Sir,
—I bought your magazine for the first time recently while waiting for a train at Heuston Station. I really enjoyed it, but the outstanding article was by Charlie McGuire on Seán McLoughlin. What a fascinating account of this man, and, of course, the epilogue had me really purring! But can we have more, please? What became of Seán McLoughlin’s five siblings, and what became of his wife and two children in Sheffield? In all the coverage of 1916, the one thing that I find is constantly missing in all the articles and papers is the follow-up on the personal level. How did all those young widows with children manage to survive, and who put bread and butter on their tables?
Yours etc.,
DAN BOLAND
Milltown
Co. Kildare
Sean McLoughlin’s first wife, Isa Barr, died in 1922, as did his son, Terence McSwiney Sean McLoughlin. He married again in 1927 in England, to Blanche Burnup and had two further children, Jack and June. Both his wife and his two children are still alive. McLoughlin’s 15-year-oldsister, Mary, took part in the rising. She died in 1956. His brother Danny, two years older than Seán, fought for the British army in the First World War and was blinded at Ypres. He loved music and was a talented clarinet player. He formed a band that was well known in Dublin dance halls. He died in 1962 and had, I believe, a good relationship with Seán. Seán also had a brother two years younger, Patrick, who joined the IRA during the War of Independence. He died in1966. The two others are Christina and Christopher, eight and ten years his junior respectively. Christy died around 1995, and was both a member of Fianna Fáil and the Irish Transport and General Workers Union.
CHARLIE McGUIRE