John (Jack) Ahern  (Born ?)

Ellen, Jule and The Private

John Ahern (known as 'Jack the Private') was born in Tournafulla and lived there all of his life.

He married Julia Doherty (known as Jule). They had 6 children, Michael, Dominic, Lar, Ellen, Kathleen and Sean. 
In earlier days Jack was in the old IRA, as were many of the young men in the village back then.
He's mentioned a number of times in a book about the West Limerick brigade and the war of independence called 'Victory and Woe' by Mossie Harnett.

Victory and Woe:  An account of life at the grassroots during the Irish war of Independence and the civil war by the Officer commanding, 2nd battalion, West Limerick Brigade of the Irish Volunteers. Mossie Harnett (1893-1977), who fought on the anti-treaty side in the civil war, describes his early life on a farm in Tournafulla, his enrollment in the Irish Volunteers in 1915, and his involvement in the conflict until his release from a Free State prison in 1923.

The Tournafulla hurling team, taken around 1900-10  The Private, Middle row, 3rd from the right. 

Song written about Jack when he captained the hurling team in the 20's:

The Private Ahern

Success attended that gallant team,

who I often witnessed play,

In that dear old spot I loved so well,

That's Tour so far away.

Where the buachail's young, on a summer's eve

They hurled on Kelly's Lawn,

You would hear the cheers go reaching back

To the banks of the sweet Lochan.

Their captain boys, was a sporting lad,

Whose equal can't be seen,

He was always in the Gaelic field

With fair-play for his team.

When the game was at it's hottest,

And regardless of his bones,

He led his men to victory,

The Gaelic young Wolfe Tones.

Mikey (Bill's son), Jack 'the private', Ellen, Sean & Lar