Jeremiah Mahony
Mahony of Killarney Road, Millstreet, County Cork was killed on 5 January 1923 at Millstreet. Mahony was a Sergeant Major with the First Southern Division, National Army.
His widow Margaret was awarded £0.17.6 (17 shillings and 6 pence) per week during widowhood. She was also awarded an allowance for her three sons.
Family Circumstances
The couple married on 9 April 1912 and had three children, David (born May 1912), James (July 1913) and Patrick (February 1916). Jeremiah had been in receipt of a quarterly pension (£9.6.3) from the British army having served between 1914 and September 1919. This income would have ceased upon his death. At the time of Mahony’s death the family had resided at Killarney Road, Millstreet, Cork. However by the time of her application Margaret who was residing at 32 Pentwyn Avenue, Penrhiwceiber, Wales. The reasons for this move to Wales are not clear.
Following Jeremiah’s death Margaret was paid a dependant’s allowance at the rate of £2.10.9 per week until 3 May 1924 from Army Funds.
Margaret’s desperation is keenly felt when she wrote on 4 June 1924; “I feel more like committing sucide [sic] this morning listening to three little orphans crying with the hunger and no food to give them…I will have to go into the union before the week is out if I don’t get help I am nearly out of my mind”.
The urgency of the case was clearly felt by those in the department (image 5) “very urgent, please expedite” wrote one official and a post script “a very necessitous case…practically destitute with 3 little children depending on her”. Margaret’s application was certainly accelerated and she was informed on the 24 July 1924 that an award was to be made to her and paid from 4 May 1924.
Margaret Mahony never remarried and died on 6 December 1955.
