Joseph Connolly (19 January 1885 – 18 January 1961) was an Irish
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christian- ...
politician.
Early life
He was born 41 Alexander Street, west
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
in 1885, parallel to the Falls Road and was the son of a baker, John Connolly, and Margaret McNeill. He was educated at Milford Street School and at
St Malachy's College
St Malachy's College, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is the oldest Catholic diocesan college in Ulster. The college's alumni and students are known as Malachians.
History
The college, founded by Bishop William Crolly, opened on the feast of Sain ...
. Joseph Connolly was an ardent nationalist and became a member of the
Gaelic League
(; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it emer ...
and the
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
.
[Gaughan Rev. Anthony (1996), ''Memoirs of Senator Joseph Connolly.'' Dublin, Irish Academic Press. pp. 27–42] As a result of a personality clash with his father he decided not to join the family business and became apprenticed as an engineer with Coombe, Barbour & Coombe Ltd. After a number of months he gave in his notice and secured a new post in the furniture trade of Maguire & Edwards Ltd. He would subsequently establish a furniture business of his own in the city.
Political life
Connolly was a co-founder of the first Freedom Club to propagate
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
's message in 1911. He was a leader of the
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers ( ga, Óglaigh na hÉireann), sometimes called the Irish Volunteer Force or Irish Volunteer Army, was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists and republicans. It was ostensibly formed in respons ...
in Belfast between 1914 and 1916. On 31 January 1916 he married his fiancé, Róisín McGavock, who had completed an Arts Degree at
Queen's University Belfast
, mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back?
, top_free_label =
, top_free =
, top_free_label1 =
, top_free1 =
, top_free_label2 =
, top_free2 =
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public research university
, parent = ...
, and they set up home together at Divis Drive near Falls Park. They had eight children together. He was in Dublin for
Easter 1916 and
Eoin MacNeill
Eoin MacNeill ( ga, Eoin Mac Néill; born John McNeill; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Irish scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Gaelic revivalist, nationalist and politician who served as Minister for Education from 1922 to 1925, Ce ...
sent him to deliver his countermanding order to
Drogheda
Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
,
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
and other planned areas of Volunteer mobilisation. After the
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...
went ahead anyway in Dublin Connolly was arrested in Belfast and was interned in
Knutsford
Knutsford () is a market town in the borough of Cheshire East, in Cheshire, England. Knutsford is south-west of Manchester, north-west of Macclesfield and 12.5 miles (20 km) south-east of Warrington. The population at the 2011 Census wa ...
Prison and
Reading Gaol
HM Prison Reading, popularly known as Reading Gaol, is a former prison located in Reading, Berkshire, England. The prison was operated by His Majesty's Prison Service until its closure at the start of 2014. It is a Grade II listed building and ...
.
After his release he helped re-organise Sinn Féin in Belfast. He was selected as a candidate for the party in the
1918 general election for
Mid Antrim. Though unsuccessful he polled 2,791 first preferences and saved his deposit.
He served on the Commission of Inquiry into the Resources and Industries of Ireland which had been set up by the
First Dáil
The First Dáil ( ga, An Chéad Dáil) was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 1919 to 1921. It was the first meeting of the unicameral parliament of the revolutionary Irish Republic. In the December 1918 election to the Parliament of the Unite ...
in 1919. From October 1921 to November 1922 he served as Consul General of the Irish Republic to the United States in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He disposed of his business in Belfast at this time. One of his chief roles was to combat propaganda from Britain unfavourable to Sinn Féin and the
IRA
Ira or IRA may refer to:
*Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name
*Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name
*Iran, UNDP code IRA
Law
*Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...
. When the
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty ( ga , An Conradh Angla-Éireannach), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the ...
was signed he was very cautious in forming an immediate public opinion on it though was nervous about splits in the wider organisation. After the
1922 general election, and the arrival of Professor
Timothy Smiddy
Timothy Aloysius Smiddy (1875–1962) was an Irish academic, economist, and diplomat. He is best known as Ireland's first Ambassador/overseas Minister, serving as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States of America fo ...
as an accredited Ambassador in Washington, he was informed that he no longer held any recognition in the eyes of the US Government and so he returned home to Ireland. His family had at this time moved to Dublin and they set up home at Harold's Cross, never returning to Belfast. The
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...
had then commenced and he formally tendered his resignation to the
Free State Government.
In February 1923, he joined the
National Land Bank for some months and was persuaded to assist Sinn Féin with the
1923 general election. For economic reasons he retreated from politics and established a business in New York and spent some months there each year which he operated from 1923 to 1929. He was aware of political developments in Ireland, however, and would join
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christian- ...
in 1926. In 1928 Connolly was elected a member of the
Free State Seanad
Free may refer to:
Concept
* Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything
* Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism
* Emancipate, to procure ...
for nine years and would serve until the Seanad's abolition in 1936. He was the leader of the Fianna Fáil delegation and the Leader of the Opposition.
[O'Sullivan, Donal (1940), ''The Irish Free State and Its Senate.'' London, Faber and Faber. pp. 240–1] After the
1932 general election Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of governm ...
appointed him as
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs
The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs ( ga, Aire Poist agus Telegrafa) was the holder of a position in the Government of Ireland (and, earlier, in the Executive Council of the Irish Free State). From 1924 until 1984 – when it was abolished ...
in his
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
and he became the first person to be a Minister while not a member of
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...
.
(He was the only member of the Free State Seanad to serve as a minister, but two members of it successor
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann (, ; "Senate of Ireland") is the upper house of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (the lower house).
It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its memb ...
served as ministers:
Seán Moylan
Seán Moylan (19 November 1889 – 16 November 1957) was a senior officer of the Irish Republican Army and later a Fianna Fáil politician. He served as Minister for Agriculture from May 1957 to November 1957, Minister for Education from 1951 ...
in 1957, and
James Dooge
James Clement Dooge (30 July 1922 – 20 August 2010) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, engineer, climatologist, hydrologist and academic who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1981 to 1982, Leader of the Seanad and Leader of Fine Ga ...
in 1981–82.
)
![Jos](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Jos._Connolly_LCCN2014715147.jpg)
As a minister, he accompanied de Valera to
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
and the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
where he attended many sessions. It was at this time that de Valera had voiced his concerns for the future of the League. After the
1933 general election he was appointed as
Minister for Lands and Fisheries and was sent on a special mission by de Valera to the United States to repay the Republican bonds which had been bought in the US during the
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...
. He represented the Government and spoke at the
World Economic Conference in London that year but the Conference was not a success partly because the
Economic War
The Anglo-Irish Trade War (also called the Economic War) was a retaliatory trade war between the Irish Free State and the United Kingdom from 1932 to 1938. The Irish government refused to continue reimbursing Britain with land annuities from fi ...
was in progress between Ireland and the United Kingdom. His chief responsibility was overseeing the work of the
Land Commission
The Irish Land Commission was created by the British crown in 1843 to 'inquire into the occupation of the land in Ireland. The office of the commission was in Dublin Castle, and the records were, on its conclusion, deposited in the records tower t ...
whose purpose was to re-distribute land to tenants. In 1934, his position was retitled Minister for Lands as responsibility for fisheries was transferred to the
Department of Agriculture, in exchange responsibility for forestry, and he oversaw increased planting throughout the state. He ceased being a Minister with the abolition of the Seanad.
From 1936 until 1950 he served as Chairman of the
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works (OPW) ( ga, Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí) (legally the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland) is a major Irish Government agency, which manages most of the Irish State's property portfolio, including hundreds of ow ...
(OPW), initially focusing on arterial drainage. In September 1939 he was appointed
Controller of Censorship by de Valera. He acted in this role for two years until September 1941 serving under his former Cabinet colleague,
Frank Aiken
Francis Thomas Aiken (13 February 1898 – 18 May 1983) was an Irish revolutionary and politician. He was chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA at the end of the Irish Civil War. Aiken later served as Tánaiste from 1965 to 1969 and Minister fo ...
. He was based at Upper Yard,
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin.
Until 1922 it was the se ...
and would in time be the subject of criticism from Opposition politicians and the press as lacking the necessary objectivity, discretion, tact and judgment for such a position. Similar criticism would also be levelled at Aiken.
[O Drisceoil, Donal (1996), ''Censorship in Ireland, 1939–45: Neutrality, Politics and Society.'' Cork, Cork University Press. pp. 14–15] Connolly argued for a strict censorship to prevent any comment that favoured either the British or German forces. This power extended to the press and to the reporting of Dáil speeches.
[Fisk, Robert (1996), ''In Time of War: Ireland, Ulster and the Price of Neutrality.'' Dublin, Gill and Macmillan. pp. 162–3] Connolly was highly zealous at his work and his chief opposition came from ''
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' newspaper and its editor,
R. M. Smyllie
R. or r. may refer to:
* ''Reign'', the period of time during which an Emperor, king, queen, etc., is ruler.
* '' Rex'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning King
* ''Regina'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning Queen
* or , abbreviat ...
, and the
Fine Gael
Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil ...
TD,
James Dillon who both viewed Connolly as an Anglophobe.
[Fisk, pp. 167-9]
He resumed his work in the OPW in 1941 and retired from the Civil Service on 19 January 1950 when he was sixty-five. He wrote a number of plays including ''The Mine Land'' and ''Master of the House.'' Connolly also served as a director of ''
The Irish Press
''The Irish Press'' (Irish: ''Scéala Éireann'') was an Irish national daily newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 5 September 1931 and 25 May 1995.
Foundation
The paper's first issue was published on the eve of the 1931 All-Ireland ...
'' newspaper for a time. He died in 1961, one day before his seventy-sixth birthday.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Joseph
1885 births
1961 deaths
Fianna Fáil senators
Ministers for Agriculture (Ireland)
Communications ministers
Members of the 1928 Seanad
Members of the 1931 Seanad
Members of the 1934 Seanad
Politicians from Belfast
Irish businesspeople
Irish diplomats
Ireland–United States relations
Irish expatriates in the United States
Sinn Féin parliamentary candidates
20th-century Irish businesspeople