Seamus Trainor died March 2008, 88 years old a Sinn Fein member. Seamus was born on 1 April 1920 in Irish Street in Armagh City. In the early 1930s, at the age of 12, Seamus joined Na Fianna. He learned to march and drill in the GAA grounds and the Old Flax Market in Armagh. Also during the 1930s, Seamus joined St. Malachi’s Flute Band. In 1936, Eamon de Valera banned the annual Wolfe Tone commemoration at Bodenstown. Seamus was one of a group of five republicans from Armagh City who made it to Bodenstown in uniform. By 1939, Seamus graduated to the IRA’s engineering section in Armagh City. This unit developed its proficiency in all the weapons available to the Movement. Seamus was to describe this work as interesting and dangerous and the unit persisted in its work despite having no access to an area for safe testing of equipment. The courage displayed by Seamus and his comrades at this time was typical of the man and of Volunteers of every generation. In the 1940s, the IRA unit in the city targeted billets for the British troops. On 11 March, acting on information from the brigade intelligence staff, a number of prospective billets was to be attacked. These included the AOH Hall, the Protestant Hall in Abbey Street and the Parochial Hall. The actions of that night were to change Seamus’s life forever. Seamus was badly wounded and sustained a number of third degree burns to his face, neck and right hand and first degree burns to his left hand and ankles. He was taken to Armagh City Hospital and eventually the RUC learned of his presence there. The staff in the hospital showed Seamus great care and he always fondly remembered a Sister Casey who took extra care of him and often ordered the RUC off the ward while she changed his bandages. Seamus was four and half months in the City Hospital. He spent the rest of the war in jail, where he struck up life long friendships with senior republicans from across the island, including the late Joe Cahill and Gerry Adams Senior. Upon his release, Seamy returned to Armagh unbroken and as committed as ever to the struggle. He couldn’t take an active part in Operation Harvest in the 1950s but his experience was to prove most helpful to Volunteers and, under his tutelage, they were successful in a number of operations.
Behind Willie O'Reilly is Seamus Trainer (sort of bending forward) Official IRA leader Armagh who went over to the Provo's about 1975-76.
ReplyDeleteSeamus Trainor died March 2008, 88 years old a Sinn Fein member.
ReplyDeleteSeamus was born on 1 April 1920 in Irish Street in Armagh City. In the early 1930s, at the age of 12, Seamus joined Na Fianna. He learned to march and drill in the GAA grounds and the Old Flax Market in Armagh. Also during the 1930s, Seamus joined St. Malachi’s Flute Band.
In 1936, Eamon de Valera banned the annual Wolfe Tone commemoration at Bodenstown. Seamus was one of a group of five republicans from Armagh City who made it to Bodenstown in uniform.
By 1939, Seamus graduated to the IRA’s engineering section in Armagh City.
This unit developed its proficiency in all the weapons available to the Movement. Seamus was to describe this work as interesting and dangerous and the unit persisted in its work despite having no access to an area for safe testing of equipment. The courage displayed by Seamus and his comrades at this time was typical of the man and of Volunteers of every generation.
In the 1940s, the IRA unit in the city targeted billets for the British troops. On 11 March, acting on information from the brigade intelligence staff, a number of prospective billets was to be attacked. These included the AOH Hall, the Protestant Hall in Abbey Street and the Parochial Hall. The actions of that night were to change Seamus’s life forever. Seamus was badly wounded and sustained a number of third degree burns to his face, neck and right hand and first degree burns to his left hand and ankles. He was taken to Armagh City Hospital and eventually the RUC learned of his presence there. The staff in the hospital showed Seamus great care and he always fondly remembered a Sister Casey who took extra care of him and often ordered the RUC off the ward while she changed his bandages.
Seamus was four and half months in the City Hospital. He spent the rest of the war in jail, where he struck up life long friendships with senior republicans from across the island, including the late Joe Cahill and Gerry Adams Senior. Upon his release, Seamy returned to Armagh unbroken and as committed as ever to the struggle. He couldn’t take an active part in Operation Harvest in the 1950s but his experience was to prove most helpful to Volunteers and, under his tutelage, they were successful in a number of operations.