William Rynne, known as "Willie" Rynne, was an Irish Republican who fought in the 1916 Rising.
He was born in Clouna South, Ennistymon, County Clare. His parents were David Rynne and Bridget Gallery/Rynne. As a young man he worked in a drapery store in Dundalk

Dundalk

Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...

, Co. Louth and joined the Irish Volunteers

Irish Volunteers

The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...

.
He was active in the 1916 Rising. After the rising he initially held at Richmond Barracks in Dublin. He was transferred to Wakefield Detention centre in England on 12 May 1916.
In 1917, as Captain of the Dundalk Volunteers, Rynne was active in the South Armagh

South Armagh

South Armagh can refer to:*The southern part of County Armagh*South Armagh *South Armagh...

 by-election

By-election

A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....

 protecting Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...

 voters from attacks by members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians

Ancient Order of Hibernians

The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...

, who supported the Irish Parliamentary Party

Irish Parliamentary Party

The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...

 candidate.
He was captured by the Black and Tans

Black and Tans

The Black and Tans was one of two newly recruited bodies, composed largely of British World War I veterans, employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary as Temporary Constables from 1920 to 1921 to suppress revolution in Ireland...

 during the Irish War of Independence

Irish War of Independence

The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...

 but escaped while being transported for his execution. He moved to the U.S.A. and never returned to Ireland.

Relatives of William Rynne

Rynne's first cousin was Daniel Vincent Gallery, the U.S. Navy captain of aircraft carrier USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60)

USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60)

USS Guadalcanal was a Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was the first ship to carry her name.She was converted from a Maritime Commission hull by Kaiser Co., Inc., of Vancouver, Washington...

, who captured U-505 on 4 June 1944. Another relative was Michael Rynne, aide-de-camp to Richard Mulcahy

Richard Mulcahy

Richard James Mulcahy was an Irish politician, army general and commander in chief, leader of Fine Gael and Cabinet Minister...

, Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army

Irish Republican Army

The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...

, during the war of independence. Michael Rynne was later legal adviser to the Government and then Irish ambassador to Spain under Éamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...

's Fianna Fáil

Fianna Fáil

Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...

 government.

External links

• http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/war_of_independence/sth_armagh_byelection.htmMemoirs of Andrew O'Donoghue, Ex Commander, 5th Battalion, Mid-Clare Brigade, of the Irish Republican Army
  Irish Republican Army
  The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
  
  , on South Aramagh by-election 1917]

,