Piaras Béaslaí (; 15 February 1881 – 22 June 1965) was an Irish author, playwright, biographer and translator, who was a member 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 ...

, fought in the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), 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 aim of establishing an ind ...

and served as a member of

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...

Early life

Piaras Béaslaí was born Percy Frederick Beazley in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, England on 15 February 1881 to Irish Catholic parents, Patrick Langford Beazley and Nannie Hickey. Patrick Langford Beazley, from Killarney,

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

, moved to

Egremont, Cumbria Egremont is a market town and civil parish in the Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. It is situated just outside the Lake District National Park, south of Whitehaven and on the River Ehen. The parish also ...

and was the editor of '' The Catholic Times'' newspaper for 40 years; Nannie Hickey was from

Newcastle West Newcastle West () or simply Newcastle (''An Caisleán Nua'', formerly anglicised Castlenoe) is a town in west County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is the largest town in the county, excluding Limerick city. It is also the county t ...

County Limerick County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...

. Béaslaí's parents married in March 1878, in the West Derby district of the county of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

. During his summer holidays in his younger years, he spent time in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

(near Kenmare,

) with his paternal uncle, Father James Beazley, where he began to learn Irish. Béaslaí was educated at St Xavier's Jesuit College in Liverpool, where he developed his keen interest in Irish; by the time he was aged 17 his Irish proficiency was exceptional.

Literary career

After finishing his education at St Xavier's, Béaslaí was encouraged to begin Irish poetry by

Tadhg Ó Donnchadha Tadhg Ó Donnchadha (1874 – 1949) was an Irish writer, poet, editor, translator and a prominent member of the Gaelic League (''Conradh na Gaeilge'') and the Gaelic Athletic Association. He was editor of ''Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge'' (The ...

. Béaslaí followed his father's footsteps into journalism; he began by working for the local ''Wallasey News'', and in 1906 he moved to

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, and within a year became a freelance writer for the ''Irish Peasant'', ''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray backgrou ...

'', ''

Freeman's Journal The ''Freeman's Journal'', which was published continuously in Dublin from 1763 to 1924, was in the nineteenth century Ireland's leading nationalist newspaper. History Patriot journal It was founded in 1763 by Charles Lucas and was identified ...

'' and ''Express''. He was offered a permanent position with Independent Newspapers, as assistant leader writer and special reporter for the '' Dublin Evening Telegraph''. He wrote regularly for the ''Freeman's Journal'', including a daily half-column in Irish. After his early introduction to Irish poetry he became involved in staging Irish-language amateur drama at the

Oireachtas The Oireachtas ( ; ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of the president of Ireland and the two houses of the Oireachtas (): a house ...

annual music festival. Béaslaí began to write both original works and adaptations from foreign languages. One of these works, ''Eachtra Pheadair Schlemiel'' (1909), was translated from

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

into Irish. Later he continued to write poetry, such as the collection ''"Bealtaine 1916" agus Dánta Eile'' (1920), and short stories such as "Earc agus Aine agus Scéalta Eile". Between 1913 and 1939 he wrote many plays, including ''Cliuche Cartaí'' (1920), ''An Sgaothaire agus Cúig Drámaí Eile'' (1929), ''An Danar'' (1929) and ''An Bhean Chródha'' (1931). He wrote two books about his comrade

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

: ''Michael Collins and the Making of a New Ireland'' (2 volumes, 1926) and ''Michael Collins: Soldier and Statesman'' (1937). His works revolved around the Irish language movement and the IRA; these works focused on the independence struggle of Ireland. He wrote about these topics in newspapers such as the ''Standard'' and ''

The Kerryman ''The Kerryman'' is a weekly local newspaper published in County Kerry in Ireland by Independent News & Media who are a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper was founded in 1904 by Maurice Griffin and cousins Thomas and Daniel Nolan. Independe ...

''; his most notable work in newspapers during his later life included his contribution to the ''Irish Independent'', which published a section called ‘A Veteran Remembers’ five days a week from 16 May to June 1957, as well as a weekly section called ‘Moods and Memories’ on Wednesdays from 24 May 1961 to 16 June 1965. One of the awards Béaslaí gained during his career was, on 14 August 1928, a gold medal at the Tailteann Literary Awards. While in Dublin, he joined the Keating Branch 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 eme ...

, and after he moved to Ireland he began using the Irish form of his name, Piaras Béaslaí, rather than Percy Beazley.

Role in the 1916 Rising

A founding member of The Irish Volunteers in 1913, in January 1916 he served as a courier for political activist and revolutionary leader

Seán Mac Diarmada Seán Mac Diarmada (27 January 1883 – 12 May 1916), also known as Seán MacDermott, was an Irish republican political activist and revolutionary leader. He was one of the seven leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916, which he helped to organ ...

. By the time of the

that year, Béaslaí was deputy commanding officer of the 1st Dublin Battalion. In an audio recording to which he contributed in 1958, he detailed his experience in the Rising, describing the rebels assembling before noon in Blackhall Street at battalion headquarters. After midday they marched out to the

Four Courts The Four Courts () is Ireland's most prominent courts building, located on Inns Quay in Dublin. The Four Courts is the principal seat of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit Court. Until 2010 the build ...

, erecting barricades as they did so. The Four Courts was his main station. In the audio, he recalls a green flag with a gold harp in the centre; this was the non-

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...

flag at the time. On the Friday evening the

General Post Office, Dublin The General Post Office (GPO; ) is the former headquarters of — the Irish Post Office. It remains its registered office and the principal post office of Dublinblackout. He recalled "things were going badly for the English soldiers" and described the whole event as "a weird experience". He remembers the streets being lit up with fires in the darkness as if it were bright as day. He speaks of the intensity of the firing line and then how it suddenly ceased on the Friday. He remembered falling asleep and when he woke being presented with PH Pearse's order to surrender. The rebels were brought to Richmond barracks. Béaslaí then spent fifteen months in English prisons. Béaslaí served three years for penal servitude divided between a stringent Portland prison and a more lenient Lewes prison. He was then imprisoned two times within four months during 1919, both terms ending in celebrated escapes. After his final prison release, Michael Collins approached Béaslaí to edit ''An tOglach'', the Irish Volunteer newspaper; this saw communication between GHQ and local volunteers drastically improved.

Political career

Later, Béaslaí became director of publicity for the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...

, and at the 1918 general election he was elected to the

First Dáil Éireann First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

MP for Kerry East. Sinn Féin MPs who had been elected in the Westminster elections of 1918 refused to recognise the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...

, and instead assembled the following January at the Mansion House in

as a revolutionary parliament,

. Béaslaí was noted for his translation of the democratic programme of the First Dáil, which he read aloud at the inaugural sitting. He was a member of the Sinn Féin party for five years. Between 1919 and 1921 he represented the Kerry East constituency in the First Dáil. Then, at the 1921 general election, he was returned unopposed to the

Second Dáil The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of Un ...

as a Sinn Féin

Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( ; ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish language, Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The official Engli ...

(TD) for Kerry–Limerick West. Following the signing of the

Anglo-Irish Treaty The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty (), 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain an ...

, Béaslaí was re-elected there unopposed at the 1922 election as a pro-Treaty Sinn Féin candidate, and was thus a member of the

Third Dáil Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...

, which was Pro-Treaty at this stage. In 1922 he went to the US to explain the Treaty to Sinn Féin's Irish-American supporters. He did not contest the 1923 election. He and

Con Collins Cornelius Collins (; 13 November 1881 – 23 November 1937), known as Con Collins, was an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He was born in Arranagh, Monagea, Newcastle West, County Limerick. He had joined the Conradh na Gaeilge, Gaelic League by 19 ...

share the distinction of having been elected in three Irish general elections unopposed by any other candidates.

Gaelic League

During Béaslaí's time in London, he gave a lot of his time to the

. In the Keating branch of the league, in Ireland, Béaslaí developed an interest in the IRB.

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 presid ...

, a branch member, asked him to join the IRB. The Keating branch was where Béaslaí met Michael Collins, eventually introducing Collins to his cousin and fellow branch member, Elizabeth Mernin. Béaslaí was also instrumental in establishing ''An Fáinne'', an Irish-speaking league whose members vowed to speak solely Irish among themselves and wore a membership badge of a circle. This coincided with his involvement in the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Béaslaí's love of the Irish language gave him an opportunity to delve into his other hobbies. He wrote for ''Banba'', an Irish journal published by the Gaelic League. He was able to express his love for theatre, in the Gaelic League, forming a group of men called "Na hAisteoirí".

Death

Béaslaí died, unmarried, aged 84 on 22 June 1965, in a nursing home in Dublin. He was buried in a plot in

Glasnevin Cemetery Glasnevin Cemetery () is a large cemetery in Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland which opened in 1832. It holds the graves and memorials of several notable figures, and has a museum. Location The cemetery is located in Glasnevin, Dublin, in two part ...

, after a Requiem Mass in St Columba's Church, Iona Road, Glasnevin.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beaslai, Piaras 1881 births 1965 deaths 20th-century Irish biographers Irish male biographers Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) members People of the Irish Civil War (Pro-Treaty side) Early Sinn Féin TDs Members of the 1st Dáil Members of the 2nd Dáil Members of the 3rd Dáil Members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Kerry constituencies (1801–1922) UK MPs 1918–1922 Politicians from Liverpool Burials at Glasnevin Cemetery 20th-century Irish translators 20th-century Irish male writers People educated at St Francis Xavier's College, Liverpool Writers from County Dublin Politicians from County Dublin