Edward Daly

16 Lives

by Helen Litton, Lorcan Collins (Editor) (Editor)

Born in Limerick in 1891, John Edward or 'Ned' Daly was the only son in a family of nine. Ned's father, Edward, an ardent Fenian, died before his son was born, but Ned's Uncle John, also a radical Fenian, was a formative influence. John Daly was prepared to use physical force to win Ireland's freedom and was imprisoned for twelve years for his activities. Ned's sister Kathleen married Tom Clarke, a key figure of the Easter Rising. Nationalism was in the Daly blood.

Yet young Ned was seen as frivolous and unmotivated, interested only in his appearance and his social life. How Edward Daly became a professional Volunteer soldier, dedicated to freeing his country from foreign rule, forms the core of this biography.

Drawing on family memories and archives, Edward Daly's grandniece Helen Litton uncovers the untold story of Edward Daly, providing an insight into one of the more enigmatic figures of the Easter Rising.

As commandant during the Rising, Ned controlled the Four Courts area. On 4 May 1916, Commandant Edward Daly was executed for his part in the Easter Rising. Ned was twenty-five years old. His body was consigned to a mass grave.

Genres: History, Biography, Irish Literature

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2013

About the author

Born in Dublin, Helen Litton is the editor of Kathleen Clarke’s memoir, Revolutionary Woman, and the author of 6 illustrated history books. She is married with two children. Edward Daly was Helen’s great uncle; she has also written his biography for the 16 Lives series.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twenty-five year old Edward Daly, the youngest commandant of the Easter Rising and the youngest man to be executed for the rebellion, lived his short life in the shadow of his Fenian uncle John Daly. John Daly was certainly a formidable figure, for he not only led the Limerick Rising of 1867, but was also arrested and convicted in England in 1883—along with young Tom Clarke—for possession of explosives. He served more than ten years in an English prison, and became a symbol for Irish nationalists of heroism and self-sacrifice.

Although Uncle John admired the spirit of his niece Kathleen (later Mrs. Thomas Clarke), he never seemed to think much of his young nephew Ned, whom he considered a bit of a ne’er-do-well. Bright without being intellectual, able without being industrious, Ned sampled various forms of work and positions—baker’s apprentice, clerk at a lumber yard, chemist’s assistant—without ever settling on one. His one true passion seems to have been the military, and he longed to see himself in a uniform, but of course the British army was out of the question for a republican sympathizer like himself—especially a republican sympathizer belonging to a passionately committed republican family. When the Irish Volunteers were created, he jumped at the chance to join. Now he could he could put on a uniform, and march, and stand up for Ireland too.

But Ned was more than just a good-looking young man in a uniform. He studied military strategy, immersed himself in revolutionary politics, and became—no doubt assisted by his brother-in-law Tom—a member of the secret Irish Republican Brotherhood, the principal planners of the 1916 uprising. During Easter Week young Daly acquitted himself like a seasoned commander, controlling the difficult area near the Four Courts by concentrating his strength, occupying a few crucial points, and retaking ground that had been lost. And in the hours leading up to his execution, he acting with dignity and nobility.

Biographer Helen Litton treats her subject ably, and has produced a focused narrative that is a pleasure to read and tells us what we should know about this promising but still developing young man.

Perhaps you’re wondering: is there any evidence that uncle and nephew reconciled at the end? Ah, there the family testimony is mixed. Ned’s sister Madge has said that, on the eve of his death, her brother said, “Tell Uncle John I did my best,” but his sister Laura maintained Ned deliberately refused to give his uncle any message at all. Uncle John did not outlive his nephew by two months; he died on June 30th, 1916.

[Nick Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, detailing the life and death of Edward Daly, one of the men executed for their part i the 1916 East Rising. The chapters about events during the week of the Rising and well written and very detailed. The book os written by the grand-neice of Edward daly and th family recolections must have helped

[Caoimhin Gabhann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book by the great neice of Ned Daly. Helen Litton has researched deeply her topic and I would imagine that due to her family connections the book has a real personal feel to the research.

This has been my favourite book todate from the 16 lives series. The Daly family was steeped in republicanism and seperatism. From the 19th century activity with the IRB until the early decades of the 20th century, the name Daly has been synonymous with Limerick Republicanism. I attended a lecture one time before where I had heard of the Daly girls. The atrocities committed against them through the War of Independence and then unfortunately by fellow Irishmen in the Civil war. But I hadnt heard much about Ned.

From his schooldays until his final days marching his men into the four courts. This book covers it all. He got to enact out his military wishes through the volunteer movement and subsequent Easter Rising and steadfast was willing to sarifice his all on the battlefield. He did in the end. It was remarkably that his enemy's spoke highly of his attitude, demeaner and treatment of them under pressure.

My only regret or sympathy was the fact that he and his uncle John never healed relations, probably a personality clash. But they had lived and risked all for that same divine belief.

I will finish with saying that I took pleasure in the fact that the soldier who mistreated both Ned and his brother in law Tom Clarke would be ordered assassinated by Mick Collins a few years later. Successfully carried out by Liam Tobin and comrades. Men who fought in the rising. I know from other publications that this was an affront to Tom Clarke in particular due to his time in prison...

Rest well lads. Rest well.

Im taking a week's break now from the Lives Series to read the memoirs of Eoin Mc Neill. The Commander in Chief of the volunteer's who cause much confusion during Easter week 1916. It would be simplistic of me to lay the blame at his door solely although instinct tells me too. But like everything in Irish History, there is much more to the story.

[Mary Monks hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought me right into the 1916 Rising (as no book before it has done) in a way that was very real and personal -- not in a highly dramatic fashion, but featuring real, flesh and blood people in a situation that was extraordinary. I felt that I was there, in those streets where my own family members lived and worked, and I probably thought for the first time about how these events must have shaken their world and changed their lives.

As well, and above all, it painted a picture of a seemingly unexceptional man who, suddenly finding himself in an exceptional situation, became an inspirational and noble leader, and of the inspiring family he came from.

I look forward with eager anticipation to the author's next book in this series about another family member, Tom Clarke.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit this book was a more interesting read than I had expected, concerning one of the lesser known figures of the 1916 Rising.

[Ess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good