Irish actress Jessie Buckley has made headlines internationally, with the nation bursting with pride over her recent Golden Globe win for best actress.

The Killarney born actress stars alongside Paul Mescal in 'Hamnet', a film focusing on how William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes coped with the loss of their 11 year old son Hamnet.

Laois locals have a particular reason to be proud, as the Killarney born actresses' Rathdowney roots run deep.

Jessie Buckley's grandmother Norrie was born and raised at Fairy Hill, the Conoboro Rathdowney, the former residence and practice of the town's GP.

Her great-grandfather Dr John Joseph "Jack" Comer married IRB and Cumman na mBán activist Madge Clifford, and the pair raised their eight children in Rathdowney. The family lived in Rathdowney for 44 years, and have a fascinating history. 

Pictured: Fairyhill house, the Conoboro Rathdowney. Photo: Google maps

Retired Rathdowney GP Dr Niall Doherty, one of Dr Jack Comer's predecessors and former owner of Fairyhill house, told the Leinster Express / Laois Live of the family's history in the town.

"It was only while I was writing the history of their family for the 2007 Rathdowney Review that I heard their story, they spoke to me over the phone on how they were involved in the old IRA and came to the town," Dr Doherty said.

"The house they lived in was built in 1912 by Perry's brewery to accommodate their workers. It was bought by the health board, and the house would come with the position of GP in the town. When I was hired as the local GP in 1977, the house and practice came with the position," Dr Doherty explained.

"Dr Comer qualified in Galway and it was a hotbed of republican activity, it's here his beliefs were set. Following his qualification he was appointed to a practice in Clonaslee, but he was arrested in 1923 and imprisoned in Portlaoise for his involvement with the IRA," Dr Doherty said.

"He was transferred to Tintown camp in the Curragh, and he was one of very few doctors to be imprisoned. He was released in 1924 following representations made by Errill TD William Davin, who argued that his constituents were without a doctor.

"He was not permitted to accept his job in Clonaslee, and Laois County Council argued that his politics would not interfere with his abilities to perform duties. He became the GP in Rathdowney and remained here until his retirement in 1970," Dr Doherty said.

Pictured: Madge Clifford and Dr Jack Comer

In 1926, Dr Comer married republican activist Madge Clifford. The pair met in Rathdowney while Madge was canvassing the town with Countess Constance Markievicz and Maude Gonne.

Madge was a key figure in many republican acts of rebellion, and was a private secretary to republican politicians.

In 1916, Madge met Roger Casement off the Aud with ammunition for the 1916 Easter Rising, and was an officer in Cumann na mBán. She became the personal secretary to Kerry TD and Minister for Home Affairs Austin Stack in 1919, and supervised arms dumps, gathered intelligence and moved weapons.

Madge also assisted Michael Collins and Harry Boland in bringing letters to Mountjoy prison, and pointed out some of the British spies that were killed by the IRA on Bloody Sunday. She was one of only five women in the Four Courts when it was destroyed in 1922. 

That same year, Éamon de Valera appointed Madge to serve as secretary to IRA chief of staff Liam Lynch at headquarters in the Tower House, Santry.

After the Second World War, Madge was approached by Seán MacBride to stand for Clann na Poblachta in the 1947 election but declined for family reasons.

"Madge and Jack honeymooned in Jersey and settled into married life in Rathdowney, where they lived and raised their children for 44 years," he said.

Dr Comer and his wife went on to have eight children; daughters Una, Maureen, Bridget (Biddy), Eileen (Dodie), Norrie and Josephine (Fin) and their sons Simon and Diarmuid (Gerry).

Six of these children followed their father's path and became doctors, with one becoming a solicitor and one a nurse.

"Norrie, Jessie's grandmother, was the youngest of the girls. She qualified as a GP in UCD and trained in her father's practice," Dr Doherty said.

"She married Pat and they settled in Killarney, where she spent her professional life working at St Mary of the Angel's facility in Beaufort near Killarney. Her husband Pat sadly passed suddenly in 1986. Their son Tim is Jessie Buckley's father, he and his brother Sean continued in the hotel business, while their sister Mary is a teacher and Úna is a nurse in Texas."

"Dr Comer retired in 1977 and moved back to Kerry, there were two other doctors in place until I took over in '77. After two years, they built the health centre in Mooreville and I conducted my business there, we moved out of Fairyhill," Dr Doherty finished.

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