He was one of ten children born to Christopher Teeling and Sarah Mc Grane of whom only four survived childhood.
When members of Fianna Éireann on lookout reported that Auxiliaries were approaching the house, the unit of Volunteers split up into two groups.
[4] Although Teeling was made a Lieutenant in the National Army of the newly founded Irish Free State, his behaviour and escalating alcoholism became a cause for concern.
He had become an embarrassment to the army, but his record of service during the War of Independence made it awkward to publicly discredit him or discharge him.
[3] The money was apparently to be drawn down from funds authorised by the Free State cabinet for use by the Secret Service.
It seems a drunk Teeling objected to the fact that Johnson had brought a bag of tomatoes into the bar at the Theatre Royal and shot him dead in the ensuing altercation.