Mee, Jeremiah (1889–1953), leader of the Listowel RIC mutiny, was born 29 March 1889 at Knickanes, Glenamaddy, Co. Galway, fourth child among five sons and four daughters of John Mee and Ellen Mee (née Mee). His home was a 21-acre farm near Glenamaddy village. From 1893 to 1901 he attended Stonetown National School, whose principal was the national-minded John O'Keeffe. After leaving school he worked on his father's farm for eight years.
In August 1910 Mee joined the RIC. After the usual six months training in the depot in Dublin, he was appointed to the police barracks in Kesh, Co. Sligo. Subsequently he served at Collooney (1913–14), Geevagh (1914–15), Ballintogher (1915–18), and Grange (1918–19). In 1915 he incurred the displeasure of his superior officer by refusing to join the British army. Nor did he endear himself to his superiors by joining the police union that was founded early in 1918. Under the leadership of Thomas J. McElligott (qv) this union soon had some 4,000 members. Its objects were to improve the conditions of service and to ensure that eventually the RIC would be a civil rather than a paramilitary police force. To discourage membership of the union, the authorities transferred those who joined it to the least desirable posts. This led to Mee finding himself in Listowel police barracks, which by then (July 1919) was the centre of a ‘disturbed district’. Mee acted as spokesman when in June 1920 he and thirteen of his comrades refused to hand over the barracks to the British army and accept assignments to outlying, dangerous police-posts. They were visited by the divisional commissioner for Munster, Lt.-col. G. B. F. Smyth (qv), who told them that they were to go on the offensive against the IRA. Misjudging the mood of the constables he attempted to incite them to this end, saying (by their account): ‘The more you shoot the better I will like you, and I assure you that no policeman will get into trouble for shooting any man’. Mee and his comrades refused to obey Smyth or the other officers present, and in early July five (including Mee) left the force without notice.
The news of the Listowel mutiny contributed to the growing drain on RIC strength through resignations, dismissals, and early retirement. This became Mee's next concern. After meetings with Michael Collins (qv) and Countess Markievicz (qv), he was attached to Sinn Féin's ministry of labour with the task of finding employment for resigned and dismissed members of the RIC, in order to encourage more men to leave. Though this effort was unsuccessful, Mee was able to arrange a ‘non-aggression pact’ between the DMP and IRA. Later he assisted with the implementation of the Belfast boycott (January 1921–February 1922). When that was wound up he secured a job with the Irish White Cross. Although opposed to the Anglo–Irish treaty, he kept aloof from the civil war. Yet in August–September 1922 he was interned for four weeks by the Free State army. Subsequently he was unemployed for a year until he became a superintendent with the BP oil company. When he and some colleagues formed the Irish BP Protective Association and had it affiliated to the Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks, they were dismissed. After an unsuccessful strike Mee joined his former company's rival, Russian Oil Products (ROP) Ltd. In 1932 he joined the Department of Local Government and Public Health and served in Longford, Mullingar, and Dublin.
In 1951–2 he wrote his memoirs, excerpts from which were published in the Leitrim Leader (15 March–26 April 1952). He married (16 August 1920) Annie O'Rourke (d. 1948) of Drumkeeran, Dromahair, Co. Leitrim; they had four daughters and two sons. He died on 8 May 1953.