may not be fully complete. Its worth remembering they were clandestine organisation. There have been lists of volunteers invited by the Irish Government to ceremonies etc in the years after the tan & civil wars, usually in the 1930's. With a few more in the 1950's. These are available from the INA. You never know he may be among them. If he was granted land by the government, there will certainly be a paper trail, again the INA is the place to hunt this down.
Hope you find some evidence, but I don't doubt for a minute that he was one of Ireland's greatest heroes.
Go mbeidh an tádh leat

go raibh maith agaibh for all the suggestions!

You'll have to let us know the results, now that you've piqued our interest!

a genealogist checking with a list of *almost* everyone arrested in the Rising has failed to turn up his name, nor does it appear in the records of the General Amnesty.

However, it doesn't mean the story that's made its way down to me is false, and I'm investigating other avenues.

I can still also pursue things through the military offices in Ireland, but I don't believe my great-grandfather held a rank, which will apparently complicate things.

I managed to find him as a 14 year old in the 1911 Irish census, and await the release of the 1901 census scheduled for next spring.

I also managed to find him in the 1930 census in the US, as well as his naturalization paperwork (with photograph) that indicates that he arrived in the US through Canada (basically according to the story, with a few minor details that were different) in 1920.

I also intend to try to pursue court and prison records for 1916-1920 to see if he turns up (and if he does, some explanation of what kind of trouble he ran into), just as soon as I can figure out how to check that kind of info with the info that I have.

I also have reason to believe that when he was back in Ireland circa 1934 he joined the Irish Defense Forces - I have what was supposed to have been his beltbuckle with the Óglaigh na hÉireann sunburst and FF exactly as is used for the modern IDF symbol. My brother has his parade stick with the same symbol on it, so there should be a record there as well...

Maybe someone can help me verify the artifacts. My grandfather told me (I assume his father told him) that the two little burn marks in the parade stick were used by the men to identify their particular stick from the other men's. I'm unsure if this implies that he spent time in a barracks or not.


buckle and stick:
http://i31.tinypic.com/mj78eb.jpg

buckle detail:
http://i26.tinypic.com/v9fb.jpg

stick detail:
http://i27.tinypic.com/lfg9w.jpg

stick markings:
http://i31.tinypic.com/23lcegz.jpg