Meda Ryan - Thomas Kent

The LIVES Series

JAMES CONNOLLY Lorcan Collins

MICHAEL MALLIN Brian Hughes

JOSEPH PLUNKETT Honor O Brolchain

EDWARD DALY Helen Litton

SEN HEUSTON John Gibney

ROGER CASEMENT Angus Mitchell

SEN MACDIARMADA Brian Feeney

THOMAS CLARKE Helen Litton

AMONN CEANNT Mary Gallagher

THOMAS MACDONAGH Shane Kenna

WILLIE PEARSE Risn N Ghairbh

CON COLBERT John OCallaghan

JOHN MACBRIDE Donal Fallon

MICHAEL OHANRAHAN Conor Kostick

THOMAS KENT Meda Ryan

PATRICK PEARSE Run ODonnell

MEDA RYAN AUTHOR OF 16LIVES: THOMAS KENT

Meda Ryan, historian and author, is a native of West Cork and now lives in County Clare; she has participated in television and radio documentaries and has had articles published in a wide variety of history magazines and journals and national and local newspapers. Her published books include the controversial Tom Barry: IRA Freedom Fighter (Mercier Press) as well as The Day Michael Collins Was Shot (Poolbeg Press), Liam Lynch: The Real Chief (Mercier Press) and Michael Collins and the Women Who Spied for Ireland (Mercier Press).

LORCAN COLLINS SERIES EDITOR

Lorcan Collins was born and raised in Dublin. A lifelong interest in Irish history led to the foundation of his hugely popular 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour in 1996. He co-authored The Easter Rising A Guide to Dublin in 1916 (OBrien Press, 2000) with Conor Kostick. He is the author of James Connolly in the 16 Lives series and 1916: The Rising Handbook. He is also a regular contributor to radio, television and historical journals. 16 Lives is Lorcans concept and he is co-editor of the series.

DR RUN ODONNELL SERIES EDITOR

Dr Run ODonnell is a senior lecturer at the University of Limerick. A graduate of UCD and the Australian National University, ODonnell has published extensively on Irish Republicanism. His titles include Robert Emmet and the Rising of 1803, The Impact of the1916 Rising (ed.), Special Category: The IRA in English Prisons, 19681978 and 19781985, and The OBrien Pocket History of the Irish Famine. He is a director of the Irish Manuscripts Commission and a frequent contributor to the national and international media on the subject of Irish revolutionary history.

DEDICATION

To the memory of the patriotic Bawnard Kent brothers and their loyal mother, who helped to give us the Ireland we have today.

I am extremely grateful to Michael OBrien, OBrien Press for asking me to write the biography of Thomas Kent. I agreed instantly, though knowing little about him or his family. I did not realise the task ahead was a mammoth one. It required quite an amount of digging. Lorcan Collins, series editor, was an inspiration always there to encourage me and keep going. Im most grateful to Brendan OBrien, editor, who was so helpful during the final stages as we worked together on the manuscript. Senior editor Helen Carr skilfully worked as liaison between the OBrien Press team members including Nicola Reddy, Emma Byrne, Geraldine Feehily and Run ODonnell, series editor all were of great assistance during the final stages of this book.

Without Carol Ann McCarthy, a Kent descendant, this book could not have been written. Over the past number of years she was always at the other end of an email, and constantly supplied me with documentation on the Kents, sent me Fr Edmond Kents family tree and other records and provided me with contacts in the US. Mary Ellen Grogan, Lucy de Wolf, Eileen McGough, Marie Daly, John McColgan and Pierce Kent were also helpful with sources and genealogical search. Anne Kents handwritten notes were always welcome, as was the advice of Dr John Kehoe. A sincere word of gratitude is due to Thomas Kents nieces (Williams daughters), Kathleen, Prue and Eily Kent, for their recollections of family events and also Kent relatives Tom Kent, Anne Duane, Michael ORiordan and Eamonn Walsh.

Samus Lantry was most helpful with his research in Cork City Library and the Cork Examiner records and, with Eileen Lantry, provided much encouragement throughout. Sincere gratitude is due to Jack Lane for his help and advice; Brian Murphy in his unique way gave me every help and encouragement, as did Dmhnaill Mac Giolla Phoil, Mary Powell, Eily Hales McCarthy and Noel Sheehan. I am grateful to Fr Gerard Coleman for locating early school and other records and to Peggy Broderick for her insights into her familys contacts with the neighbouring Kents. Joan Coughlan was always at the other end of the phone to help with place names, contacts and localities. A word of thanks is due to Tommy Lee for the Rice family records and to Jim Redmond, Jim Fitzgerald and Thomas Barry for supplying me with sources; also to Gerry White who was my main contact with Collins Barracks over the past few years.

I am most grateful to Margaret (Mags) OCallaghan, Elizabeth (Liz) Desmond, Angela Davis and all the staff of Fermoy Library who were extremely helpful in obtaining relevant material. Thanks is due to Kieran Wyse, Cork County Library, who responded generously to my every query, as did Bernie Metcalfe and staff at the National Library of Ireland. The many staff members at the Public Records Office, Kew, London, were always courteous and helpful. Stella Cherry and Dan Breen of Cork Public Museum were generous with their time; so too were Timmy OConnor and staff members of Cork City and County Archives, and also Kieran Burke and staff of Local Studies at Cork City Library. Peter Beirne and Clare County Library staff were always helpful, as were Marian Fogerty, Geraldine Moloney, Emma OConnor and Library staff at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. John Glendon, Malachy Moran and Robert Canning were helpful with RTE Sound Archives.

I would like to thank the following for responding to my queries: Nicola Miller, genealogist; Lily Seehan, the Avondhu; Doug Minihane, Cork Prison photographer; Maria Ryan, Ennis Tourist Office. Many who helped at various times during the work deserve gratitude: Toms Sothchin, John Arnold, Sean Sherwin, James Ronan, Ann Cotter, Ned Rice, Richard Quirke, Tom Walsh, Kevin Barry, Ger Broderick, Thomas ONeill, Sean Walsh, Dick Mackessy, Jim OConnor, Bob Sebard, Jim McAnespie, Tim Horgan, Tony Duggan, Christy Roche, Bill Power, Margaret Neylon, Monica Reid, Ray Bateson, Peter McNamara and Michael ONeill.

I am deeply grateful to family members, Gary, Ita and Zelda, for their assistance and patience as I struggled at times. My late husband Donal looked forward to seeing this book coming to fruition, but sadly such is not the case. My wider family and my friends were always supportive, and for this I am grateful. I am glad that at last Thomas Kent and the Kent family history are in the public domain, and I hope that the family will be happy with the result.