A scarce Ireland Maynooth, County Kildare, Christmas Day 1912 Medal of the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire in bronze and Visit To Ireland 1903 and 1911 group awarded to Police Constable Peter Cleary, Royal Irish Constabulary, who initially served in Mayo from 30th June 1896, before later transferring to Belfast on 19th March 1901, he would be awarded the Royal Life Saving Society bronze medallion and certificate in August 1906. He would be present during the Belfast Dockers’ strike in 1907, this resulting in prolonged hours on duty for the police over several months, and this along with other grievances led to a police protest which resulted in Cleary along with approximately 300 other officers being transferred. Cleary was thus transferred to Castledermot in County Kildare on 6th August 1907. By 1911 his family were living in Maynooth, and it was here on 25th December 1912 that along with William Melia he would save 76 year old James Murphy from a house fire when a candle had set his bed clothes on fire resulting in the award of the Medal of the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire in bronze. He would be present when in April 1916, led by Patrick Colgan the local I.R.A. Volunteers marched towards Dublin to assist in the rising, but along with another constable was held up at gunpoint when attempting to follow their movements and forced to withdraw. Cleary was later brought into Richmond Prison to try and identify any of the local Maynooth men among the Volunteers. He would be pensioned on 10th May 1922 when the Royal Irish Constabulary was disbanded.
Group of 3: Medal of the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire, in bronze; with top buckle (P.C. PETER CLEARY MAYNOOTH 25 DEC. 1912); Visit to Ireland Medal 1903, with top buckle (C.P. CLEARY. R.I.C.) Visit to Ireland Medal 1911; unnamed as issued.
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Peter Cleary was born at Killaderry, Philipstown, Tullamore, County Offaly on 28th May 1875. He was the son of farmer Edward Cleary and his wife Ann (nee Brennan). He worked as a farmer, probably with his father, before enlisting in the Royal Irish Constabulary on 2nd January 1896, he having been recommended to the force by District Inspector Gamble. Described as being a Catholic, aged 20, and just over 5ft 9in tall at the time, Cleary was initially posted to serve in Mayo on 30th June 1896. Later on 19th March 1901 he transferred to Belfast. He was fined 10 shillings on 23rd August 1904 for an unspecified infraction of regulations. Cleary took a prominent part in the Belfast Royal Irish Constabulary ‘E’ District Swimming Club. He completed unsuccessfully for the positions of its Captain and Vice-Captain in a competition on 30th July 1906. He did, however, qualify for the Royal Life Saving Society bronze medallion and certificate for proficiency in lifesaving; he received these from the Lord Lieutenant when he visited Belfast in August 1906.
The Belfast Dockers’ strike, lead by James Larkin, in 1907 resulted in the prolonged hours on duty for the police over several months. This, together with already existing low pay and Larkin’s influence resulted in several meetings being called to discuss these grievances. The authorities however quickly suppressed the police protest, dismissing or suspending the leaders and transferring 300 other police who had been involved. Cleary was among these and on 6th August 1907 he was transferred to Castledermot, County Kildare, in addition he was given an Unfavourable Record on 29th August 1907. His move from Belfast however had been only a matter of time. Having become engaged to be married to Annabella Tully, daughter of RIC pensioner James Tully, the RIC regulations would have prohibited him working in counties where he or his spouse had connections and although Annabella was born in Monaghan she was settled in Belfast. The would marry on 14th October 1907 in St. Matthew’s Roman Catholic Chapel in Bryson Street, and they would go on to have three children.
By 1911 the family were living at 14 Main Streete, Maynooth, and it was while he was in Maynooth that Cleary would perform the acts that led to the award of the bronze medal from the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire when on Christmas Day 1912 along with William Melia he saved James Murphy aged 76 from fire at Maynooth, County Kildare when a fire was caused by a candle setting fire to bed clothes. The Society approved the award of its bronze medal to Cleary at its committee meeting on 1st May 1913 at which same time they granted him a monetary award of £2 2s (SPLF case No. 15446).
The Irish Times subsequently reported the Society’s decision to award both men bronze medals and two guineas each ‘for their exertions in the midst of dense suffocating smoke on 25th December last, rescuing James Murphy an old man, who had accidentally set fire to his room in Maynooth, County Kildare. Later that month the same newspaper reported the local council had received formal notification of the award, thus ‘At the monthly meeting of the Celdridge No.1 District Council alatter was received from the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire, intimating that they had awarded to Constable Peter Cleary, RIC, Maynooth and Mr. William Melia, Maynooth, each a bronze medal for the bravery in effecting the rescue of a man named Murphy from a burning house in Maynooth last Christmas Eve. Sergeant Cleary and William Melia were presented with their medals and two guineas each by the Chairman of the Celbridge No.1 District Council in July 1913, the report of the ceremony also nothing that ‘Constable Cleary was already the holder of a medal and certificate for a rescue from drowning at Belfast.’
In April 1916 the IRA Volunteers from Maynooth, led by Patrick Colgan marched to assist the Rising in Dublin. As they were setting out from Maynooth, Cleary and another constable attempted to monitor their movements by marching behind them, but were held up at gun point and had to withdraw. Later, Cleary was brought into the Richmond Prison to assist identification of any of the local Maynooth men among the Volunteers.; Colgan described Cleary as an ‘inoffensive’ fellow. Posted to Naas on 1st December 1919, Cleary was eventually promoted to Sergeant on 1st January 1920 and was pensioned on 10th May 1922 when the Royal Irish Constabulary was disbanded and was granted an annual pension of £195. He settled in Belfast, living at 159 Mulholland Terrace, on the Falls Road, during the 1930s and latterly at 22 Riverdale Park West. Peter Cleary died at home on 24th May 1954 from the effects of Stomach Cancer.
