Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1875-2010 (predominantly 1914-1969) (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 standard archival box and 7 outsize items, originally framed
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
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.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated to the University of Limerick by Marianne Gallagher née Manahan on 29 September 2005.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This collection consists primarily of Liam Manahan’s recollections of the Land League activities of his father, William Manahan, and his own republican nationalist activities between 1910 and 1921. The recollections, letters and press cuttings provide first-hand insights into the formation and activities of the Irish Volunteers in the Galtee area of North Cork, East Limerick and South Tipperary and the evolution of the Galtee Battalion into the East Limerick Brigade.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
All records have been retained except for some duplicates of press cuttings and one item unrelated to either Liam Manahan or his father William Manahan.
Accruals
No accruals are expected.
System of arrangement
The collection is divided into five series by document type and thereunder listed chronologically by date.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Unrestricted access to most items. One item contains personal information relating to people living or presumed living and is closed for 30 years to protect individual privacy.
Conditions governing reproduction
Standard copyright regulations apply to all items. For photocopying or reproducing material, please consult with the staff.
Language of material
- Béarla
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Paper documents and photographs in good or reasonable condition.
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
For papers relating to the East Limerick Brigade, successor to the Galtee Brigade, see P46. The Ernie O’Malley Papers in UCD Archives and Special Collections contain an interview with Liam Manahan concerning his involvement in the Easter Rising (P17b/106, 117).
Publication note
Marianne Gallagher’s book, A Ballylanders Rebel: Liam Manahan 1916 (self-published, 2010), is based on documents in this collection.
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
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Description control area
Description identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
This description follows guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd edition, 2000; Irish Guidelines for Archival Description, 2009; National Council on Archives: Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997; and EAP Guidance on Data Protection for Archive Services, 2018.
Status
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Archivist's note
Papers arranged and described by Anna-Maria Hajba in November 2025.