James Charles Comerford

JAMES CHARLES COMERFORD (1842-1907), of Ardavon House, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, a shareholder in Rathdrum Mill. He was born in 1842. He was a friend and political ally of his neighbour, Charles Stewart Parnell. On 15 December 1881, when the Land League organised a demonstrative day of action in support of Parnell by calling on people to plough and manure his fields at Garrymore, near Rathdrum, and at Avondale, Comerford gave his mill workers in Rathdrum and Laragh the day off to take part.
The Comerford mill in Rathdrum burned down in June 1885, but was rebuilt and the business was flourishing a year later in June 1886 when the Comerfords hosted a visit by British and Irish millers.
On 7 September 1892, James Charles Comerford married Eva Mary Esmonde (born on 3 November 1860, died on 5 September 1949 aged 88), daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Esmonde VC (1831-1872), of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment and Deputy-Inspector General of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Colonel Esmonde received the Victoria Cross for his part in the Battle of Sebastopol, on 18 June 1855, being the first officer to enter Sebastopol after the siege. Colonel Esmonde, whose great uncle was the Right Revd James Murphy, Bishop of Cork, was a younger brother of Sir John Esmonde (1826-1876), 10th Baronet, of Ballynastragh, Gorey, Co Wexford, and Glenwood, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, Liberal MP for Waterford (1852-1876).
Eva Mary (Esmonde) Comerford was three times tennis champion of Ireland.
James Charles Comerford died on 3 October 1907, aged 64, and is buried in Three Mile Water, Ennisboyne, Co Wicklow, with the Ellis family of Kilpoole, Co Wicklow. At the time of her death, Eva Comerford was living at St Nessan’s, Sandyford, Co Dublin, and she was buried in Ennisboyne. They had two sons and two daughters:

1. Mary (‘Máire’) Eva Comerford (1893-1982), of St Nessan’s, Sandyford, Co Dublin (see Comerford Profiles 21: Máire Comerford (1893-1982), republican activist and journalist). She was born on 29 June 1893, and she died at her home aged on 16 December 1982, aged 89, unmarried. Máire Comerford was raised in Co Wexford and in Co Waterford. A life-long Republican activist, she first became active in politics as a Redmondite in Wexford Town, but then took part in the 1916 Rising. in Dublin She ran a farm in Co Wexford before working as a journalist on the staff of The Irish Press from 1935. She was buried beside Father Sweetman on Mount Saint Benedict outside Gorey, Co Wexford.
   
2. (Colonel) Thomas James Comerford (1894-1959). He was born on 1 November 1894 and raised in Co Wexford and Co Waterford. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Irish Regiment in September 1914. He was on active service at the Souvla Bay landing (Gallipoli), and was temporarily with the 6th Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers from 7 to 16 August 1915. He was badly wounded in the mouth and chest and was not declared fit for active service until December 1915. He later told his son that he was in Dublin while his sister Máire was involved in the Easter Rebellion in 1916. He was on active service in France from 22 July 1916 in the latter part of Battle of the Somme with the 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, and then in Belgium at the Battles of Messines, Langemark, Menin Road, Ploegsteert and Wytschaate. He joined the Indian Army in November 1917 and would spend 25 years in India. He was active in World War II organising supplies for the Chindits. He died aged 65 on 1 January 1959 in West Malling, Kent. He married in Bombay on 10 October 1921 Edith Isobel Donaldson; she died on 9 September 1990. They had a son and a daughter. Their grandson is Roger Comerford.
   
3. Dympna Helen (1897-1977), born 9 November 1897, she died in 1977 aged 80. She married Paddy Mulligan, and they had a son and a daughter, Patrick Mulligan and Margaret.
   
4. Alexander E. (‘Sandy’) Comerford (1900-1966), of Nairn, Saint Margaret’s Park, Malahide, Co Dublin. He was born 5 February 1900 and died on 17 December 1966. He worked with Bord na Mona. He married on 5 October 1941 Kathleen McNelis (1911-2000) of Donegal. She was born on 22 December 1911 and died on 29 December 2000. They are buried in Malahide Cemetery, Co Dublin. They are the parents of the film-maker Joe Comerford (see Comerford Profiles 24: Joe Comerford, film-maker).
   

Chapter 13: Comerford of Ballinakill, Rathdrum and Courtown, Comerford Family History