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This is the first biography of the IRA leader Rory O’Connor, close comrade of Joseph Plunkett and
Michael Collins, key revolutionary figure during the Irish War of Independence and Commander
of IRA operations in Britain. O’Connor, one of the most vocal opponents of the Treaty, is
particularly remembered for the dramatic circumstances behind his controversial execution
during the Irish Civil War - without trial or court martial - approved by the first government
cabinet of the Irish Free State, which included his former friend and colleague Kevin O’Higgins.
The execution of IRA leader Rory O’Connor on 8 December 1922,
along with Liam Mellows, Dick Barrett and Joe McKelvey, marked a
bitter turning point in the Irish Civil War and remains one of the most
infamous episodes in modern Irish history.
An unlikely revolutionary, in his early years, O’Connor qualified as
an engineer and worked on the Canadian railroad. Returning to
Ireland in 1915, he joined the ranks of militant Irish republicanism
and became devoted to the violent overthrow of British rule. After
playing his part during the Easter Rising, in its aftermath he became
a key figure in rebuilding the revolutionary movement.
By the outset of the Irish War of Independence, O’Connor was
the IRA’s Director of Engineering and worked in the Dáil’s Local
Government department. He became close friends with Kevin
O’Higgins who chose him to be best man at his wedding in October
1921. In correspondence O’Higgins warmly described O’Connor as ‘the bestest best man
that ever rounded up a bridegroom’. Yet, just over one year later in December 1922,
O’Higgins would sit at the government cabinet that approved O’Connor’s execution.
On the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, O’Connor became the public face of IRA opposition
to the settlement. Captured several days into the Civil War, his extra-judicial execution in
reprisal propelled him into the pantheon of Irish republican martyrs. In this first biography
of O’Connor’s life, historian Gerard Shannon brings together various archival sources and
accounts to help understand this important and often enigmatic IRA figure.
About the Author:
Gerard Shannon is a public historian who specialises in the Irish revolutionary
period of the early 20th century. He has written numerous articles and done
public talks primarily on leading revolutionaries. His first major publication, Liam
Lynch: To Declare a Republic, was released to critical acclaim in 2023 and
made the non-fiction bestseller lists. Gerard also works as a civil servant and is a
resident of Skerries in north county Dublin.
See other books from Gerard Shannon
Liam Lynch: To Declare a Republic
Michael Collins, key revolutionary figure during the Irish War of Independence and Commander
of IRA operations in Britain. O’Connor, one of the most vocal opponents of the Treaty, is
particularly remembered for the dramatic circumstances behind his controversial execution
during the Irish Civil War - without trial or court martial - approved by the first government
cabinet of the Irish Free State, which included his former friend and colleague Kevin O’Higgins.
The execution of IRA leader Rory O’Connor on 8 December 1922,
along with Liam Mellows, Dick Barrett and Joe McKelvey, marked a
bitter turning point in the Irish Civil War and remains one of the most
infamous episodes in modern Irish history.
An unlikely revolutionary, in his early years, O’Connor qualified as
an engineer and worked on the Canadian railroad. Returning to
Ireland in 1915, he joined the ranks of militant Irish republicanism
and became devoted to the violent overthrow of British rule. After
playing his part during the Easter Rising, in its aftermath he became
a key figure in rebuilding the revolutionary movement.
By the outset of the Irish War of Independence, O’Connor was
the IRA’s Director of Engineering and worked in the Dáil’s Local
Government department. He became close friends with Kevin
O’Higgins who chose him to be best man at his wedding in October
1921. In correspondence O’Higgins warmly described O’Connor as ‘the bestest best man
that ever rounded up a bridegroom’. Yet, just over one year later in December 1922,
O’Higgins would sit at the government cabinet that approved O’Connor’s execution.
On the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, O’Connor became the public face of IRA opposition
to the settlement. Captured several days into the Civil War, his extra-judicial execution in
reprisal propelled him into the pantheon of Irish republican martyrs. In this first biography
of O’Connor’s life, historian Gerard Shannon brings together various archival sources and
accounts to help understand this important and often enigmatic IRA figure.
About the Author:
Gerard Shannon is a public historian who specialises in the Irish revolutionary
period of the early 20th century. He has written numerous articles and done
public talks primarily on leading revolutionaries. His first major publication, Liam
Lynch: To Declare a Republic, was released to critical acclaim in 2023 and
made the non-fiction bestseller lists. Gerard also works as a civil servant and is a
resident of Skerries in north county Dublin.
See other books from Gerard Shannon
Liam Lynch: To Declare a Republic
- Publisher Name:Merrion Press
- Product Format:Trade paperback
- ISBN: 9781785375842
- Author:Shannon, Gerard
- Publication Date:2026-02-12
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