Seán Harrington

Seán Harrington (1900 – 1976) was an Irish republican paramilitary who later became a prominent member of the Society of Friends.

Born in Ballyduff, County Kerry, Harrington joined the Irish Republican Army (IRA),[1] and fought in the Irish War of Independence. He opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty and remained with the IRA through the Irish Civil War.[2]

By 1941, Harrington was a member of the IRA's Army Council which organised a court-marshal of former Chief of Staff Stephen Hayes, although he did not personally take part in the trial.[3] He became Chief of Staff of the IRA in November 1941 when Pearse Kelly was arrested, but he himself was arrested the following month.[4] He was charged with failing to explain his possession of £50 and refusing to give his details to police, and was interned for two years.[5] Despite this, he appears to have remained Chief of Staff until February 1942, when Seán McCool was selected as his replacement.[6]

On release, Harrington relocated to Dublin, where he found work as the caretaker at the Court Laundry. This was a difficult role, as local levels of crime were high. In December, he was tied to his bed and beaten, taking three months to recover; he apprehended an armed robber in April 1946.[7] He broke his links with the paramilitary movement and also left the Catholic church, joining a group of Quakers; this group attracted some opposition, and Harrington lost the hearing in one ear after being attacked by a group of young Catholic extremists.[2]

By the late 1960s, Harrington had left Ireland and moved to Tring in Hertfordshire.[2]

References

  1. ↑ T. J. Barrington, Discovering Kerry: Its History, Heritage & Topography, p.128
  2. 1 2 3 Muriel Seltman, What's Left? What's Right?, p.24-25
  3. ↑ Richard English, Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, p.56
  4. ↑ Edgar O'Ballance, Terror in Ireland: The Heritage of Hate, p.67
  5. ↑ "Irish news reel: Munster", Irish News, 14 March 1942
  6. ↑ Uinseann MacEoin, The IRA in the twilight years: 1923-1948, p.857
  7. ↑ "House-breaking in Dublin", Irish News, 1 April 1946
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