An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir June 2015 www.dfmagazine.ie 20 | O ne of the many remarkable stories contained within the Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection (MSPC) in the Military Archives relates to the service of five members of the Kerr family during the Irish independence struggle. through the files of neill Kerr Senior, his second wife, Elizabeth, and his sons, John Patrick, thomas and neill Junior, we are provided with a vivid picture of one family's commitment, courage and sacrifice in the cause of Irish freedom. the files for neill Senior, Elizabeth and John Patrick, are already available for viewing online at www.militaryarchives. ie; the file for neill Junior will be made available online towards the end of this year, while thomas's file will be made available through the Military Archives by Easter 2016. Neill Kerr Senior was born in County Armagh in 1867 but had been living and working in the greater Liverpool area intermittently for many years by the time of the 1916 Rising. According to the 1901 Irish census and the 1911 census of England and Wales, John Patrick and another son Peter (born c.1900) were born in Bootle, Merseyside, England, while Thomas and Neill Junior were both born in County Armagh. All the Kerr males were seamen or dockers, working in the thriving Merseyside docks. The family home was 6 Florida Street, Bootle, and all the family were members of the Irish Volunteers or Cumann na mBan in Liverpool from the outset (except John Patrick, who was living in Ireland from 1913 and was a member of Dublin Brigade, Irish Volunteers). Prior to the Easter Rising, Neill Senior had been involved in acquiring and transporting arms for the Irish Volunteers. Neill Junior and Thomas travelled to Ireland in early 1916 and joined the Kimmage Garrison and Dublin Brigade. Like many others they had travelled over both to avoid conscription into the British forces fighting in the trenches. Elizabeth Kerr states in her pension application that a number of men in a similar situation used the Kerr home as a refuge en route from Britain to Ireland at this time. During the Rising Neill Junior and Thomas served in Jacob's biscuit factory while John Patrick served in a number of locations, including Fairview, the GPO and Moore Street. All three were captured and interned after the surrender with Neill Junior and John Patrick interned in Frongoch until December 1916 while Thomas was released from Knutsford Prison in August 1916. Elizabeth Kerr was also in Dublin during the Rising. She states that she came across from Bootle with clothes and money for the Volunteers, arriving on Good Friday, 21st April. She claims that during the Rising she assisted with first aid, food distribution and carried despatches. Meanwhile Neill Senior remained in Liverpool awaiting orders from Dublin that never came. Following the Rising both Neill Senior and Elizabeth visited and assisted Irish prisoners in Knutsford and Frongoch. Following their release Neill Junior and Thomas joined their parents in their efforts to reorganise the Irish independence movement in Liverpool. John Patrick had returned to Ireland but he rejoined the rest of the family in Liverpool from early 1920 onwards. From early 1917 the Kerrs were heavily involved in acquiring, storing and transporting arms for the resurgent Irish Volunteers and the emerging IRA. Their easy access to shipping and a port as busy as Liverpool, with its traffic to Ireland and the world, made them very important links in the network established by the IRA to transport arms and men into and out of Ireland. All arms and munitions coming from Scotland and the north of England were transported through Liverpool. Similarly, men heading from Ireland to the USA, such as Eamon de Valera and Liverpool 1911 Liverpool Bootle 1900 by MICHAEL KEANE

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