He was the son of Siobhan Cleary. He was the eldest of a large family, having six younger brothers and several younger sisters. His father died prior to 1970. His uncle Seamus was a member of the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland. After spending most of the previous 24 years in a coma with only occasional moments of lucidity, he died in his mother's arms on 5 April 1995 at the age of 46. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy)