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Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith
In office
10 January 1922 – 12 August 1922
Preceded by Éamon de Valera
Succeeded by W. T. Cosgrave
Constituency Cavan
In office
26 August 1921 – 9 January 1922
Preceded by Count Plunkett
Succeeded by George Gavan Duffy
Born 31 March 1872
Dublin Ireland
Died 12 August 1922 (age 50)
Dublin Ireland
Nationality Irish
Political party Sinn Féin (later Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin)
Spouse Maud Griffith

Arthur Griffith (Irish: Art Ó Gríobhtha; 31 March 1872 – 12 August 1922) was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. The President of Dáil Éireann was the leader of the revolutionary Irish Republic of 1919&ndash1921 Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Éamon de Valera (ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə (born Edward George de Valera) (14 October 1882 &ndash 29 August 1975 was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century William Thomas Cosgrave (Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair 6 June 1880 &ndash 16 November 1965 known generally as W Cavan is a former Parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which from 1921-1977 returned deputies ( Teachtaí Dála or TDs to Dáil Éireann The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Aire Gnóthaí Eachtracha is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Ireland. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. George Noble Plunkett or Count Plunkett (An Cunta Pluincéad (1851 &ndash 1948 was an Irish nationalist and father of Joseph Mary Plunkett, one of the George Gavan Duffy (Seórsa Ghabháin Uí Dhubhthaigh 21 October 1882 &ndash 10 June 1951 was an Irish politician Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 Cumann na nGaedhael (ˈkʊmən nə ˈŋɰeːɫ "Society of the Gaels" sometimes spelt Cumann na nGaedheal, was an Irish language name given Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922, and was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. The President of Dáil Éireann was the leader of the revolutionary Irish Republic of 1919&ndash1921 The Anglo-Irish Treaty (An Conradh Angla-Éireannach officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a Treaty Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Griffith College Dublin in South Circular Road, Dublin, Griffith Avenue in North Dublin and Griffith Park in Lucan, County Dublin are named after him.

Contents

Early life

Arthur Griffith was born at 61 Upper Dominick Street, Dublin, Ireland on 31 March 1872, of distant Welsh lineage, and was educated by the Irish Christian Brothers. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The Congregation of Christian Brothers (officially in Latin: Congregatio Fratrum Christianorum) is a world-wide community of religious brothers within

He worked for a time as a printer before joining the Gaelic League, which was aimed at promoting the restoration of the Irish language. Conradh na Gaeilge ( 'The Gaelic League' is an organization "for the purpose of keeping the Irish language spoken in Ireland. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. His father had been a printer on The Nation newspaper — Griffith was one of several employees locked out in the early 1890s due to a dispute with a new owner of the paper. The Nation was an Irish nationalist weekly Newspaper, published in the 19th century The young Griffith was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic Republic" in the mid nineteenth He visited South Africa from 1897–1898, after the defeat and death of Charles Stewart Parnell whose more moderate views he had initially supported, while he (Griffith) convalesced from tuberculosis; there he supported the Boers against British expansionism and was a strong admirer of Paul Kruger. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Charles Stewart Parnell ( 27 June 1846 &ndash 6 October 1891) was an Irish Protestant landowner nationalist Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger ( October 10, 1825 &ndash July 14, 1904) better known as Paul Kruger and fondly known as Oom

In 1899, on returning to Dublin, he co-founded the weekly United Irishman newspaper with his associate William Rooney, who died in 1901. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. The United Irishman title has been a very popular newspaper title in Ireland and a number of newspapers have been published under the title On 24 November 1910, Griffith married his fiancée, Maud Sheehan, after a fifteen-year engagement; they had a son and a daughter. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting

Griffith's fierce criticism of the Irish Parliamentary Party's alliance with British Liberalism was heavily influenced by the anti-liberal rhetoric of Young Irelander John Mitchel, the County Londonderry-born son of a Presbyterian minister; Griffith combined fierce hostility to snobbery and deference, as well as a sort of "producerist" attitude based on skilled craft trade unionism, with some strongly illiberal attitudes. The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP (commonly called the Irish Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party Young Ireland ( Irish: Éire Óg) was a political cultural and social movement which was to revolutionise the way that Irish nationalism was perceived John Mitchel ( Irish: Seán Mistéil; b November 3, 1815 &ndash d Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Producerism, sometimes referred to as "producer radicalism" refers to a syncretic ideology of populist A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming He defended anti-semitic rioters in Limerick, denounced socialists and pacifists as conscious tools of the British Empire, and successively praised Tsarist Russia and Wilhelm II as morally superior to Great Britain. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Tsardom of Rus' (Царство Русское was the official name for the Russian state between Ivan IV 's assumption of the title of Tsar (Emperor in 1547 See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

In September 1900, he established an organization called Cumann na nGaedhael to unite advanced nationalist/separatist groups and clubs. Cumann na nGaedhael (ˈkʊmən nə ˈŋɰeːɫ "Society of the Gaels" sometimes spelt Cumann na nGaedheal, was an Irish language name given Separatism refers to the advocacy of a state of cultural ethnic tribal religious racial or gender separation from the larger group often with demands for greater political autonomy In 1903 He set up the National Council to campaign against the visit to Ireland of King Edward VII his consort Alexandra of Denmark. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Carolina Marie Charlotte Louise Julia 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925 was Queen Consort to Edward VII of the United Kingdom [1]

In 1907, this organization merged with Sinn Féin and a number of others movements to form the Sinn Féin League (Irish for "Ourselves"). Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 In 1906, after the United Irishman journal collapsed because of a libel suit, Griffith refounded it under the title Sinn Féin; it briefly became a daily in 1909 and survived until its suppression by the British government in 1914, after which it was sporadically revived as the ultranationalist journal, Nationality. The United Irishman title has been a very popular newspaper title in Ireland and a number of newspapers have been published under the title

Foundation of Sinn Féin

Príomh Aire
Cathal Brugha (January–April 1919)
Cathal Brugha (January–April 1919)
Éamon de Valera (1919–August 1921)
Éamon de Valera (1919–August 1921)
President of The Republic
Éamon de Valera (August 1921–1922)
Éamon de Valera (August 1921–1922)
President of Dáil Éireann
Arthur Griffith (January–August 1922)
Arthur Griffith (January–August 1922)
W. T. Cosgrave (August–December 1922)
W. T. Cosgrave (August–December 1922)
Office abolished
December 1922

Most historians opt for 28 November 1905, as a founding date because it was on this date that Griffith first presented his 'Sinn Féin Policy'. Cathal Brugha ( pronounced bˠɾˠuː born Charles William St Éamon de Valera (ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə (born Edward George de Valera) (14 October 1882 &ndash 29 August 1975 was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century Éamon de Valera (ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə (born Edward George de Valera) (14 October 1882 &ndash 29 August 1975 was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century William Thomas Cosgrave (Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair 6 June 1880 &ndash 16 November 1965 known generally as W For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting In his writings, Griffith declared that the Act of Union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1800 was illegal and that, consequently, the Anglo-Irish dual monarchy which existed under Grattan's Parliament, and the so-called Constitution of 1782 was still in effect. The phrase Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Acht an Aontais 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are Henry Grattan (3 July 1746 &ndash 6 June 1821 was a member of the Irish House of Commons and a campaigner for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the The Constitution of 1782 is a collective term given to a series of legal changes which freed the Parliament of Ireland, a mediaeval body made up of the Irish House Its first president was Edward Martyn. Edward Martyn (1859 &ndash 1923 of Tullira Castle Ardrahan, Co

The fundamental principles on which Sinn Féin was founded were outlined in an article published in 1904 by Griffith called the The Resurrection of Hungary, in which, noting how in 1867 Hungary went from being part of the Austrian Empire to a separate co-equal kingdom in Austria-Hungary. The Resurrection of Hungary was a book published by Arthur Griffith in 1904 in which he outlined his ideas for an Anglo-Irish Dual monarchy. For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. Though not a monarchist himself, Griffith advocated such an approach for the Anglo-Irish relationship, namely that Ireland should become a separate kingdom alongside Great Britain, the two forming a dual monarchy with a shared monarch but separate governments, as it was thought this solution would be more palatable to the British. Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment preservation or restoration of a Monarchy as a Form of government in a nation " Anglo-Irish " was a term used historically to describe a privileged Social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the The King was the Head of state of the 1922–1937 Irish Free State. This was similar to the policy of Henry Grattan a century earlier. Henry Grattan (3 July 1746 &ndash 6 June 1821 was a member of the Irish House of Commons and a campaigner for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the However, this idea was never really embraced by later separatist leaders, especially Michael Collins, and never came to anything, although Kevin O'Higgins toyed with the idea as a means of ending partition, shortly before his assassination. Michael John ("Mick" Collins (Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin 16 October 1890 &ndash 22 August 1922 was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Kevin Christopher O'Higgins (Caoimhín Críostóir Ó hUigín 7 June 1892 &ndash 10 July 1927 was an Irish politician who served as Vice-President of the Executive Council The Partition of Ireland took place on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920.

Griffith sought to combine elements of Parnellism with the traditional separatist approach; he saw himself not as a leader but as providing a strategy which a new leader might follow. Charles Stewart Parnell ( 27 June 1846 &ndash 6 October 1891) was an Irish Protestant landowner nationalist Central to his strategy was parliamentary abstention: the belief that Irish MPs should refuse to attend the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, but should instead establish a separate Irish parliament (with an administrative system based on local government) in Dublin. Abstentionism is standing for Election to a Deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster.

In 1907 Sinn Féin unsuccessfully contested a by-election in North Leitrim, where the sitting MP, one Charles Dolan of Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, had defected to Sinn Féin. Manorhamilton ( is a small Town in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the N16 between Sligo (27km and Enniskillen County Leitrim ( is one of the counties of Ireland and is part of the province of Connacht. At this time Sinn Féin was being infiltrated by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who saw it as a vehicle for their aims; it had several local councillors (mostly in Dublin, including W. T. Cosgrave) and contained a dissident wing grouped from 1910 around the monthly periodical called Irish Freedom. The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic Republic" in the mid nineteenth William Thomas Cosgrave (Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair 6 June 1880 &ndash 16 November 1965 known generally as W The IRB members argued that the aim of dual monarchism should be replaced by republicanism, and that Griffith was excessively inclined to compromise with conservative elements (notably in his pro-employer position during the 1913 – 1914 Dublin Lockout, when he saw the syndicalism of James Larkin as aimed at crippling Irish industry for Great Britain's benefit). The Dublin Lockout (Frithdhúnadh Mór was a major industrial dispute between approximately 20000 workers and 300 employers which took place in Ireland 's capital city of For his son see James Larkin Jnr, and for the English actor see James Larkin (actor.

1916 Rising

In 1916 rebels seized and took over a number of key locations in Dublin, in what became known as the Easter Rising. The Easter Rising (Éirí Amach na Cásca was a rebellion staged in Ireland in Easter Week, 1916 After its defeat, it was widely described both by British politicians and the Irish and British media as the "Sinn Féin rebellion", even though Sinn Féin had no involvement. When in 1917, surviving leaders of the rebellion were released from gaol (or escaped) they joined Sinn Féin en masse, using it as a vehicle for the advancement of the republic. The result was a bitter clash between those original members who backed Griffith's concept of an Anglo-Irish dual monarchy and the new members, under Éamon de Valera, who wanted to achieve a republic. Éamon de Valera (ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə (born Edward George de Valera) (14 October 1882 &ndash 29 August 1975 was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century Matters almost led to a split at the party's Ard Fheis (conference) in October, 1917.

In a compromise, it was decided to seek to establish a republic initially, then allow the people to decide if they wanted a republic or a monarchy, subject to the condition that no member of Britain's royal house could sit on any prospective Irish throne. Griffith resigned the party leadership and presidency at that Ard Fheis, and was replaced by de Valera. The leaders of the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) sought a rapprochement with Griffith over the British threat of conscription, which both parties condemned, but Griffith refused unless the IPP embraced his more radical and subversive ideals, a suggestion which John Dillon, a leader of the IPP rubbished as unrealistic, although it would ultimately mean the defeat and dissolution of the IPP after the election in December 1918. The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP (commonly called the Irish Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority John Dillon (4 September 1851 – 4 August 1927 was an Irish land reform agitator Irish Home Rule activist nationalist politician Member of Parliament

War of Independence

Griffith was elected a Sinn Féin MP in the Cavan East by-election of mid-1918, and held the seat when Sinn Féin subsequently routed the Irish Parliamentary Party at the 1918 general election. East Cavan was a former UK Parliament constituency in Ireland returning one Member of Parliament 1885-1922 The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP (commonly called the Irish Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing The Irish general election of 1918 was that part of the 1918 United Kingdom general election that took place in Ireland. In that election he was also returned for the seat of Tyrone North West. North West Tyrone was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland.

Sinn Féin's MPs decided not to take their seats in the British House of Commons but instead set up an Irish parliament, Dáil Éireann; the Irish War of Independence followed almost immediately. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords Dáil Éireann (English Assembly of Ireland) was the revolutionary unicameral parliament of the unilaterally declared Irish Republic The Irish War of Independence (or Tan War, or Anglo-Irish War, Irish: Cogadh na Saoirse) from January 1919 to July 1921 was a guerrilla The dominant leaders in the new unilaterally declared Irish Republic were figures like Éamon de Valera, President of Dáil Éireann (1919-21), President of the Republic (1921-1922), and Michael Collins, Minister for Finance, head of the IRB and the Irish Republican Army's Director of Intelligence. This article is about declarations of independence in general The Irish Republic ( Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann or Saorstát Éireann) was a unilaterally declared independent state of Ireland proclaimed The President of Dáil Éireann was the leader of the revolutionary Irish Republic of 1919&ndash1921 President of the Republic was the title given to the head of the Irish ministry or Aireacht in August 1921 by an amendment to the Dáil Constitution, which replaced Michael John ("Mick" Collins (Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin 16 October 1890 &ndash 22 August 1922 was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for The Irish Republican Army ( IRA) (Óglaigh na hÉireann was a military organisation descended from the Irish Volunteers, established 25 November 1913 and who

During de Valera's absence in the United States (1919-21) Griffith served as Acting President and gave regular press interviews. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the He was imprisoned in December 1920 but was subsequently released on 30 June 1921. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar

Treaty negotiations and death

Griffith's grave in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.
Griffith's grave in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. Glasnevin Cemetery ( also known as Prospect Cemetery, is the main Catholic Cemetery in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland.

Griffith became central to the Republic again when, in October 1921, President de Valera asked him to head the delegation of Irish plenipotentiaries to negotiate with the British government. The delegates set up Headquarters in Hans Place, London. Hans Place, London SW1, England, is a prime residential garden square situated immediately south of Harrods in Knightsbridge. After nearly 2 months of negotiations it was there, in private conversations, that the delegates finally decided to recommend the Treaty to the Dáil Éireann on 5 December 1921; negotiations closed at 2. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar 20am on 6 December 1921. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Griffith was the member of the treaty delegation most supportive of its eventual outcome, a compromise based on dominion status, rather than a republic. A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities under sovereign authority within the British Empire and After the ratification by 64 votes to 57 of the Anglo-Irish Treaty by the Second Dáil on 7 January 1922, he replaced de Valera, who stepped down in protest as President of the soon-to-be abolished Irish Republic. The Anglo-Irish Treaty (An Conradh Angla-Éireannach officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a Treaty Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Irish Republic ( Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann or Saorstát Éireann) was a unilaterally declared independent state of Ireland proclaimed A vote was held on 9 January to choose between Griffith or De Valera, which De Valera lost by 58 to 60. A second ratification of the Treaty by the House of Commons of Southern Ireland followed shortly afterwards. House of Commons of Southern Ireland was the lower house of the Irish parliament created by the Government of Ireland Act, passed in 1920 during the Irish War Griffith was, however, to a great extent merely a figurehead as President of the second Dáil Éireann and his relations with Michael Collins, head of the new Provisional Government were somewhat tense. The Second Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 16 August 1921 until 8 June 1922. A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a previous administration or regime

Under increasing strain because of quarrels with many old friends, and faced with a nation sliding into chaos, Griffith's health deteriorated and he died of a brain haemorrhage on 12 August 1922, at the age of 50, ten days before Michael Collins' assassination in County Cork. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Michael John ("Mick" Collins (Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin 16 October 1890 &ndash 22 August 1922 was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for County Cork (Contae Chorcaí is the most southerly and the largest of the modern counties of Ireland. He was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery four days later. Glasnevin Cemetery ( also known as Prospect Cemetery, is the main Catholic Cemetery in Dublin, the capital of Ireland.

Posthumous reputation

The historian Diarmaid Ferriter considers that, though he had founded Sinn Féin, Griffith was 'quickly airbrushed' from Irish history. Diarmaid Ferriter (born Dublin) is an Irish Author, Historian, and university lecturer. His widow had to beg his former colleagues for a pension, saying that he 'had made them all'. She considered that his grave plot was too modest and threatened to exhume his body. Only in 1968 was a plaque fixed on his former home. [2]

Anti-Semitism

The charge of anti-semitism has often been levelled at Griffith. He published articles signed by 'The Home Secretary' in his United Irishman during the Dreyfus Affair which displayed clear hatred for Jews. Even after Alfred Dreyfus had been pardoned Griffith remained virulently Anti-Dreyfusard. He also published Anti-Semitic material by his friends Oliver St John Gogarty and William Bulfin in both the United Irishman and Sinn Féin . In Bulfin's Rambles in Eirinn, serialised by Griffith, the author encounters a Jewish peddlar on a bridge and interrogates him about his origins:

He smiled an oily, cross-eyed, subtle smile of self-apology and insinuating humility as he met my glance, and said in the best Hamburg English :
‘That vos a warm day, sar. ’
‘Do you find this country hotter than your part of Germany?’ I asked.
‘I vos from Dhublin, sar mineself, und not from Germany. ’
‘You are Irish, then. ’
‘Irish yes, from Dublin. ’
‘God help us! And were you born in Dublin?’
‘Witt der help of Gott, sar. ’
‘Of Jewish parents, I suppose?’
‘No sar, Irish’[3]

Griffith's editotial support for the Limerick Pogrom (a boycott of Jewish businesses in Limerick organised by the Redemptorist Father Creagh in 1904) has also been criticsed. The history of Limerick (Luimneach the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland and one of Ireland His claim that it was a boycott of usurers is weakened by the fact that the vast majority of the people affected by the boycott were tradesmen:

When Catholics - as Catholics - are boycotted, it consitutes undoubtedly an outrageous injustice, and similarly if Jews - as Jews - were boycotted, it would be outrageously injust. But the jew in Limerick has not been boycotted because he is a Jew, but because he is a userer. And we deny that we offend against ethics by most hertily advocating the boycott of usurers, whether they be Jew, Pagan or Christian. [4]

As his biographer Brian Maye has pointed out, Griffith clearly had a "wildly exaggerated notion of the extent of Jewish involvement in money-lending and devious business practices"[5] and his language was dangerously provocative.

Quotations

Sources

Notes

  1. ^ Irish Leaving cert history textbook; Movements for Political and Social Reform 1870-1914.
  2. ^ Ferriter D. The Transformation of Ireland 1900-2000 (Profile 2004) p. 260. ISBN 1-86197-307-1
  3. ^ Bulfin, William: Rambles in Eirinn, Dublin, M. H. Gill & Son, 1929, pp307-8
  4. ^ Maye, Brian: Arthur Griffith, Dublin, Griffith College Publications, 1997, p368
  5. ^ Maye: Op. Cit. ,p368

See also

Political offices
Preceded by
Michael Collins		 Minister for Home Affairs
1919–1921		 Succeeded by
Frank Aiken
Preceded by
Count Plunkett		 Minister for Foreign Affairs
1921–1922		 Succeeded by
George Gavan Duffy
Preceded by
Éamon de Valera		 President of Dáil Éireann
1922		 Succeeded by
W. T. Cosgrave
This is a list of people on the Postage stamps of the Irish Free State between 1922 and 1937 and on the postage stamps of Ireland since 1937, including Michael John ("Mick" Collins (Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin 16 October 1890 &ndash 22 August 1922 was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for The Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform (Aire Dlí agus Cirt Comhionannais agus Athchóirithe Dlí is the senior minister at the Department of Justice Equality Frank Aiken (Proinsias Mac Aodhagáin new spelling Proinsias Mac Aogáin; 13 February 1898 – 18 May 1983 was a senior Irish Politician. George Noble Plunkett or Count Plunkett (An Cunta Pluincéad (1851 &ndash 1948 was an Irish nationalist and father of Joseph Mary Plunkett, one of the The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Aire Gnóthaí Eachtracha is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Ireland. George Gavan Duffy (Seórsa Ghabháin Uí Dhubhthaigh 21 October 1882 &ndash 10 June 1951 was an Irish politician Éamon de Valera (ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə (born Edward George de Valera) (14 October 1882 &ndash 29 August 1975 was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century The President of Dáil Éireann was the leader of the revolutionary Irish Republic of 1919&ndash1921 William Thomas Cosgrave (Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair 6 June 1880 &ndash 16 November 1965 known generally as W
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