Eoin macneill biography

Irish politician and scholar (1867–1945)

Not to be confused with Eógan mac Néill.

Eoin MacNeill (Irish: Eoin Mac Néill; born John McNeill; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Island scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Erse revivalist, nationalist, and politician who served as Minister for Schooling from 1922 to 1925, Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann implant 1921 to 1922, Minister production Industries 1919 to 1921 tolerate Minister for Finance January 1919 to April 1919.

He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1918 to 1927. Smartness was a Member of Congress (MP) for Londonderry City bring forth 1918 to 1922 and a-one Member of the Northern Eire Parliament (MP) for Londonderry newcomer disabuse of 1921 to 1925.^[1]

A key vip of the Gaelic revival, MacNeill was a co-founder of magnanimity Gaelic League, to preserve prestige Irish language and culture.

Pacify has been described as "the father of the modern recite of early Irish medieval history".^[2]

He established the Irish Volunteers tight spot 1913 and served as Chief-of-Staff of the minority faction back it split in 1914 equal the start of the Imitation War. He held that situation at the outbreak of primacy Easter Rising in 1916 however had no role in rendering Rising or its planning, which was carried out by jurisdiction nominal subordinates, including Patrick Pearse, who were members of honourableness secret society, the Irish Autonomous Brotherhood.

On learning of nobleness plans to launch an insurrection on Easter Sunday, and sustenance confronting Pearse about it, MacNeill issued a countermanding order, evaluation a last-minute newspaper advertisement supervising Volunteers not to participate.

In 1918 he was elected journey the First Dáil as a-okay member of Sinn Féin.

Early life

MacNeill was born John McNeill,^[3] one of five children inborn to Archibald McNeill, a Model Catholic working-class baker, sailor bid merchant, and his wife, Rosetta (née McAuley) McNeill, also span Catholic.^[4] He was raised bring off Glenarm, County Antrim, an cause to be in which "still retained some Irish-language traditions".^[5] His niece was patriot and teacher, Máirín Beaumont.^[6]

MacNeill was educated at St Malachy's Institute (Belfast) and Queen's College, Capital.

He was interested in Hibernian history and immersed himself think it over its study. He achieved unornamented BA degree in economics, aggregation and constitutional history in 1888, and then worked in description British Civil Service.^[5]

He co-founded rank Gaelic League in 1893, in advance with Douglas Hyde; MacNeill was unpaid secretary from 1893 detect 1897 and then became primacy initial editor of the League's official newspaper An Claidheamh Soluis (1899–1901).^[5] He was also editor ransack the Gaelic Journal from 1894 to 1899.

In 1908, no problem was appointed professor of exactly Irish history at University Academy Dublin.

He married Agnes Comedian on 19 April 1898. Ethics couple had eight children, two sons and four daughters^[7] (though the 1911 census entry add to Mac Neill noted 11 offspring, seven of whom were come up for air alive).^[8]

Irish Volunteers

The Gaelic League was from the start strictly non-political, but in 1915, a recommendation breath was put forward to crackdown that policy and become clean semi-political organisation.^{[clarification needed]} MacNeill forcefully supported that and rallied prevent his side a majority second delegates at the 1915 Oireachtas.

Douglas Hyde, a non-political Disputant, who had co-founded the Federation and been its president sect 22 years, resigned immediately afterwards.^[9]

Through the Gaelic League, MacNeill decrease members of Sinn Féin, blue blood the gentry Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), pivotal other nationalists and republicans.

Call such colleague, The O'Rahilly, ran the league's newspaper An Claidheamh Soluis, and in October 1913 they asked MacNeill to indite an editorial for it make dirty a subject broader than Hibernian language issues. MacNeill submitted swell piece called "The North Began", encouraging the formation of neat as a pin nationalist volunteer force committed prove Irish Home Rule, much bit the unionists had done in advance that year with the Ulster Volunteers to thwart Home Ukase in Ireland.^{[citation needed]}

Bulmer Hobson, unadulterated member of the IRB, approached MacNeill about bringing the entire to fruition, and, through neat as a pin series of meetings, MacNeill became chair of the council give it some thought formed the Irish Volunteers, following becoming its chief of cudgel.

Unlike the IRB, MacNeill was opposed to the idea end an armed rebellion, except elaborate resisting any suppression of glory Volunteers, seeing little hope prepare success in open battle intrude upon the British army.^{[citation needed]}

The Erse Volunteers had been infiltrated strong the Irish Republican Brotherhood, which planned on using the orderliness to stage an armed insurgence, to separate Ireland from decency United Kingdom and establishing ending Irish Republic.

The entry subtract the UK into the Good cheer World War was, in their view, a perfect opportunity forbear do that. With the look after of James Connolly and distinction Irish Citizen Army, a blush council of IRB officials in readiness a general rising at Wind 1916. On the Wednesday already Easter, they presented MacNeill exempt a letter, allegedly stolen stick up high-ranking British staff in Port Castle, indicating that the Island were going to arrest him and all the other subject leaders.

Unbeknownst to MacNeill, justness letter—called the Castle Document—was fastidious forgery.^[10]

When MacNeill learned about picture IRB's plans, and when closure was informed that Roger Casement was about to land hit County Kerry with a transmission of German arms, he was reluctantly persuaded to go result with them, believing British magnetism was now imminent and range mobilization of the Irish Volunteers would be justified as trim defensive act.

However, after intelligence that the German arms cargo had been intercepted and Casement arrested, and having confronted Apostle Pearse, who refused to relax, MacNeill countermanded the order carry the Rising by sending graphic messages to leaders around nobleness country, and placing a neglect in the Sunday Independent withdrawal the planned "manoeuvres".^[11] That decidedly reduced the number of volunteers who reported for duty distress the day of the Easterly Rising.^[12]

Pearse, Connolly and the barrenness agreed that the uprising would go ahead anyway, but authorize began one day later outweigh originally intended to ensure guarantee the authorities were taken wishywashy surprise.

Beginning on Easter Mon, 24 April 1916, the Heroic lasted less than a period. After the surrender of blue blood the gentry rebels, MacNeill was arrested tho' he had taken no almost all in the insurrection.^[13] The revolt leader Tom Clarke, according slant his wife Kathleen, warned permutation on the day before her highness execution, "I want you collect see to it that go ahead people know of his betrayal to us.

He must not at any time be allowed back into representation National life of this native land, for so sure as of course is, so sure will purify act treacherously in a emergency. He is a weak male, but I know every rearrangement will be made to deception him."^[14]

Political life

MacNeill was released shun prison in 1917 and was elected MP for the Ceremonial University and Londonderry City constituencies for Sinn Féin in loftiness 1918 general election.

In adjustment with abstentionist Sinn Féin action, he refused to take cap seat in the British The boards of Commons in London extort sat instead in the lately convened Dáil Éireann in Dublin,^[15] where he was made Rewrite man for Industries in the following ministry of the First Dáil.^[16] He was a member regard the Parliament of Northern Hibernia for Londonderry between 1921 champion 1925, although he never took his seat.

In 1921, good taste supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Embankment 1922, he was in wonderful minority of pro-Treaty delegates learn the Irish Race Convention emphasis Paris. Following the establishment sun-up the Irish Free State, fair enough became Minister for Education give back its second (provisional) government, picture third Dáil.^[17] He strongly based the execution of Richard Barrett, Liam Mellows, Joe McKelvey lecture Rory O'Connor during the Gaelic Civil War.

^[18]

In 1923, MacNeill, a committed internationalist, was as well a key member of loftiness diplomatic team that oversaw Ireland's entry to the League introduce Nations.^[19]

MacNeill's family was split daydream the treaty issue. One unite, Brian, took the anti-Treaty even out and was killed in in doubt circumstances near Sligo by Selfreliant State troops during the Erse Civil War in September 1922.^[20] Two other sons, Niall present-day Turloch, as well as nephew Hugo MacNeill, served as team in the Free State Army.^[21] One of Eoin's brothers, Criminal McNeill, was the second dowel penultimate Governor-General of the Erse Free State.

Irish Boundary Commission

In 1924 the three-man Irish Borders Commission was set up adjacent to settle the border between Arctic Ireland and the Irish Unproblematic State; MacNeill represented the Land Free State. MacNeill was greatness only member of the Catnap without legal training and has been described as having bent “pathetically out of his depth”.^[22] However, each of the Commissioners was selected out of governmental expediency rather than for weighing scale established competence or insight drawn boundary making.

On 7 Nov 1925, a conservative British newsprint, The Morning Post, published efficient leaked map showing a topic of eastern County Donegal (mainly The Laggan district) that was to be transferred to Blue Ireland; the opposite of distinction main aims of the Catnap. Perhaps embarrassed by that, fantastically since he said that cut off had declined to respect distinction terms of the Treaty,^[23] MacNeill resigned from the Commission divergence 20 November.^[24][25] On 24 Nov 1925 he also resigned introduction Minister for Education, a pose unrelated to his work investigation the Commission.^[26]

On 3 December 1925, the Free State government transnational with the governments in Author and Belfast to end loom over onerous treaty requirement to remunerate its share of the In partnership Kingdom's "imperial debt" and, choose by ballot exchange, agreed that the 1920 boundary would remain as squarely was, overriding the Commission.

Put off angered many nationalists and MacNeill was the subject of untold criticism, but in reality, closure and the Commission had bent sidestepped by the intergovernmental obligation renegotiation. In any case, regardless of his resignations, the intergovernmental 1 deal was approved by copperplate Dáil vote of 71–20 font 10 December 1925, and MacNeill is listed as voting come together the majority in favour.^[27] Soil lost his Dáil seat nearby the June 1927 election.

Academic

MacNeill was an important scholar subtract Irish history and among honesty first to study Early Nation law, offering both his interpretations, which at times were dark by his nationalism, and translations into English. He was too the first to uncover birth nature of succession in Hibernian kingship, and his theories negative aspect the foundation for modern text on the subject.^[28]

He was systematic contributor to the Royal Green Academy's Clare Island Survey, gramophone record the Irish place names in this area the island.^[29] On 25 Feb 1911, he delivered the speech address on "Academic Education weather Practical Politics" to the Lawful and Economic Society of Tradition College Dublin.^{[citation needed]}.

His disagreements and disputes with Goddard Speechifier Orpen, particularly over the latter's book Ireland under the Normans, generated controversy.^{[citation needed]}

He was Pilot of the Royal Society fend for Antiquaries of Ireland from 1937 to 1940^[30] and President pointer the Royal Irish Academy pass up 1940 to 1943.^[31]

Later life sit death

He retired from politics all and became Chair of picture Irish Manuscripts Commission.

In coronate later years he devoted coronate life to scholarship, he publicized several books on Irish characteristics. MacNeill died in Dublin admire natural causes, aged 78 reaction 1945.^[32] He is buried confine Kilbarrack Cemetery.^[33]

Legacy

His grandson Michael McDowell served as Tánaiste, Minister pine Justice, Equality and Law Ameliorate, TD and a Senator.

In relation to grandson, Myles Tierney, served chimpanzee a member of Dublin Division Council, where he was Superior Gael whip on the council.^[32]

Works

• Ireland Before Saint Patrick (1903)
• Duanaire Finn: The Book of the lays of Fionn (1908)
• Early Irish the community groups: their nomenclature, classification celebrated chronology (1911)
• The Authorship and Organization of the Annals of Tigernach (1913)
• Phases of Irish history (1919)
• The Irish law of dynastic succession (1919)
• The Case for an Land Republic (1920)
• Celtic Ireland (1921)
• History match Ireland: Pre-Christian times to 1921 (1932)
• Saint Patrick, Apostle of Ireland (1934)
• Early Irish laws and institutions (1935)
• The Irish Nation and Hibernian Culture (1938)
• Military service in Gothic antediluvian Ireland (1941)^[34]

References

External links

• British Army military intelligence dossier for John McNeill

• Eoin MacNeill Story 1917