Series 2 - Letters

William Patrick Manahan was born on 18 May 1878 in Ballylanders, county Limerick as the eldest son of William Manahan, manager of the Mitchelstown Workhouse, and his wife Helen née Lynch. He studied in Ballyhaise Agricultural College in county Cavan and in 1913 was appointed manager of Ardpatrick Creamery. Soon after that date, he also set about establishing a company of the Irish Volunteers in Ballylanders and served as its first commandant. Companies were also formed in Ardpatrick, Galbally, Kilfinane, Anglesboro and Kilbehenny and together they formed the Galtee Battalion of the Irish Volunteers. He was arrested in February 1917 on suspicion of importing arms and was sent to England but escaped three months later and travelled back to Ireland. Upon his return, criticism was levelled at Manahan owing to his decision to carry out manoeuvres in Galbally on Easter Sunday despite Eoin MacNeill’s countermanding order. A split developed between supporters of Manahan and those of his most vocal critic, Donncha O Hannigan. Following an inquiry into the affair, Manahan was suspended and subsequently left the area so that unity would be restored to the Volunteer movement. The Galtee Battalion was restructured as the East Limerick Brigade at the end of May 1918, while Manahan took up the post of manager of the Land Bank and Irish Agricultural Organisation in Waterford. He emigrated to America in 1928 but returned to Ireland in 1938 and was appointed Inspector of the Irish Land Commission. Liam Manahan died on 8 January 1972 aged 94 and is buried in Ballylanders Cemetery.