Patrick Connaughton

Rank:
Street:	19 Merton Avenue, South Circular Road
Townland:
Town/Village:	Dublin
Civil Parish:
Catholic Parish:
Country:
Alternative Address:	Ballymahon Street / Market Square, Longford; Motherwell, Scotland; 53 Gordon Street, Dublin 4.
Census 1901:	Resident at Ballymahon Street, Longford www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Longford/Longford_No__1_Urban/Ballymahon/1555544/
Census 1911:	Resident at Ballymahon Street, Longford www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Longford/Longford_No__1_Urban/Ballymahon_Street/651089/
Regiment/Unit:	'C' company, 1st battalion, Dublin Brigade, Irish Volunteers
Regiment Number:
Date of Death:	02-04-1946
Cause:
Memorial:
Information:	Patrick Connaughton was born in Longford town on or around 9 April 1890. He was one of seven children, however only four lived to adulthood; his father, Laurence, was a carpenter and a prominent supporter of Home Rule in Longford. Patrick later spent some time in Scotland. On his return to Ireland in the spring of 1916, Patrick had a letter of introduction to Tom Clarke who arranged for him to join the Volunteers. He served in 'B' company of the 1st battalion, Dublin Brigade. On Wednesday of Holy Week, Connaughton went to Tom Clarke’s shop in Parnell Street to ask his permission to go home to Longford for the week. According to his own account, Clarke gave him a revolver ‘with instructions not to allow it to be taken from me by anyone’. He returned to Dublin on Monday and served in the GPO throughout the week. He was based mostly in the instrument room and was under the command firstly of The O'Rahilly and then of Michael Collins. He was among those who surrendered on Moore Street on 29 April. He was interned in Stafford and then in Frongoch, Wales. Connaughton played no further part in the Volunteers, and worked for Dublin Corporation. One of his brothers, Michael, was in the Volunteers. Another brother, Laurence enlisted to serve in WW1, but passed away Patrick married Julia Barrett in 1924 in Dublin's Pro-Cathedral; he died in 1946.
Parents Names:	Son of Laurence Connaughton and Margaret (née Lenehan), Ballymahon Street, Longford.
Notes:	We extend our thanks to the Connaughton family, in particular Brian Connaughton, for information on Patrick life and service.
Links:	Link to Civil Record of Birth; link to Civil Record of Marriage; link to Civil Record of Death. Article from Evening Herald, February 2016;