▁Se án ▁South ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁L imer ick ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Se xt on ▁Street ▁Christian ▁Brothers ▁School , ▁later ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁cl erk ▁in ▁a ▁local ▁wood - import ing ▁company ▁called ▁Mc M ah on ' s . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁organis ations , ▁including ▁Cl ann ▁na ▁P ob lach ta , ▁S inn ▁F é in , ▁the ▁G ael ic ▁League ▁and ▁the ▁Leg ion ▁of ▁Mary . ▁In ▁L imer ick ▁he ▁founded ▁the ▁local ▁branch ▁of ▁Maria ▁Du ce , ▁a ▁social ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁organisation , ▁where ▁he ▁also ▁edited ▁both ▁An ▁G ath ▁and ▁An ▁Gi ol la . ▁He ▁had ▁received ▁military ▁training ▁as ▁a ▁lieutenant ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁army ▁reserve , ▁the ▁L DF , ▁which ▁would ▁later ▁become ▁the ▁F CA ▁( An ▁F ó rs a ▁Cos anta ▁Á iti ú il , ▁or ▁Local ▁Def ence ▁Force ), ▁before ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁volunte er ▁in ▁the ▁Irish ▁Republican ▁Army . ▁ ▁Being ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁An ▁Ré alt ▁( the ▁Irish - spe aking ▁chapter ▁of ▁the ▁Leg ion ▁of ▁Mary ), ▁South ▁was ▁a ▁dev out ▁Catholic ▁and ▁a ▁conserv ative , ▁even ▁by ▁the ▁standards ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁It ▁was ▁at ▁a ▁meeting ▁of ▁An ▁Ré alt ▁that ▁he ▁met ▁his ▁only ▁serious ▁girl friend , ▁M á ire ▁de ▁Pa or . ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁school te acher ▁from ▁L imer ick , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁great