Michael Carolan (1875 – 1930) was an

Irish republican Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The develop ...

activist. Born in Belfast, Carolan joined the Irish Volunteers in 1914, then participated in 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 ...

, although as part of the Belfast Division, he did not see any action. Following the rising, he was arrested and sent to the Frongoch internment camp. On his return to Belfast, he joined the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Sinn Féin.J. Anthony Gaughan, ''Memoirs of Senator Joseph Connolly (1885-1961): A Founder of Modern Ireland'', p. 84 Carolan stood for Sinn Féin in Belfast Shankill at the

1918 Irish general election The 1918 Irish general election was the part of the 1918 United Kingdom general election which took place in Ireland. It is now seen as a key moment in modern Irish history because it saw the overwhelming defeat of the moderate nationalist Iris ...

.Northern Ireland Elections,
The Irish Election of 1918
This was a unionist stronghold, and he took only 3.8% of the vote. At the 1920 Belfast Corporation election, he was one of five Sinn Féin candidates elected, That year he was one of four anti treaty IRA men arrested in the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. Carolan was wounded in the hip and imprisoned at Mountjoy Prison. He took part in a hunger strike in protest. Carolan stood in Belfast North at the

1921 Northern Ireland general election The 1921 Northern Ireland general election was held on Tuesday, 24 May 1921. It was the first election to the Parliament of Northern Ireland. Ulster Unionist Party members won a two-thirds majority of votes cast and more than three-quarters of ...

, but was not close to election. An opponent of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, he became Director of Intelligence for the anti-treaty forces in 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 ...

, then filled the same post for the surviving IRA. In 1925, he was involved in planning to break IRA prisoners out of Mountjoy, but was arrested and himself imprisoned for a year, many IRA intelligence papers being obtained by British authorities.

Frank Kerlin Frank Kerlin was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South constituency at the September 1927 general election. He did not contest the 1932 general election. ...

replaced him as Director of Intelligence, but George Gilmore arranged a successful jailbreak in November and Carolan was one of nineteen men sprung in November.James Gillogly, ''Decoding the IRA'', p. 150

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carolan, Michael 1875 births 1930 deaths Early Sinn Féin politicians Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) members Irish Republican Army (1922–1969) members Members of Belfast City Council Politicians from Belfast Sinn Féin councillors in Northern Ireland Sinn Féin parliamentary candidates