Terence MacSwiney
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Terence James MacSwiney (; ga, Toirdhealbhach Mac Suibhne; 28 March 1879 – 25 October 1920) was an Irish playwright, author and politician. He was elected as
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 ...
Lord Mayor of Cork The Lord Mayor of Cork ( ga, Ard-Mhéara Chathair Chorcaí) is the honorific title of the Chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach) of Cork City Council which is the local government body for the city of Cork (city), Cork in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. ...
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 ...
in 1920. He was arrested by the
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on charges of
sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, estab ...
and imprisoned in
Brixton Prison HM Prison Brixton is a local men's prison, located in Brixton area of the London Borough of Lambeth, in inner-South London. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History The prison was originally built in 1820 and opened a ...
. His death there in October 1920 after 74 days on
hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...
brought him and the Irish Republican campaign to international attention.


Background

Born at 23 North Main Street, Cork, MacSwiney was one of eight children. His father, John MacSwiney, of Cork, had volunteered in 1868 to fight as a
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against
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, had been a schoolteacher in London and later opened a tobacco factory in Cork. Following the failure of this business, he emigrated to Australia in 1885 leaving Terence and the other children in the care of their mother and his eldest daughter. MacSwiney's mother, Mary (née Wilkinson), was an English Catholic with strong Irish nationalist opinions. He was educated by the Christian Brothers at
the North Monastery The North Monastery (Irish: ''An Mhainistir Thuaidh''), commonly known as The Mon, is a co-educational education campus comprising Scoil Mhuire Fatima Primary School, North Monastery Co-educational Secondary and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG located ...
school in Cork city, but left at fifteen to help support the family. . He became an accountancy clerk but continued his studies and matriculated successfully. He continued in full-time employment while he studied at the Royal University, graduating with a degree in Mental and Moral Science in 1907. In 1901 he helped to found the Celtic Literary Society, and in 1908 he founded the Cork Dramatic Society with Daniel Corkery and wrote a number of plays for them. His first play ''The Last Warriors of Coole'' was produced in 1910. His fifth play ''The Revolutionist'' (1915) took the political stand made by a single man as its theme. In addition to his work as a playwright, he also wrote pamphlets on Irish history.


Political activity

Described as a sensitive poet-intellectual, MacSwiney's writings in the newspaper ''
Irish Freedom ''Irish Freedom'' was launched in November 1910, as an Irish monthly publication of the Irish Republican Brotherhood movement. It lasted for four years until suppressed in 1914 by the British administration in Ireland. It was founded in by Tom ...
'' brought him to the attention of the
Irish Republican Brotherhood The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB; ) was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland between 1858 and 1924.McGee, p. 15. Its counterpart in the United States ...
. He was one of the founders of the Cork Brigade 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 respon ...
in 1913, and was President of the Cork branch of
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 ...
. He founded a newspaper, ''Fianna Fáil'', in 1914, but it was suppressed after only 11 issues. In April 1916, he was intended to be second in command of 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 ...
in Cork and Kerry, but stood down his forces on the order of
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 ...
.Journal of Bromyard and District LHS, no. 19, 1996/7 Following the rising, he was imprisoned by the
British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...
under the
Defence of the Realm Act The Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was passed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 1914, four days after it entered the First World War and was added to as the war progressed. It gave the government wide-ranging powers during the war, such as the p ...
in
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and Wakefield Gaols until December 1916. In February 1917 he was deported from Ireland and imprisoned in Shrewsbury and Bromyard internment camps until his release in June 1917. It was during his exile in Bromyard that he married Muriel Murphy of the Cork distillery-owning family. In November 1917, he was arrested in Cork for wearing an
Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...
(IRA) uniform, and, inspired by the example of
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, went on a
hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...
for three days prior to his release. In the 1918 general election, MacSwiney was returned unopposed to the first
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 ...
as
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 ...
representative for Mid Cork, succeeding the
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MP D. D. Sheehan. After the murder of his friend
Tomás Mac Curtain Tomás Mac Curtain (20 March 1884 – 20 March 1920) was an Irish Sinn Féin politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Cork until he was assassinated by the Royal Irish Constabulary. He was elected in January 1920. Background Tomás Mac Curt ...
, the
Lord Mayor of Cork The Lord Mayor of Cork ( ga, Ard-Mhéara Chathair Chorcaí) is the honorific title of the Chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach) of Cork City Council which is the local government body for the city of Cork (city), Cork in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. ...
on 20 March 1920, MacSwiney was elected as Lord Mayor. On 12 August 1920, he was arrested in Cork for possession of “seditous articles and documents", and also possession of a
cipher In cryptography, a cipher (or cypher) is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption—a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is ''encipherment''. To encipher or encode i ...
key. He was summarily tried by a court on 16 August and sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Brixton Prison in England.


Hunger strike

On 12 August, the day he was imprisoned in Cork, MacSwiney joined the prisoners there who had started of the
1920 Cork hunger strike The 1920 Cork hunger strike began on 11 August 1920, when 65 men interned without trial in Cork County Gaol went on hunger strike, demanding release from prison, and reinstatement of their status as political prisoners. The following day, they were ...
one day prior. However, he was transferred to
Brixton Prison HM Prison Brixton is a local men's prison, located in Brixton area of the London Borough of Lambeth, in inner-South London. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History The prison was originally built in 1820 and opened a ...
soon after, where he continued his hunger strike. On 26 August, the British Government stated that "the release of the Lord Mayor would have disastrous results in Ireland and would probably lead to a mutiny of both military and police in south of Ireland." MacSwiney's hunger strike gained world attention. The British Government was threatened with a boycott of British goods by Americans , while four countries in South America appealed to the Pope to intervene. Protests were held in Germany and France as well. An Australian member of parliament,
Hugh Mahon Hugh may refer to: *Hugh (given name) Noblemen and clergy French * Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks * Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II * Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...
, was expelled from the Australian parliament for "seditious and disloyal utterances at a public meeting", after protesting against the actions of the British Government. Two weeks later, the Spanish Catalan organization Autonomous Center of Employees of Commerce and Industry (CADCI) sent a petition to the British prime minister calling for his release and the newspaper of the organization, '' Acció'' (Acción in Spanish), began a campaign for MacSwiney. Food was often placed near him to persuade him to give up the hunger-strike. Attempts at force-feeding MacSwiney were undertaken in the final days of his strike. On 20 October 1920 he fell into a coma and died five days later after 74 days on hunger strike. His body lay in
St George's Cathedral, Southwark The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St George, usually known as St George's Cathedral, Southwark, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, south London, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Southwark. The cathedral i ...
in London where 30,000 people filed past it. Fearing large-scale demonstrations in Dublin, the authorities diverted his coffin directly to Cork, and his funeral in the
Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne The Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Anne (), also known as Saint Mary's Cathedral, The North Cathedral or The North Chapel, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located at the top of Shandon Street in Cork, Ireland. It is the seat of the Bishop of ...
on 31 October attracted huge crowds. MacSwiney is buried in the Republican plot in Saint Finbarr's Cemetery in Cork.
Arthur Griffith Arthur Joseph Griffith ( ga, Art Seosamh Ó Gríobhtha; 31 March 1871 – 12 August 1922) was an Irish writer, newspaper editor and politician who founded the political party Sinn Féin. He led the Irish delegation at the negotiations that prod ...
delivered the graveside oration.


Legacy

A collection of his writings, entitled ''Principles of Freedom'', was published posthumously in 1921. It was based upon articles MacSwiney contributed to ''Irish Freedom'' during 1911–1912. MacSwiney's life and work had a particular impact in India.
Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
took inspiration from MacSwiney's example and writings, and
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
counted him among his influences. ''Principles of Freedom'' was translated into various Indian languages including
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
. The Indian revolutionary
Bhagat Singh Bhagat Singh (27 September 1907 – 23 March 1931) was a charismatic Indian revolutionary* * who participated in the mistaken murder of a junior British police officer * * in what was to be retaliation for the death of an Indian national ...
was an admirer of MacSwiney and wrote about him in his memoirs. When Singh's father petitioned the British Government in India to pardon his son, Bhagat Singh quoted Terence MacSwiney and said "I am confident that my death will do more to smash the British Empire than my release" and told his father to withdraw the petition. He was executed on 23 March 1931 with two other men for killing a British officer. Other figures beyond India who counted MacSwiney as an influence include
Ho Chi Minh (: ; born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), commonly known as ('Uncle Hồ'), also known as ('President Hồ'), (' Old father of the people') and by other aliases, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. He served as Prime ...
, who was working in London at the time of MacSwiney's death and said of him, "A nation that has such citizens will never surrender". On 1 November 1920, the Catalan organization CADCI held a demonstration in Barcelona, where the poet and politician Ventura Gassol delivered an original poem extolling MacSwiney. In Ireland MacSwiney's sister
Mary MacSwiney Mary MacSwiney (pronounced 'MacSweeney'; ga, Máire Nic Shuibhne; 27 March 1872 – 8 March 1942) was an Irish politician and educationalist. In 1927 she became deputy leader of Sinn Féin when Éamon de Valera resigned from the presidency of ...
took on his seat in the Dáil and spoke against 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 ...
in January 1922. His brother
Seán MacSwiney Seán MacSwiney (19 March 1878 – 22 January 1942) was an officer in the Irish Republican Army and Sinn Féin politician. He was born at 23 North Main Street, Cork city to John McSwiney, a tobacco manufacturer, and Mary Wilkinson. He was the b ...
was also elected in the 1921 elections for another Cork constituency. He also opposed the Treaty. MacSwineys hunger strike set an example for future hunger strikers with nation wide strikes taking place in 1923. In 1945 his only child, Máire MacSwiney, married
Ruairí Brugha Ruairí Brugha (; 15 October 1917 – 31 January 2006) was an Irish Republican and IRA volunteer who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Ireland from 1977 to 1979, Senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel from 1969 ...
, son of the Fenian and Nationalist
Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...
Cathal Brugha Cathal Brugha (; born Charles William St John Burgess; 18 July 1874 – 7 July 1922) was an Irish republican politician who served as Minister for Defence from 1919 to 1922, Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann in January 1919, the first presiden ...
. Ruairí later became a TD,
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, and
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. Máire MacSwiney is the author of a memoir ''History's Daughter: A Memoir from the Only Child of Terence MacSwiney'' (2006). She died in May 2012. A collection of artifacts relating to MacSwiney's life is held at
Cork Public Museum Cork Public Museum ( ga, Músaem Poiblí Chorcaí) is a city museum in Cork, Ireland. Housed in a mid-19th century building within Fitzgerald Park in the Mardyke area of the city, the museum's exhibits focus mainly on the history and archaeolo ...
. His portrait, and a painting of his funeral mass, by
Sir John Lavery Sir John Lavery (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) was a Northern Irish painter best known for his portraits and wartime depictions. Life and career John Lavery was born in inner North Belfast, baptised at St Patrick's Church, Belfast a ...
, are exhibited in Cork's
Crawford Art Gallery The Crawford Art Gallery ( ga, Áiléar Crawford) is a public art gallery and museum in the city of Cork, Ireland. Known informally as the Crawford, it was designated a 'National Cultural Institution' in 2006. It is "dedicated to the visual arts ...
. There is also a secondary school named after him in the north side of Cork City, with a room dedicated to his memory. On 28 October 2012, there was a friendship tree planting in memory of MacSwiney in Southwark. The Paris-based Irish-American composer Swan Hennessy (1866–1929) dedicated his String Quartet No. 2, Op. 49 (1920) to the memory of MacSwiney ("à la Mémoire de Terence McSwiney, ''Lord Mayor de Cork''"). It was first performed in Paris, 25 January 1922, by an Irish quartet led by Arthur Darley.


Writings

* ''The Music of Freedom'', by 'Cuireadóir' (poems; Cork: The Risen Gaedheal Press, 1907). * ''Fianna Fáil: The Irish Army: A Journal for Militant Ireland'', weekly publication edited and mainly written by MacSwiney; Cork, 11 issues (September to December 1914). *
The Revolutionist; a play in five acts
' (Dublin & London: Maunsel and Co., 1914)
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. * ''The Ethics of Revolt: A Discussion from a Catholic Point of View as to When it Becomes Lawful to Rise in Revolt Against the Civil Power'', by Toirdhealbhach Mac Suibhne (pamphlet, 1918). *
Battle-cries
' (poems, 1918). *
Principles of Freedom
' (Dublin: The Talbot Press, 1921). * ''Despite Fools' Laughter. Poems by Terence MacSwiney''; edited by B. G. MacCarthy (Dublin: M. H. Gill and Son, 1944).


Quotes

* "It is not those who can inflict the most, but those who can suffer the most who will conquer." (Some sources replace "conquer" with "prevail") * "I am confident that my death will do more to smash the British Empire than my release." (On his hunger strike) * "I want you to bear witness that I die as a Soldier of the Irish Republic." His last words to a visiting priest. * "If I die the fruit will exceed the cost a thousand fold. The thought of it makes me happy. I thank God for it."


See also

*
Families in the Oireachtas There is a tradition in Irish politics of having family members succeed each other, frequently in the same parliamentary seat. This article lists families where two or more members of that family have been members ( TD or Senator) of either of th ...
*
Kevin Barry Kevin Gerard Barry (20 January 1902 – 1 November 1920) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) soldier who was executed by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence. He was sentenced to death for his part in an attack upon a Brit ...
* List of members of the Oireachtas imprisoned during the Irish revolutionary period


References


Bibliography

* Francis J Costello, ''Enduring the Most: The Biography of Terence McSwiney''. Dingle: Brandon Books, 1996. * Robert Welch (ed), ''The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996. * Máire MacSwiney Brugha ''History's Daughter: a Memoir from the Only Child of Terence MacSwiney''. Dublin: O'Brien Press, 2006. * Terence Mac Swiney's private papers are held in the University College Dublin Archives (IE UCDA P48b, P48c). There are also manuscript papers and copies of his published writings in the
National Library of Ireland The National Library of Ireland (NLI; ga, Leabharlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is the Republic of Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The mission of the National Library of Ireland is ...
(MSS 35029–35035).


External links

* *
''Principles of Freedom''
at Project Gutenberg
Terence MacSwiney: Lord Mayor of Cork, by Daniel Corkery
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Macswiney, Terence 1879 births 1920 deaths People educated at North Monastery Alumni of the Royal University of Ireland
Terence Publius Terentius Afer (; – ), better known in English as Terence (), was a Roman African playwright during the Roman Republic. His comedies were performed for the first time around 166–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought ...
Irish dramatists and playwrights Irish male dramatists and playwrights Irish people of English descent Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) members Irish Republicans killed during the Irish War of Independence Early Sinn Féin TDs Lord Mayors of Cork Members of the 1st Dáil Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Cork constituencies (1801–1922) Irish prisoners who died on hunger strike Politicians from County Cork History of Cork (city) UK MPs 1918–1922
Terence Publius Terentius Afer (; – ), better known in English as Terence (), was a Roman African playwright during the Roman Republic. His comedies were performed for the first time around 166–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought ...