Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haife shi a Fife a matsayin daya daga cikin yara tara, mahaifin Daly Jimmy ya kasance mai hakar ma'adinai kuma memba ne na Jam'iyyar Kwaminis ta Burtaniya (CPGB), wanda ya sha wahala jerin sunayen baƙar fata saboda ayyukansa a lokacin mulkin mallaka na Birtaniya.
Babban yajin aiki na 1926. Jimmy ya fito ne daga asalin Katolika na Irish yayin da mahaifiyar Lawrence Janet ta kasance Presbyterian. Lawrence ya sami ilimi a makarantun Katolika na gida: daga baya ya ce iliminsa ya bar shi da masaniya sosai game da waƙoƙin Scottish da kuma "buƙatar dogma mai ƙarfi". Daga baya ya ci gaba da ilimin manya ta hanyar kwasa-kwasan wasiku da Hukumar Kula da Kwalejin Kwadago ta kasa ta shirya. A 15, Lawrence Daly ya fara aiki a matsayin mai hakar gwal a Glencraig Colliery. A wannan lokacin ya kuma shiga kungiyar 'yan gurguzu ta matasa.