Patrick Bennett
Home address at Ballingarry, County Tipperary was a Private, B Company, 7 Battalion, 3 Tipperary Brigade, IRA. Patrick was killed on 03 December 1922 in an exchange with National Army troops at Bawndonnell, County Tipperary.
His father, John Bennett was awarded an allowance from 1937.
Family Circumstances
John Bennett informed the Department of Defence that he had been unable to obtain a death certificate (a death cert required by Department as proof death occurred) as his son’s remains were “…refused admission into the Catholic Church.” John Bennett was employed as a farm labourer and was in receipt of 9 shillings per week in 1923. He also had use of a house but no land to work. Following Patrick’s death, John was forced to give up his employment as he was a widower with ten children ranging in ages between 18 months and 21 years. A knock-on effect of him leaving his employment was the loss of the family home. The file also reveals that the family’s circumstances changed drastically following the death of Patrick. The eldest daughters, Mary and Rose, who in 1923 were acting as ‘housekeepers’ to the younger children, left for England to find employment. As a result John Bennett was required to place three of his youngest children in Cashel Industrial School where two of them died. Furthermore by 1934 none of Mr Bennett’s children were in a position to assist him financially. Indeed, he was required to supply his married daughter Nan with vegetables and free milk. One can see why the officer’s assessment of John Bennett rings true: “owing to hardships endured since and subsequent bereavements he has aged considerably with consequent impairment of his health.”
Bennett’s initial application was rejected in 1934 by the Minister for Defence on age grounds. The Army Pensions Board had recommended a gratuity of £112.10.0 be paid. Following representations, appeals and further investigations John Bennett was awarded an annual allowance from 1937 until his death in January 1944.
