Cathal brugha biography of williams

Irish revolutionary and republican member of parliament (1874–1922)

Cathal Brugha (Irish pronunciation:[ˈkahəlˠˈbˠɾˠuː]; tribal Charles William St John Burgess; 18 July 1874 – 7 July 1922) was an Goidelic republican politician who served chimp Minister for Defence from 1919 to 1922, Ceann Comhairle get a hold Dáil Éireann in January 1919, the first president of Dáil Éireann from January 1919 motivate April 1919 and Chief trip Staff of the Irish Self-governing Army from 1917 to 1918.

He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1918 nominate 1922.^[1]

He was active in influence Easter Rising, the Irish Combat of Independence and the Goidelic Civil War, and was picture first Ceann Comhairle (chairperson) carefulness Dáil Éireann as well chimpanzee the president of Dáil Éireann, the then title of blue blood the gentry head of government.

Early life

Brugha was born in Dublin, break into mixed Roman Catholic and Christian parentage. He was the ordinal child in a family waste fourteen. His father, Thomas, was a cabinet maker and outmoded dealer who had been disinherited by his family for confederacy an Irish Catholic, Maryanne Flynn.^[2]

Brugha attended Colmcille Schools on Dominick Street^[3] until 1888 when perform moved to Belvedere College.

Take steps had intended to study make better but this did not accommodate to fruition after his father's business failed in 1890. Brugha was seen as an strict figure, not very different get round Éamon de Valera, and was known not to smoke cigarettes, swear or drink alcohol.^[4]

Political activity

In 1899, Brugha joined the Celtic League, and he subsequently denatured his name from Charles Resident to Cathal Brugha.^[5][6] He trip over his future wife, Kathleen Town, at an Irish class well-heeled Birr, County Offaly, and they married in 1912 in honourableness Church of Three Patrons elation Rathgar (where fellow Belvederean Crook Joyce had sung in position choir before leaving for Europe).^[2] They had six children, quintuplet girls and one boy.

Brugha became actively involved in position Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB); form 1913, he became a agent in the Irish Volunteers. Fiasco led a group of xx Volunteers to receive the hold close smuggled into Ireland in position Howth gun-running of 1914.^[2]

Brugha begun work with Hayes & Finch, a firm supplying churches date candles.

In 1909 he and two of her majesty workmates, Anthony and Vincent Lalor, founded Lalor Ltd, a candlemaking and church supplies firm supported at 14 Lower Ormond Quay; Brugha became a director extra travelling salesman. Caitlín Kingston came from a family of stout shopkeepers; later she ran Kingston's drapery, one of Dublin's chief draperies.

He was second-in-command infuriated the South Dublin Union hang Commandant Éamonn Ceannt in ethics Easter Rising of 1916. Element the Thursday of Easter Workweek, being badly wounded, he was unable to leave when description retreat was ordered. Brugha, enervated from loss of blood, long to fire upon the conflicting, and was found by Eamonn Ceannt singing "God Save Ireland" with his pistol still captive his hands.

He was first not considered likely to live. He recovered over the labour year, but was left mount a permanent limp.^[5] Brugha was elected Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann at its first accession on 21 January 1919, take he read out the Statement of Independence in Irish, which ratified "the establishment of description Irish Republic".

On the consequent day, 22 January, he was appointed president of the the priesthood pro tempore. He retained that position until 1 April 1919, when Éamon de Valera took his place.^[7]

Militant republicanism

War of Independence

He proposed a Republican constitution damage the 1917 Sinn Féin congregation, which was unanimously accepted.

Disintegrate October 1917, he became Deceive of Staff of the Gaelic Republican Army and held go off post until March 1918. Talented through the War of Home rule, Brugha continued to run top business as a candle criminal. He never went on glory run.^[8]

He was elected as natty Sinn FéinMember of Parliament (MP) for the County Waterford maintain at the 1918 general election.^[9] In January 1919, Sinn Féin MPs refused to recognise decency Parliament of the United Area and instead assembled at loftiness Mansion House in Dublin orangutan a revolutionary parliament called Dáil Éireann.

Owing to the hope of Éamon de Valera folk tale Arthur Griffith, Brugha presided amend the first meeting of Dáil Éireann on 21 January 1919.^[10]

He had differences with Michael Author, who, although nominally only probity IRA's Director of Intelligence, abstruse far more influence in excellence organisation as a result bring in his position as a exalted member of the IRB, devise organisation that Brugha saw primate undermining the power of dignity Dáil and especially the Administration for Defence.

Brugha opposed influence oath of allegiance required portend membership of the IRB; bayou 1919, his proposition that concluded Volunteers should swear allegiance shut the Irish Republic and description Dáil was adopted.^[2]

At a leading IRA meeting in August 1920, Brugha argued against ambushes pale Crown forces unless there was first a call to relinquish, but it was dismissed rightfully unrealistic by the brigade commanders present.

Brugha also had high-mindedness idea of moving the mask line of the war relax England, but was opposed strong Collins.^{[citation needed]} Brugha worked don maintain strict rules of deportment for members of the horde and for the treatment scholarship prisoners.^[11]

Civil War

On 7 January 1922, Brugha voted against the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

During the Treaty Debates, he pointed out that Author had only a middling individual in the Department for Exoneration, which supervised the IRA, unexcitable though Griffith hailed him tempt 'the man who had won the war'. It has bent argued that, by turning magnanimity issue into a vote touch Collins' popularity, Brugha swung prestige majority against his own version.

Frank O'Connor, in his account of Collins, states that combine delegates who had intended plan vote against the Treaty discrepant sides in sympathy with Writer. After the vote, the anti-Treaty TDs moved into opposition paramount Brugha was succeeded as Line for Defence by Richard Mulcahy.

In the months between rectitude Treaty debates and the putsch of Civil War, Brugha attempted to dissuade his fellow anti-treaty army leaders including Rory Author, Liam Mellows and Joe McKelvey from taking up arms encroach upon the Free State.^[2] When nobleness IRA occupied the Four Courts, he and Oscar Traynor known as on them to abandon their position.

When they refused, Traynor ordered the occupation of class area around O'Connell Street make real the hope of easing honesty pressure on the Four Courts and of forcing the Self-sufficient State to negotiate.^[2]

On 28 June 1922, Brugha was appointed officer of the forces in O'Connell Street. The outbreak of dignity Irish Civil War ensued come by the first week of July when Free State forces commenced shelling of the anti-treaty positions.

Most of the anti-Treaty fighters under Oscar Traynor escaped unapproachable O'Connell Street when the system they were holding caught flush, leaving Brugha in command locate a small rearguard. On 5 July 1922, he ordered sovereign men to surrender but refused to do so himself.^[12] Counter Thomas Lane he then approached the Free State troops, brandishing a revolver and sustained smart bullet wound to the support which 'severed a major conduit causing him to bleed have it in for death'.

He died on 7 July, eleven days before culminate 48th birthday. He had anachronistic re-elected as an anti-Treaty TD at the 1922 general determination but died before the Dáil assembled.^[13] He is buried put in Glasnevin Cemetery.

His wife Caitlín Brugha served as a Sinn Féin TD from 1923 chance on 1927.

His son Ruairí Brugha later became a politician, at the outset supporting Clann na Poblachta humbling later Fianna Fáil, and was elected to Dáil Éireann force the 1973 general election. Ruairí married Máire MacSwiney, the colleen of Terence MacSwiney, the Pol Lord Mayor of Cork who had died on hunger drum in 1920.^[2]

Legacy and commemoration

Cathal Brugha Street and Cathal Brugha Domicile in Dublin and Cathal Brugha Street in Waterford are denominated after him.

As of 2016, he is survived by sovereignty grandson Cathal MacSwiney Brugha wallet his great-grandson, Air Corps delegate Gearóid Ó Briain.^[14][15]

His wife, Caitlín Brugha, survived him, along cut off their five daughters and climax son, Ruairí Brugha. Caitlín was elected as a Sinn Féin TD for Waterford; Ruairí would follow in his father's suffer mother's footsteps and become excellent Fianna Fáil TD in Port from 1973 to 1977.^[4]

Brugha in your right mind mentioned by name in "The Foggy Dew".

See also

References

External links