Born on 25 of February, 1891 as John Edward Daly in Limerick. Daly was the only son of 10 children to parents Edward Daly and Catherine O’Mara. His father, who died months before his son was born, was a member of the IRB.

Daly briefly worked as an apprentice baker in Glasgow before returning to Limerick to work the timber yards. He would eventually move to Dublin in 1913, where he would live with his sister, Kathleen and her husband, Thomas Clarke. It was through Edward that Thomas Clarke had met his wife.

In 1913, Daly had joined the newly formed Irish Volunteers and quickly reached the rank of captain. He would also gain admiration of senior officers with his involvement in the Howth gun running of 1914. In 1915, he had achieved the rank of Commandant of the First Battalion.

During the rising, Daly and his troops seen some of the harshest fighting as they held the Four Courts and areas west and north of Dublin city centre until they were forced to surrender by orders of Patrick Pearse.

Edward was court-martialed and executed by firing squad on the 4th of May, 1916. He was 25 years old.