P. I. O’Leary

Patrick Ignatius Davitt O’Leary was a journalist and poet. He wrote articles, and some poetry, for several publications, and became widely known for his writings in The Advocate (Melbourne), especially on the subject of Australian literature. His work was often signed “P. I. O’L.”, although he also used the pseudonyms “Franci Davitt”, “Historicus”, and “M”.[1]

P. I. O’Leary was born in Georgetown, South Australia, in 1888. He was the fourth of nine children. His parents were Daniel James O’Leary (a school teacher, born in Ireland) and Susan O’Leary.[2]

It would appear that his parent’s religious and political views played a part in their choice of Christian names for Patrick Ignatius Davitt O’Leary, if we can assume that “Patrick” was a reference to Saint Patrick of Ireland (a Catholic saint), “Ignatius” was from Saint Ignatius of Antioch (another Catholic saint), and “Davitt” was taken from Michael Davitt (the Irish Nationalist agitator and politician, who had planned to tour Australian in 1885, three years before Patrick’s birth, although the visit was postponed until 1895); in a 1944 article in The Advocate, James G. Murtagh claimed that Michael Davitt was Patrick’s godfather.[3]

Patrick was born crippled, and was unable to walk until he was eight years old. From then on, he could get about by himself, but was still hampered by his untoward leg, although he developed tactics to work his way around his disability (for example, he would play cricket; but, when batting, he had someone else do his running for him).

His father encouraged Patrick to read. So the young lad, who was somewhat constrained by a limp, immersed himself in the world of literature; it was a world he was to excel in, and it became a large part of his life.

After his father passed away in 1902 (he died at the school-residence at Crystal Brook, south-east of Port Pirrie), the family moved to Port Pirrie (on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf, SA), and then to Broken Hill (in New South Wales, just over the border from South Australia). Patrick worked as a rouseabout on sheep stations, and was a union organiser. He obtained his first job in journalism when he was hired onto the staff of The Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW).[4]

In 1912 Patrick Ignatius O’Leary married Mary Teresa Slattery at the Broken Hill Cathedral. The marriage was to produce four children: Mary Teresa (named after her mother), Margaret, Kevin (who became a Catholic priest), and Brian.[5]

The young couple moved to Adelaide (SA), where O’Leary worked as a journalist for The Advertiser. During the First World War (1914-1918), his newspaper employers campaigned in favour of a “Yes” vote for the referendum on conscription, but O’Leary publicly campaigned for the “No” vote, and did so in front of the newspaper’s offices no less. He was soon looking for another job.

They then moved to Hummocky Hill (now known as Whyalla; on west coast of the Spencer Gulf, SA), and worked as a clerk for Broken Hill Pty. Ltd.[6]

At the end of the war, they moved to Melbourne, with Patrick hoping to gain employment in the literary world there; however, luck was not with him, and he ended up working on a stall at the Western market.

P. I. O’Leary sent articles and poems to various publications. Finally, his talent was recognised by the editor of the Catholic weekly newspaper, The Advocate (Melbourne, Vic.), who offered him a job in 1920. Patrick gladly joined the staff, and wrote for that publication up until his death; it was from his articles in The Advocate that he gained his nationwide reputation.

Being of Irish background, he found himself drawn to Irish causes, and thus became the national secretary of the Self-Determination for Ireland League of Australia. Indeed, The Advocate, as with the other Catholic publications in Australia at that time, maintained a stance in favour of Irish nationalism (a position no doubt brought about as a consequence of the large numbers of Irish priests and Irish Catholics within the Catholic church in Australia).[7]

Unfortunately, in 1944, his health deteriorated, and he was hospitalised. P. I. O’Leary died at the age of 56 in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Fitzroy (Melbourne, Vic.), on 21 July 1944.[8]

During his time in journalism, O’Leary had a significant impact upon the literary scene. In an article in The Advocate, about the Catholic media presence in Australia, it was said

“Among Australian writers, first place, perhaps, should go to the late Patrick Ignatius O’Leary, for years the literary editor of the journal. It was he who discovered and attracted to its pages many a young writer and poet, and encouraged them in their early efforts.”[9]

Patrick Ignatius O’Leary strove to build up a wide recognition for the worth of Australian writings; as a literary critic and journalist, his work made a valuable contribution to the ongoing development of Australian literature.

Works by P. I. O’Leary:
Works of P. I. O’Leary

Articles about P. I. O’Leary:
Obituary: Mr P. I. O’Leary [obituary for P. I. O’Leary, 22 July 1944]
P.I.O’L. [obituary for P. I. O’Leary, 26 July 1944]
Journalist and Laborite dies [obituary for P. I. O’Leary, 27 July 1944]
The Open Road and the Inky Way: Patrick Ignatius O’Leary (1888-1944): Rover-poet and Catholic journalist [obituary for P. I. O’Leary, 2 August 1944]
On the track: A tribute to P.I.O’L. [obituary for P. I. O’Leary, 2 August 1944]

References:
General reference:
James G. Murtagh, “The Open Road and the Inky Way: Patrick Ignatius O’Leary (1888-1944): Rover-poet and Catholic journalist”, The Advocate (Melbourne, Vic.), 2 August 1944, pp. 9-10

[1] “O’Leary, P. I. (Patrick Ignatius) (1888-1944)”, Trove (National Library of Australia)
“Death of Mr. P. I. O’Leary: Catholic journalism sustains great loss”, The Advocate (Melbourne, Vic.), 26 July 1944, p. 4 (re. “P.I.O’L.”)
“OLEARY, Patrick Ignatius Davit”, Genealogy SA (Patrick Ignatius Davit O’Leary, born 1888, father Daniel O’Leary, District: Clare, Book/Page: 414/467)
“OLEARY, Kathleen Patricia”, Genealogy SA (Kathleen Patricia O’Leary, born 1917, father Patrick Ignatius Davitt, District: Adelaide, Book/Page: 998/24) [note: the details for his daughter’s birth give Patrick’s third Christian name as “Davitt”, i.e. with two Ts]

[2] “Births, marriages, and deaths ”, The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), 12 June 1902, p. 4 (death of Daniel James O’Leary)
“Births, marriages, and deaths”, The Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA), 23 April 1909, p. 264 (marriage of Minnie O’Leary, “second daughter of Susan O’Leary, of Broken Hill, and the late Daniel O’Leary, of Crystal Brook”)

[3] “St. Patrick: bishop and patron saint of Ireland ”, Encyclopædia Britannica
“St. Ignatius of Antioch: Syrian bishop”, Encyclopædia Britannica
James G. Murtagh, “The Open Road and the Inky Way: Patrick Ignatius O’Leary (1888-1944): Rover-poet and Catholic journalist, The Advocate (Melbourne, Vic.), 2 August 1944, p. 9
This article stated that “The Irish patriot and reformer, Michael Davitt, who was visiting Australia, was god-father at his baptism.” It should be noted that whilst Michael Davitt had intended to tour Australia in 1885, his tour of Australia and New Zealand did not occur until 1895, following which he wrote a book about his experiences, observations, and opinions, entitled Life and Progress in Australasia (1896). However, it is possible that Michael Davitt was made Patrick O’Leary’s godfather in 1895, rather than in 1888, the year of Patrick’s birth.
See: 1) “Michael Davitt interviewed”, The Freeman’s Journal (Sydney, NSW), 12 July 1884, p. 7 (Davitt talks of “My projected lecture tour in Australia”)
2) “Rome: Michael Davitt visits the Catacombs before sailing for Australia”, The Freeman’s Journal (Sydney, NSW), 16 May 1885, p. 7
3) “Davitt and his Australian trip”, The Freeman’s Journal (Sydney, NSW), 6 June 1885, p. 9
4) “Michael Davitt will probably visit Australia”, Evening News (Sydney, NSW), 25 July 1885, p. 4 (“it is expected that he will come direct to Australia about August or September”)
5) “Michael Davitt”, Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners’ Advocate (Newcastle, NSW), 13 August 1885, p. 5 (“Michael Davitt has abandoned his projected lecturing tour through Australia”)
6) “Michael Davitt in Australia”, New Zealand Tablet (Dunedin, NZ), 7 June 1895, p. 15
See also:
“Saint Patrick”, Wikipedia
“Ignatius of Antioch”, Wikipedia
“Michael Davitt”, Wikipedia

[4] “Births, marriages, and deaths ”, The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), 12 June 1902, p. 4 (death of Daniel James O’Leary)
“OLEARY, Daniel James”, Genealogy SA (Daniel James O’Leary, died 1902, District: Clare, Book/Page: 285/344)
“Journalist and Laborite dies”, The Labor Call (Melbourne, Vic.), 27 July 1944, p. 2
“Obituary”, The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 22 July 1944, p. 3
“On the track: A tribute to P.I.O’L.”, The Advocate (Melbourne, Vic.), 2 August 1944, p. 10

[5] Births, Deaths and Marriages search, NSW Government (Patrick I. O’Leary and Mary T. Slattery; District: Broken Hill; Registration Number: 5251/1912)
“OLEARY, Kathleen Patricia”, Genealogy SA (Kathleen Patricia O’Leary, born: 1917, father: Patrick Ignatius Davitt, District: Adelaide, Book/Page: 998/24)
“Search your family history”, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria
(birth record: OLEARY, Mary Teresa, reg. year 1918, reg. no. 19353/1918; father Patk Ignatius OLEARY)
“Births, marriages, deaths”, The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 22 July 1944, p. 10 (column 3, in the “Deaths” section; death of Patrick Ignatius O’Leary, names his wife and children)
““P.I.O’L’s” son ordained in Italy”, The Advocate (Melbourne, Vic.), 5 July 1951, p. 2 (Rev. Kevin P. O’Leary)

[6] “Mr. Osborne’s memories”, The Recorder (Port Pirie, SA), 17 July 1950, p. 3 (“Hummocky Hill, later officially described as Whyalla”)

[7] “Message To De Valera: To the editor of the Argus”, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 26 August 1921, p. 7
“Self-determination and the Australian democracy”, The Advocate (Melbourne, Vic.), 1 September 1921, p. 23

[8] “Births, marriages, deaths”, The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 22 July 1944, p. 10 (column 3)
“Deaths”, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 22 July 1944, p. 16 (column 2)
“Ex.-S.A. journalist dies in Melbourne”, The News (Adelaide, SA), 22 July 1944, p. 3
“Births, marriages, deaths”, The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), 25 July 1944, p. 8 (column 2; notice inserted by his siblings)
“Births, marriages and deaths”, The Advocate (Melbourne, Vic.), 18 July 1945, p. 21 (in the “In memoriam” section)

[9] “The Catholic press and radio in Melbourne”, The Advocate (Melbourne, Vic.), 13 May 1948, p. 37

Updated 26 May 2021.