Leamy, Edmund (1848-1904): was the son of a Waterford city merchant who lived in Beresford Street (Parnell St.). He was a student in Tullabeg College. In 1880 he became member of parliament for Waterford city and in 1885 was returned for Cork North-East. Two years later he was representing Sligo and in 1900 he was member of parliament for Kildare. In all cases he was an ardent member of the Nationalist Party in Westminster. He was the editor of United Ireland, the nationalist journal and was with John Redmond and Parnell when they had to break into the Journal's offices at the time of the Parnell split.

Edmund Leamy, with John Redmond and Sexton, was loyal to Parnell during that time. He, with the other two, faced a meeting with the English Liberal leaders at the beginning of the trouble but was snubbed by them. It was he and Redmond who both restrained Parnell from assaulting Justin McCarthy in the Westminster Committee Room. When John Redmond eventually became the compromise leader for the party, Leamy attended him at his great reception in Waterford and at the huge demonstration for him in Ballybricken in April 1900. Leamy was not just a politician and a supporter of the land agitation but had a keen interest in the labourers' movement and he developed a definite labour program. For this reason he was very popular with the workers on the farm and in the factory. 

Edmund Leamy, whilst he was a member of parliament, pursued legal studies at Trinity College, Dublin and he was called to the Bar in 1885, the year that he won the Cork North-East parliamentary seat. His defence of accused country people in County Wicklow made him famous in his time. He had a thirst for justice and a desire for fair play and loyalty. He died at the early age of 56 in Liverpool and his remains were brought home to Waterford and lay in state in the Cathedral. Leamy was also the author of some poems and he collected Irish fairy tales. In 1889 his book Irish Fairy Tales was published in Dublin.