▁a ▁family ▁of ▁th ir teen . ▁The ▁family ▁lived ▁a ▁per ip at etic ▁life ▁there after , ▁moving ▁from ▁house ▁to ▁house ▁around ▁north ▁Dublin . ▁As ▁a ▁child , ▁he ▁suffered ▁from ▁poor ▁eyes ight , ▁which ▁inter fer ed ▁somewhat ▁with ▁his ▁early ▁education , ▁but ▁O ' Case y ▁taught ▁himself ▁to ▁read ▁and ▁write ▁by ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁th ir teen . ▁ ▁He ▁left ▁school ▁at ▁four teen ▁and ▁worked ▁at ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁jobs , ▁including ▁a ▁nine - year ▁period ▁as ▁a ▁railway man ▁on ▁the ▁G NR . ▁O ' Case y ▁worked ▁in ▁E ason ' s ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁while , ▁in ▁the ▁newspaper ▁distribution ▁business , ▁but ▁was ▁s ack ed ▁for ▁not ▁taking ▁off ▁his ▁cap ▁when ▁collect ing ▁his ▁w age ▁packet . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁O ' Case y ▁and ▁his ▁elder ▁brother , ▁Arch ie , ▁put ▁on ▁performances ▁of ▁plays ▁by ▁D ion ▁Bou c ica ult ▁and ▁William ▁Shakespeare ▁in ▁the ▁family ▁home . ▁He ▁also ▁got ▁a ▁small ▁part ▁in ▁Bou c ica ult ' s ▁The ▁Sh augh ra un ▁in ▁the ▁Mechan ics ' ▁Theatre , ▁which ▁stood ▁on ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁Ab bey ▁Theatre . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁ ▁As ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁Irish ▁national ist ▁cause ▁grew , ▁O ' Case y ▁joined ▁the ▁G ael ic ▁League ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁and