Fate unites descendants of tragic 1916 love story

Events to mark the centenary of the only Cork man killed during the Easter Rising will also remember his fiancée after fate brought descendants of both into contact this week.

Last November, as the Seán Ó Muirthile Historical Society began planning commemorations in Drinagh for Seán Hurley, all they knew was that he had been engaged to marry a Kathleen O’Brien — but little else.

“We knew little about Kathleen, we had no background information such as her year of birth, parents’ names or what county she was from,” explained society officer Margaret Murphy.