captain kennedy and captain o'brien

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matthewmacnamara
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:38 pm

captain kennedy and captain o'brien

Post by matthewmacnamara » Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:39 am

During Famine years a captain Kennedy worked as poor law inspector based in Ennis.
A captain O'Brien based in Tulla worked as inspecting officer of the relief effort in east Clare.
Both men seem to have been conscientious and humane in the discharge of their
duties. Our Library website contains significant documentation on captain Kennedy.
Both men were ex officers.

Would anyone know about their respective family backgrounds? or where they came from?

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: captain kennedy and captain o'brien

Post by Sduddy » Wed Apr 12, 2017 9:06 am

Hi mathewmacnamara

Is your Captain Kennedy the Captain Kennedy who is best known for his work in Kilrush during the Great Famine?
In his book, ‘Figures in a Famine Landscape, (Bloomsbury Academic, 2016), Ciarán Ó Murchadha gives a short account of Captain Kennedy’s background. He says, “Arthur Edward Kennedy was the fourth son of a well-connected County Down landlord, Hugh Kennedy of Cultra. A career officer who saw service in several British army regiments over a period of nearly twenty years, his lot during that time had been a succession of uneventful garrison postings in Britain and Ireland.”

Sheila

matthewmacnamara
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:38 pm

Re: captain kennedy and captain o'brien

Post by matthewmacnamara » Wed Apr 12, 2017 1:21 pm

Many thanks SDuddy.
Yes he is the same Captain Kennedy who ran foul of local landlordism.
Captain O'Brien in south east Clare was very conscious of the shortcomings of soup kitchens
as a form of relief in 1847. He wrote a long memorandum recommending substantial changes in the operation of
the system
and the introduction of employment measures.
Given the fact that both men had to work within a system devised at a higher level, their attitudes
were marked by humanity.

Lucille
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:59 pm

Re: captain kennedy and captain o'brien

Post by Lucille » Wed Apr 12, 2017 4:36 pm

Hi Matthew,

I am currently putting together a book on Women born in County Clare, one of whom is Captain Kennedy's daughter (my only cheat - she wasn't actually born in Clare!). As Sheila mentioned, Ciarán Ó Murchadha's book is excellent on his work in Clare. While waiting for my book to be published (!) you could Google Captain Arthur Kennedy and you will find a good Wikipedia page which details all his professional appointments. The Trove Australian newspaper website also throws up a few interesting articles.

Lucille

matthewmacnamara
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:38 pm

Re: captain kennedy and captain o'brien

Post by matthewmacnamara » Wed Apr 12, 2017 4:50 pm

Many thanks Lucille.
This arose from work that I have been doing
on Famine time events in the half parish of Meelick. Captain O'Brien
visited the area in the aftermath of a soup kitchen burning riot
in May 1847.

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