Life
1881-1968; b. Ballygurteen, Clonakilty, Co. Cork; ed. Christian Brothers,
Dungarvan, and Carrick-on-Suir; moved with family to Dublin, 1897; joined
Irish Socialist Republican Party, 1898; close friend and associate of
James Connolly; Chairman of Amalgamated Society of Tailors, 1904; fndr-mbr.
United Socialist Party; helped establish Irish Transport and General Workers’
Union, 1909; becoming full-time secretary, 1909-46 organised committee
that secured Connolly’s return from America, 1910; executive Dublin
Trades Council, 1913, and President, 1914; fndr-mbr. ITGWU; secretary
of Lock-Out Strike organising committee, 1913; imprisoned; mbr. Irish
Neutrality League, and Anti-Conscription Committee, 1915; interned in
1916; gen. sec. of Labour Party during War of Independence; gave ‘unofficial’
assistance to IRA, imprisoned Wormwood Scrubs, 1920, and released after
hunger strike; TD, Dublin South, 1922-23; Tipperary, June-Aug. 1927; financial
sec. Labour Party, 1931-39; Chairman of Admin. Council, 1929-41; resisted
Larkin’s attempt to gain control of Party on release from prison,
and took him to court over his occupation of ITGWU headquarters, 1923;
formed rival Congress of Irish Unions; TD Tipperary, 1937-38; retired
from ITGWU at full term; 1946; d. 30 Oct., convalescent home, Bray. DIB
DIH
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Notes‘When I arrived at Liberty Hall about 10 a.m. on Easter Monday, all was hustle and excitement. Large numbers of Volunteers and Citizen Army men were continually passing in and out. Quantities of ammunition boxes were being taken out of the premises and loaded into cars and trucks. Shortly before noon, Connolly came down the stairs and spoke to us on the landing. Putting his head close to mine, and dropping his voice he said, "We are going out to be slaughtered." "Is there no chance of success?" I said, and he replied "None whatever". (Labour in Easter Week, p.21; cited in Léon Ó Bróin, Protestant Nationalists in Revolutionary Ireland, 1985, p.81.)
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Princess Grace Irish Library (Monaco)