Peter O'Connor (Irish republican) facts for kids
Peter O'Connor (born March 31, 1912 – died June 19, 1999) was an Irish activist who fought in the Spanish Civil War. He was known for being a republican (someone who wanted Ireland to be a fully independent republic) and a communist (someone who believes in a society where everyone is equal and resources are shared). Some people say he saw more fighting than any other Irish volunteer who fought for the Republican side in that war. He also served as a local politician and community helper in his hometown of Waterford City.
Quick facts for kids
Peter O'Connor
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O'Connor with fellow members of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. O'Connor can be seen in the back row, furthest left.
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| Waterford City Councillor | |
| In office 1944–1950 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 March 1912 Keilogue, Kilmacleague, County Waterford |
| Died | 19 July 1999 (aged 87) Waterford City, County Waterford, Ireland |
| Political party | Labour Party |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Awards |  Hans Beimler Medal |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch/service |
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| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | Connolly Column, part of the XV International "Abraham Lincoln" Brigade |
| Battles/wars | |
Contents
Early Life and Activism
Peter O'Connor was born in 1912 in a small village called Keilogue in County Waterford. His family moved to Waterford City a year later. His father and many relatives were involved in Irish politics and workers' rights.
When Peter was just nine years old, he joined Fianna Eireann, a youth group linked to the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The IRA was a group that wanted Ireland to be fully independent. During the Irish Civil War, Peter worked as a messenger for the Anti-Treaty IRA. When he was 17, he officially joined the IRA.
In the 1930s, during a tough time called the Great Depression, Peter found it hard to find work. This led him to learn about communism, which is a political idea about creating a society where everyone is equal and shares resources. He helped start a branch of the Communist Party in Waterford.
Peter also helped create the Republican Congress, a group that wanted to help unemployed people and those struggling to pay rent. He supported workers who were on strike in Waterford.
In 1934, Peter left the IRA after seeing some members attack other Irish republicans. He then moved to London, England, where he worked in a factory. He secretly helped workers there organize to improve their working conditions. He also joined the Communist Party of Great Britain and took part in protests against a group called the British Union of Fascists, who were against democracy and equality. One famous protest he was part of was the Battle of Cable Street in 1936.
Fighting in the Spanish Civil War
In December 1936, Peter O'Connor decided to go to Spain to fight in the Spanish Civil War. He joined the International Brigades, which were groups of volunteers from different countries who fought to defend the elected government of Spain against a fascist uprising.
Peter and about 40 other Irishmen joined a unit called the XV International Brigade. However, the Irish volunteers didn't get along with some of the British volunteers. They decided to form their own group, which became known as the Connolly Column. Peter was promoted several times and became a sergeant.
Peter and his unit fought in very difficult battles, like the Battle of Jarama and the Battle of Brunete. During this time, he got sick twice with typhoid, which he thought was from drinking bad water.
During the Battle of Jarama, Peter saw his friend and fellow volunteer, the poet Charlie Donnelly, die. Peter and two other volunteers carried Charlie's body back from the front line.
After much fighting, Peter was one of the last Irishmen left on the front line. The commander of the Irish volunteers, Frank Ryan, told Peter to go back to Ireland. He wanted Peter to tell people about the war and help counter false stories being spread about the Republican side. Peter returned home in September 1937.
Life After the War
When Peter returned to Ireland, he joined the Labour Party in 1938, even though he was still a member of the Communist Party. He became a secretary for the Labour Party in Waterford. From 1944 to 1950, Peter was a local politician on the Waterford City Council. In 1946, he started working as an insurance agent, a job he kept for the rest of his career.
In his later years, Peter became an activist against apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation and discrimination. In 1979, he traveled to East Germany to help bring the remains of Frank Ryan, his former commander, back to Ireland.
Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union (a major communist state), Peter O'Connor continued to believe in his communist ideas. He said that he still believed in the teachings of James Connolly, an Irish socialist leader, who believed that Ireland would only be truly free when its working people were in control of the country's wealth.
In 1994, Peter attended a ceremony in Waterford where two plaques were put up to honor the ten volunteers from Waterford who went to fight in Spain. That same year, he went back to Spain for the unveiling of a memorial in the Jarama valley. At the ceremony, Peter said that he believed if fascism had been stopped in Spain, and if other countries had supported the Spanish government, then World War II might not have happened.
In 1996, Peter returned to Spain again. This time, he was given honorary citizenship of Spain along with 360 other surviving volunteers. Also in 1996, Peter wrote a short book about his life called A Soldier of Liberty, which included parts of his diary from Spain.
Peter O'Connor passed away on June 19, 1999, in Waterford.
Family Life
Peter O'Connor married Bridget "Biddy" Hartery in February 1939. They had a son and a daughter. Their son, Dr. Emmet O'Connor, became a well-known historian who studied labor movements. Peter's nephew, Seamus Ryan, also served on the Waterford City Council from 1999 to 2014.
Images for kids
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Charlie Donnelly, a poet and fellow volunteer, whose body O'Connor helped carry from the front line.
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Frank Ryan, the commander who ordered O'Connor to return to Ireland.
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