James RIORDAN – QLD 1898-1947

[Bogchick]

Hi Wivenhoe,

Reardon / Riordan are versions of one and the same surname.
As i mentioned earlier in the thread he served in the Irish Volunteers during the Easter Rebellion of 1916 and was subsequently awarded a pension, following his written application.
Sadly he appears to have died prior to receiving any monies.
His brother Patrick was the leader of his local company of Volunteers, he himself was a younger brother and was a dispatch rider carrying info by bicycle. He went on the run following his wounding of two Ric officers which eventually led him to Australia where he appears to have enlisted in the army. A family story says he was injured, discharged, fell on hard times which led to his eventual death which i have outlined. I am confident that the service record identified here by others is in facts his and i will purchase a copy and get back with its contents. I have also requested info from the state library on any electoral roll info they may have and await their reply.

Hello! James was my Grandmother's first cousin... any relations on here?

[Bogchick]

I am not understanding the dates you have posted.  Are you saying that he came to Australia after April 1916, then went to America, then came back in 1927?

Debra 

Hello James was a 1st cousin of my Granny. Mary MacAuliffe's book says he he and his brother hid with a Fenian called Quirke in the hills. ...coincidentally his Aunt Judith/Julia (my Grans Gran) was married to a Quirke. I spoke recently to a distant relative that told me  after being on the run Jim was smuggled in a Butter ship to the US and subsequently to Australia.

[Rathlad]

April 1916 events happened in Firies, Kerry, Ireland, he then fled and eventually ended up in Queensland and the Australian army, i got his service record which details his injury and subsequent discharge as medically unfit.
He then died a few years after in poor circumstances.

Regards

[mnewberry]

James Riordan was my great grandmothers younger brother. She was born Mary Riordan and she was 99 years old when she died in 1978. She was sent to the US when she was 14 by her older brothers (so the family story goes) an American family paid her passage and she had to work for them until her debt was satisfied. She married a gentleman by the name of Bernard Flood they were my fathers paternal grandparents and when Jim came to the States after leaving Ireland he stayed with her for a time, he then went to Australia something about a price on his head from the Crown and bounty hunters.

[Rathlad]

I am not understanding the dates you have posted.  Are you saying that he came to Australia after April 1916, then went to America, then came back in 1927?

Debra 

Hello James was a 1st cousin of my Granny. Mary MacAuliffe's book says he he and his brother hid with a Fenian called Quirke in the hills. ...coincidentally his Aunt Judith/Julia (my Grans Gran) was married to a Quirke. I spoke recently to a distant relative that told me  after being on the run Jim was smuggled in a Butter ship to the US and subsequently to Australia.

John Marcus O'Sullivan, originally from Firies, was a butter merchant in Cork (Central Packing Company) and he is reputed to have been the man to arrange for Jim to be smuggled to Liverpool initially. His son Marcus was sent to New York to avoid conscription as he was training to become a teacher in London, . Marcus worked for The Gaelic American in New York where his boss was the fenian John Devoy. If anyone wants a copy of Jim's Australian Army service record send me a pm.

[SteveACT]

Hi Rathlad

Sorry to hijack your thread but I have recently started looking into my mums side of the family who moved to Australia just after the war with her parents from Glasgow. My grans brother was John McIntyre Hastie that Aussie1947 mentioned earlier. Would love to find out more about John if you know anything from the friendship between him and James?

Cheers
Steve

[sarah]

Message from Mnewberry who clicked on the report to moderator button instead of the reply button 

Regards

Sarah

James is my paternal great great uncle. He stayed here in Phoenix, AZ with his older sister Mary sometime between between being smuggled out of Ireland and going to Australia. I need to have a discussion with my

[Rathlad]

Thanks Sarah, hopefully Mnewberry will see this message as i would like to hear about the duration of Jims stay in Phoenix and any other info him.
Happy Christmas to all.