JOHN SHANLEY, MD, DPH, BSc, KSG, was born in Dublin on September 17th, 1895. His father, Peter Shanley, was a draper and ran the family business in 109 Parnell Street and later in bigger premises in 114 Parnell Street. As was the custom at that time, John, his sisters Gertrude and Mai and brother Eddie, lived over the shop. He attended the Christian Brothers at O'Connell Schools, matriculating in 1914.
He entered University College, Dublin in October 1914, graduating with 1st class honours in October 1919, and was appointed a Resident Doctor in the Richmond Hospital, where he worked under Professor Jock O'Carroll, Professor of Medicine, in U.C.D. and Sir Thomas Myles, the Senior Surgeon to the Richmond Hospital and "Honorary Surgeon to H.M. the King of Ireland". From 1920 to 1923, he was resident medical officer (acting) in the South Dublin Union. He was a medical officer to the Dublin Brigade IRA, most notably in Hammam Building; from which, on its capture, he managed to escape over the rooftops of Upper O'Connell Street to the Gresham Hotel.
Remarkably in this period, he had done post graduate studies in UCD (D.RH. an B.Sc., Hons. in Pathology) crowned in 1922 by a first class honours MD in medicine and pathology. In 1923 he was appointed assistant surgeon to the Children's Hospital in Temple Street, and to Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital where he joined my late Uncle Harry MacAuley. For many years, they were a great team.
The need for long term hospital care for children suffering from surgical tuberculosis was so great, and so acute for both social and surgical reasons, that the Irish Sisters of Charity opened Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital, in North County Dublin, in 1921. Whilst the bequest of Cappagh House and lands from the Martin family was an immense capital boost, the running costs were an ever increasing burden. In 1926, John Shanley, with a few colleagues and friends, discussed their problems with Joe McGrath and Dick Duggan. The latter contacted Dougie Stewart, a famous Glasgow Bookie. When he agreed to be the financial guarantor, W.T. Cosgrave issued a licence so the Irish Hospital Sweepstakes was born, with the first funds going to Cappagh and Jervis Street Hospitals. John Shanley joined the original IFS Hospital Sweepstakes Fund Committee, becoming vice chairman after some years, a position he filled up to the closure of the Sweepstakes in 1987.
As hon. secretary, he was a principal player in the founding of the Irish Medical Association in 1927. This involved recruiting members all over the country and merging the small association with the larger British Medical Association (Irish Branch). He served on the central council and executive for many years, being president in the late 1940s.
On January 27th, 1932, he married Dr. Una O'Mara, a daughter of Stephen O'Mara - de Valera's great fund raiser in North America. Una had been a resident house officer in Temple Street. They were a tremendously united couple up to the time of Una's tragic death in a car accident on Butt Bridge in June, 1974.
The Irish Red Cross Society was founded in July 1939. My father, Charles MacAuley, was the first chairman and he called on John Shanley, who in turn became hon. secretary and later chairman in 1946/47. He continue on the central council for more than 30 years and he was the joint author of the society's first aid and home nursing manuals.
In 1970, with the approval of President de Valera, he was conferred "Bonn Uachtarain na hEireann" for his services to the society and The Red Cross movement. He was Deputy City Coroner for over 30 years; his common sense and kindness contributed greatly to the often times difficult work of the court.
John Shanley's greatest contribution to his beloved city was his work in Temple Street Children's Hospital as senior surgeon and chairman of the Medical Board for nearly 40 years. In his hospital commitment, he was a full time paediatric surgeon, the first in Ireland by more than 35 years, and he was elected an honorary member of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons in 1953.