Sean Costello was a native of Cornamagh, Athlone and was one of those who gave his young life for the cause of Ireland. He was educated at the local national school in Cornamaddy and after school worked for Peadar Melinn who had an egg-store beside the Royal Hotel. About 1913 he left Athlone to get work in Dublin and there he became an 2nd Lieutenant with F Company, 1st Batallion of the Irish Volunteers. He was chosen to serve as a pall-bearer at the funeral of O'Donovan Rossa and obviously heard Padraig Pearse's oration at the grave-side in Glasnevin.He took part in the Easter Rising and on the Wednesday of Easter Week, the bloodiest day of the Rebellion, when intense fighting was taking place at Mount Street Bridge an outpost of De Valera's command he was sent on despatch duty to Boland's Mill. In the aftermath of that encounter his body was found near Boland's Mill and he was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery. In 1935 Athlone UDC agreed to change the name of part of Irishtown to Sean Costello Street in his honour.

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