Appreciation William Geary: A legend on both sides of the Atlantic Hardened journalists, I suppose, are not surprised to be shocked when they hear about the death of somebody they interviewed recently, even if the person in question is well beyond the normal expectancy age in these matters. Yet, when I heard of the death, last weekend of 105 year old Sergeant William Geary in New York it did produce a more than normal reaction, if only because I had paid a visit to him a few days earlier. I had enjoyed a fairly long conversation with a man who was already a legend on both sides of the Atlantic before I was born. William Geary has been in the news since 1928 when he was dismissed from the still developing Garda Siochana in Clare. He allegedly took a bribe from the IRA, by then his sworn enemy. Even though he himself had been with the 'boys' in pre-Truce days. He had also worked as a merchant seaman and saw a fair part of the world as a teenager, took no direct participation in the Civil War and probably joined the Gardaí for the best of patriotic reasons 'to do the best for the country' as he saw it, while obviously wishing to pursue a career of course. A native of Ballyagran, in south county Limerick, he was not a direct relation. He did keep suggesting that all the Gearys in that area are related. I did of course known many of his Geary relatives and neighbours in my own parish of Feenagh but that was not the only reason why I interested myself in his case. He became a live media case again in 1990s, culminating in the success of his 65 year effort to clear his name and gain some pension and restitution for the in-justice that was done to him back in 1928. There are still questions that need to be answered arising from the Geary case, even allowing for the fact that the dismissal took place two generations ago. Huge changes have taken place in Garda and other industrial relations since. Were there or are there files that were never opened? In the Phoenix Park or in the Department of Justice? Were some withheld or did they 'disappear' or fall behind a radiator? If most honest people accept these questions why did successive Ministers, fail to follow up this case? It was finally resolved by South Kerry's John O'Donoghue and Bertie Ahern in 1999. This week at the launch of the new Gael-Linn records the nephew of Donncha O'Briain, former parliamentary secretary, Padraig de Bhal, told me there was lots about the earlier Geary attempts to clear his name in Donncha's papers. But, why did he, a succession of Justice Ministers from the Limerick area, O'Malley, Collins and Noonan, all fail to open up the full book in the '70s and '80s. Former Labour TD, Frank Prendergast got Tanaiste, Dick Spring involved also and made some progress. It took another decade for the final break through and the financial settlement, that was so vital to a man of 100, living in New York. It is generally accepted that the late Seán MacBride, former Noble Peace Prize winner, and former Clann na Poblachta Minister for External affairs, when in coalition with Fine Gael and Labour may have had something to do with 'setting up' Sergeant Geary in 1928. Given that MacBride was director of IRA intelligence at that time and it appears also that Geary also accepted this, though he always suspected he was 'done down' by one of his Garda colleagues. He had made an attempt to tidy up the Clare Garda Division when sent there to implement stricter discipline at that time. Local fokelore, that the late TJ Ryan, a local IRA leader was particularly resentful that Geary was hauling in local lads for severe interrogation 'for burning hay stacks', at a time when it seemed, prosecutions did not normally follow for such incident as they were not regarded as 'political', but 'factional'. One other bit unresolved question, is who were the other two friends or members of the post 1926 IRA when Frank Aiken joined de Valera in Fianna Fáil and whose sons went onto occupy distinguished positions in Church and State, and then Fianna Fáil Ministers in particular feared they might be embarrassed if their families were drawn into the 'Geary affair' as were O'Duffy, Nelligan nad Eamon Coogan on the Free State/Garda side. Geary did not express any views on this issue whenever I visited him, but he did share a wider range of memories about his early youth. His days in the Gardaí and Special Branch, and of course his huge range of experiences in New York, gave him refuge and a career at a time when he had few friends in Ireland. He was prominent in the Limerickmen's Association, the GAA, and various Catholic lay associations. Interestingly he was Republican in American politics, something rather exceptional for first generation Irish in New York. The Democrats, through the Unions, commanded a large section of the Irish working people's vote, almost automatically. William Geary was a big Ronald Reagan fan, but interestingly, I was informed on my last visit to him last week, that he would be voting this November, for the first time in his life. His daughter, Ms Helen Harkett, who is a committed Democrat, may have something to do with this. For, while the 105-year-old looked after himself in his Bayside apartment in Long Island, Helen visited him almost every day for several years past. Helen's daughter, Carina, studied in Trinity College, now works for a computer firm in Dublin. She returned to the US too late by a day for the death of her grandfather, in time for the burial services. I understand there was a huge turnout of various shades of Irish and Limerick opinion at the memorial. Again, it is ironic that on the same day another memorial service was being held in New York for the late George Harrison, a native of Mayo, who died aged 91. After a lifetime of alleged gun-running for the IRA. He was found not guilty in the famous court case in 1982, also involving the late Mike Flannery and three others. Eulogies were delivered by Mayor David D Dinkins, Jimmy Breslin, the famous columist, Bernadette Devlin-McCluskey and Dennis Rivera of the SSID Union in New York is that sort of town. But real questions that remain unanswered about the Geary case, in particular at this stage rest with us in this country and with the Department of Justice in particular. Dearaimid comhbhrón lena mhuintir go léir, ar an dá thaobh den Atlantach, lena ghaolta i gContae Luimnigh, agus le gach éinne a chabhraigh i gcaithheamh na mBlianta fada lena chail a ghlanadh. Courtesy of the Clare Champion December 2004 Tweet

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