1916 Connections (1) St. Eunan’s College & 1916

Joseph Sweeney, from Burtonport, was reportedly the only Donegal man who took part in the Easter Rising. Having attended Patrick Pearse’s St. Enda’s College, he was sworn into the IRB and was stationed on the roof of the GPO. What is less well known is that prior to attending Pearse’s school, he briefly attended St. Eunan’s College in Letterkenny. In the 1966 Donegal Annual, he further revealed that another (unnamed) former pupil of St. Eunan’s College was actually serving in the Army against the rebels and was shooting ‘into’ the GPO from Purcell’s Tobacconist shop. As Sweeney wrote:

“I became a pupil of St. Enda’s College, Rathfarnham in September 1911, having transferred from St. Eunan’s College, Letterkenny where my health was rather indifferent…That (Easter Monday) evening we were moved to the roof overlooking O’Connell Street, D’Olier Street and Westmoreland Street…My position was at the corner of Henry Street and O’Connell Street…On the other side of the roof a character in my Company had been under fire from Purcell’s for some time…I learned later that a former pupil of St. Eunan’s College, was one of the garrison of Purcell’s.”

From: Joseph Sweeney, “Donegal and the Easter Rising”, Donegal Annual 1966, pp1-11