Prelude to the Easter Rising of 1916

Prelude to the Easter Rising of 1916
The Signatories of the Proclamation

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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Members of the Eighth Dáil - Conor Maguire

Conor Alexander Maguire


Conor Alexander Maguire (1889 – 26 September 1971) was an Irish politician, lawyer and judge. He was a founding member of the Legal and Economic Society in UCD in 1911; now known as the University College Dublin Law Society. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the National University of Ireland constituency at the 1932 general election and was re-elected at the 1933 general election.


He was appointed as Attorney General of the Irish Free State in March 1932. In November 1936, he resigned as Attorney General and as a TD on his appointment as a High Court judge. In 1946, he was appointed as Chief Justice of Ireland, that is the president of the Supreme Court of Ireland, where he served until 1961.

Members of the Eighth Dáil - Helena Concannon

Helena Concannon (née Walsh; 1878 – 27 February 1952) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, historian, author and language scholar.

She was Professor of History at University College Galway. Many of her writings were on the subject of Irish women, including Women of Ninety Eight (1919), Daughters of Banba (1922), The Poor Clares in Ireland (1929), and Irish nuns in penal days (1931).

She was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) at the 1933 general election for the National University of Ireland constituency. At the 1938 general election, she was elected to Seanad Éireann for the National University of Ireland constituency. She was re-elected at each successive election and served in the Seanad until her death in 1952.

Her husband was the Irish scholar Tomás Bán Ó Conceanainn.

Members of the Eighth Dáil - Eamon Rice

(Edward) Eamon Rice (26 April 1873 – 7 November 1937) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A national teacher before entering politics, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) at the 1932 general election for the Monaghan constituency. He was re-elected at the 1933 and 1937 general elections. He died while still in office in 1937. His widow Bridget Rice succeeded him as a TD for the same constituency from 1938 to 1954.

Members of the Eighth Dáil - Robert Davitt

Robert Emmet Davitt (12 December 1899 – 26 September 1981) was an Irish Fine Gael politician and medical practitioner. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath constituency at the 1933 general election. He did not contest the 1937 general election. He was a son of Michael Davitt.

Members of the Eighth Dáil - James Morrisroe

James Morrisroe (died December 1937) was an Irish politician. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála (TD) for the Mayo North constituency at the 1933 general election. He lost his seat at the 1937 general election.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Members of the Eighth Dáil - Charles Fagan

Charles Fagan (1 October 1881 – 8 May 1974) was an Irish politician and farmer. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1933 general election as a National Centre Party Teachta Dála (TD) for the Longford–Westmeath constituency. He became a Fine Gael TD on 8 September 1933 when Cumann na nGaedheal and the National Centre Party, along with the Army Comrades Association merged to form the new party of Fine Gael. He was elected as a Fine Gael TD for the Meath–Westmeath constituency at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at the 1938, 1943 and 1944 general elections.

He left Fine Gael in 1948 and was elected as an independent TD for Longford–Westmeath at the 1948 general election, and was re-elected as an independent TD at the 1951 general election. He re-joined Fine Gael in 1954 and was elected as a Fine Gael TD for Longford–Westmeath at the 1954 general election, and was re-elected at the 1957 general election. He did not contest the 1961 general election.

Members of the Eighth Dáil - Donnchadh Ó Briain

Donnchadh Ó Briain (17 November 1897 – 22 September 1981) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1933 general election. He served as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for various Limerick constituencies until 1969 when he retired from politics. He served in the governments of Éamon de Valera and Seán Lemass as Government Chief Whip.

Members of the Eighth Dáil - John (Jack) Finlay

John (Jack) Finlay (1890 – 30 September 1942) was a famous Irish sports person who played hurling for Laois in the 1910s and in later life was a politician.

Jack Finlay was born in Ballycuddy, County Laois in 1890. He had a love of hurling from a young age and soon joined his local club Ballygeehan. In 1913 Finlay won a Laois Junior Hurling Championship with the club. They moved to senior level the following year and proceeded to win five county championships in-a-row with Finlay as captain. After winning the county title, in 1914, the club had a major say in the selection of the inter-county team for the following year. Finlay was chosen as captain and was joined by his brother Tom.

That year Laois defeated Offaly, Kilkenny and Dublin to win the Leinster Championship. This victory set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Cork, who were red-hot favourites. Laois had no great hurling tradition and this was shown when Cork scored three goals. In the second-half, however, Laois rallied and won the game. Finlay became the only player from Laois to captain an All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winning team.

In later life, Finlay entered politics. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a National Centre Party TD for the Leix–Offaly constituency at the 1933 general election. He was re-elected at the 1937 general election for the same constituency as a Fine Gael TD. He lost his seat at the 1938 general election.

Jack Finlay died on 30 September 1942.

Members of the Eighth Dáil - Eamon Donnelly

Eamon Donnelly (1877 – 29 December 1944) was an Irish politician.

Born in Ulster and living in Newry, Donnelly was elected as an independent republican member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland in Armagh at the 1925 general election. Shortly after his election, he was served with an order excluding him from Northern Ireland. No official reason was given for the granting of this order.

Donnelly was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Leix–Offaly constituency at the 1933 general election. He did not contest the 1937 general election. He also served as Director of Elections for Fianna Fáil.

In 1938, Donnelly visited his wife's house near Newry, and was imprisoned in Belfast Prison, before being given a choice between paying a fine of £25 or returning to gaol. One again, no reason for his exclusion was revealed. That year, he stood for election to the 2nd Seanad, but was not successful.

In 1942, Donnelly was again elected to the Parliament of Northern Ireland, this time in a by-election for Belfast Falls. He did not take his seat.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Members of the Eighth Dáil - Patrick James Rogers

Patrick James Rogers (1 February 1900 – 22 March 1963) was an Irish politician and farmer.



He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1933 general election as a National Centre Party Teachta Dála (TD) for the Leitrim–Sligo constituency. He became a Fine Gael TD on 8 September 1933 when Cumann na nGaedheal and the National Centre Party, along with the Army Comrades Association merged to form the new party of Fine Gael. He was elected as a Fine Gael TD for the Sligo constituency at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at the 1938, 1943 and 1944 general elections. He lost his seat at the1948 general election but was elected for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency at the 1951 general election. He lost his seat again at the 1954 general election but was re-elected at the 1957 general election. He did not contest the 1961 general election. He served on Sligo County Council for the Ballymote area from 1928 until his death in 1963.