Peter O'Connor

Early life Peter O'Connor was the six children of carpenter James O'Connor. Born in the village of Keilogue, Kilmacleague, County Waterford in 1912, the family moved to Poleberry Street, Waterford City a year later. There were many Irish Republicans and Trade unionists amongst the extended O'Connor family (two brothers and an uncle were members of the Irish Republican Army, while his father was a branch secretary in the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers) and their influence saw a nine-year-old O'Connor admitted to Fianna Eireann. It was as part of the Fianna that O'Connor reputedly took part of the Irish Civil War as a messenger boy serving the Anti-Treaty IRA. In 1929, at age seventeen, O'Connor transitioned from the Fianna into the IRA.

In the midst of the Great Depression of the 1930s, O'Connor was unable to master the skills of carpentry that his father and brothers processed, and was unemployed for long periods of time, finding work occasionally on building sites. It was during this time that O'Connor became attracted to communism, and linked up with Sean Murray to organise a Waterford branch of the Revolutionary Workers' Groups. In March 1933 O'Connor was amongst those who attended the conference in Dublin that saw the Revolutionary Workers' Groups merged into the Communist Party of Ireland. In 1934 O'Connor was amongst left-wing members of the IRA who wanted to see the IRA link their military goals with social agitation, and as part of this O'Connor, alongside Frank Edwards, helped found the Waterford branch of the Republican Congress, an attempt by left-wing Republicans to create a political body. As part of the Republican Congress, O'Connor tried to agitate on behalf of the unemployed and renters, and supported a building workers' strike in Waterford. O'Connor amongst 40 other Irishmen placed alongside British volunteers inside the XV International Brigade. However, during their training at a camp in Madrigueras, the Irish did not gel with the British, particularly after the Irish became aware that George Nathan, a former member of the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary during the Irish War of Independence, was a commanding officer amongst the British. In addition to having fought against the Irish, Nathan was rumoured to have assassinated two civilian members of Sinn Féin during the war. The Irish decided to hold a vote on if they should remain amongst the British or request to be transferred into a unit of Americans. O'Connor argued against the transfer, arguing that Irish and British workers should unite on class alignment and dismiss ethnic conflict. However, the Irish voted by a clear majority to leave the British and O'Connor went with them, into what became the Connolly Column unit.

A week after Brunete, O'Connor was the only Irishman remaining on the frontline, everyone else either being wounded or killed. Irish historian Lawrence William White suggests by this point O'Connor may have seen the most fighting of any Irish Republican volunteer. With the Irish casualties mounting, the commander of the Irish Frank Ryan pulled O'Connor from the line and ordered him to return to Ireland and speak publicly on behalf of the Republican side, to counter anti-Republican narratives being entertained there. O'Connor returned to Ireland in September 1937.