- Seán Mac Diarmada
Infobox Irish Republican
name= "Seán Mac Diarmada"
born = birth date|1883|2|28|df=y
died = death date and age|1916|5|12|1883|2|28|df=y
placeofbirth=Kiltyclogher ,County Leitrim ,Ireland
placeofdeath=Kilmainham Jail ,Dublin City ,Ireland
caption=
nickname=
allegiance=Irish Republican Brotherhood Irish Volunteers
serviceyears= 1913 - 1916
rank=
position= Supreme Council IRB
Military Committee IRB
commands=
unit=
campaign=Easter Rising
awards=
laterwork=Seán Mac Diarmada (
February 28 ,1883 –May 12 ,1916 ) (born John MacDermott, usually used the name Sean MacDermott) was one of the leaders of the 1916Easter Rising in Ireland.Mac Diarmada was born in
Kiltyclogher County Leitrim , where he was educated by the Irish Christian Brothers. In 1908 he moved toDublin , by which time he already had a long involvement in several Irish separatist organizations and cultural, includingSinn Féin , theIrish Republican Brotherhood , theAncient Order of Hibernians and theGaelic League . He was soon promoted to the Supreme Council of the IRB and eventually elected secretary.In 1910 he became manager of the radical newspaper "Irish Freedom", which he founded along with
Bulmer Hobson andDenis McCullough . He also became a national organizer for the IRB, and was taken under the wing of veteranFenian Tom Clarke. Indeed over the year the two became nearly inseparable. Shortly thereafter Mac Diarmada was stricken withpolio and forced to walk with a cane.In November 1913 Mac Diarmada was one of the original members of the
Irish Volunteers , and continued to work to bring that organization under IRB control. In May 1915 Mac Diarmada was arrested inTuam ,County Galway , under theDefense of the Realm Act for giving a speech against enlisting into theBritish Army .Easter Rising
Following his release in September 1915, he joined the secret Military Committee of the IRB, which was responsible for planning the rising. Indeed Mac Diarmada and Clarke were the people most responsible for it.
Due to his disability, Mac Diarmada took little part in the fighting of Easter week, but was stationed at the headquarters in the General Post Office. Following the surrender, he nearly escaped execution by blending in with the large body of prisoners.
He was eventually recognized by Daniel Hoey of G Division ["Michael Collins: A Life";James Mackay p135] . Following a
court-martial on May 9, Mac Diarmada was executed by firing squad on May 12 at the age of 33.In September 1919 Hoey was shot dead by Michael Collins' Squad ["Michael Collins: A Life";James Mackay p135] . The British Officer, Lee-Wilson, who ordered Mac Diarmada to be shot, rather than imprisoned, was also killed on Collins's order in Cork during the
Irish War of Independence .Seán MacDermott Street in
Dublin is named in his honour. So too is Mac Diarmada rail station inSligo , andPáirc Seán Mac Diarmada , theGaelic Athletic Association stadium inCarrick-on-Shannon . Sean MacDermott tower in Ballymun, demolished in 2005, was also named after him.Footnotes
ee also
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List of people on stamps of Ireland
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