George Sigerson
Encyclopedia
George Sigerson was an Irish
physician, scientist, writer, politician and poet. He was a leading light in the Irish Literary Revival
of the late 19th century in Ireland.
in County Tyrone
. He attended Letterkenny Academy but was sent by his father to finish his education in France.
He studied medicine at the Queen's College, Galway
and Queen's College, Cork and took his degree in 1859. He then went to Paris where he spent some time studying under Charcot
and Duchenne; a fellow-student was Sigmund Freud
. He then returned to Ireland and opened a practice in Dublin, specializing as a neurologist. He continued to visit France annually to study under Charcot. His many patients included Maude Gonne, Austin Clarke
and Nora Barnacle
. He lectured on medicine at the Catholic University of Ireland
. He was professor of zoology and later botany at the University College Dublin
.
and made the acquaintance of Charles Kickham
and John O'Leary. His first book, The Poets and Poetry of Munster, appeared in 1860. He was actively involved in political journalism for many years, writing for The Nation
. He was one of the founders of the Feis Ceoil
and President of the National Literary Society from 1893 until his death. His daughter Dora Sigerson Shorter
was a poet who was also involved in the Irish literary revival.
Nominated a member of the first Senate
of the Irish Free State
, Sigerson was briefly chosen as first, if temporary, Chairman on 11-12 December 1922 before the election of Lord Glenavy
. The day after his death the Senate paid a kind tribute to him.
, the top division of third level Gaelic Football
competition in Ireland is named in his honour. Sigerson donated the salary from his post at UCD so that a trophy could be purchased for the competition. In 2009, he was named in the Sunday Tribune
s list of the "125 Most Influential People In GAA History". The cup was first presented in 1911, with the inaugural winners being UCD
. The trophy itself, is thought to be the longest-serving trophy in the GAA.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
physician, scientist, writer, politician and poet. He was a leading light in the Irish Literary Revival
Irish Literary Revival
The Irish Literary Revival was a flowering of Irish literary talent in the late 19th and early 20th century.-Forerunners:...
of the late 19th century in Ireland.
Doctor and Scientist
Sigerson was born at Holy Hill, near StrabaneStrabane
Strabane , historically spelt Straban,is a town in west County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It contains the headquarters of Strabane District Council....
in County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
. He attended Letterkenny Academy but was sent by his father to finish his education in France.
He studied medicine at the Queen's College, Galway
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
and Queen's College, Cork and took his degree in 1859. He then went to Paris where he spent some time studying under Charcot
Jean-Martin Charcot
Jean-Martin Charcot was a French neurologist and professor of anatomical pathology. He is known as "the founder of modern neurology" and is "associated with at least 15 medical eponyms", including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis...
and Duchenne; a fellow-student was Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
. He then returned to Ireland and opened a practice in Dublin, specializing as a neurologist. He continued to visit France annually to study under Charcot. His many patients included Maude Gonne, Austin Clarke
Austin Clarke
Austin Ardinel Chesterfield Clarke, is a Canadian novelist, essayist and short story writer who lives in Toronto, Ontario. Born in St...
and Nora Barnacle
Nora Barnacle
Nora Barnacle was the lover, companion, inspiration, and eventual wife of author James Joyce.-Biography:Nora Barnacle was born in the town of Galway, Ireland, but the day of her birth is uncertain. Depending on the source, it varies between the 21st and the 24th of March 1884...
. He lectured on medicine at the Catholic University of Ireland
Catholic University of Ireland
The Catholic University of Ireland was a Catholic university in Dublin, Ireland and was founded in 1851 following the Synod of Thurles in 1850, and in response to the Queen's University of Ireland and its associated colleges which were nondenominational...
. He was professor of zoology and later botany at the University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
.
Cultural Nationalist
While a student he taught himself IrishIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and made the acquaintance of Charles Kickham
Charles Kickham
Charles Joseph Kickham was an Irish revolutionary, novelist, poet, journalist and one of the most prominent members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.-Early life:...
and John O'Leary. His first book, The Poets and Poetry of Munster, appeared in 1860. He was actively involved in political journalism for many years, writing for The Nation
The Nation (Irish newspaper)
The Nation was an Irish nationalist weekly newspaper, published in the 19th century. The Nation was printed first at 12 Trinity Street, Dublin, on 15 October 1842, until 6 January 1844...
. He was one of the founders of the Feis Ceoil
Feis Ceoil
Feis Ceoil is an annual Irish cultural festival of music and dance. It was first organized in 1897 by Dr. Annie Patterson and Edward Martyn. It consisted of competitions for performance and composition and was supported by all musicians of the day, both national and classical...
and President of the National Literary Society from 1893 until his death. His daughter Dora Sigerson Shorter
Dora Sigerson Shorter
Dora Sigerson was an Irish poet, who after her marriage in 1895 wrote under the name Dora Sigerson Shorter.She was born in Dublin, Ireland, the daughter of George Sigerson, a surgeon and writer, and Hester also a writer. She was a major figure of the Irish Literary Revival, publishing many...
was a poet who was also involved in the Irish literary revival.
Nominated a member of the first Senate
Seanad Éireann (Irish Free State)
Seanad Éireann was the upper house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State from 1922–1936. It has also been known simply as the Senate, or as the First Seanad. The Senate was established under the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State but a number of constitutional amendments were...
of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
, Sigerson was briefly chosen as first, if temporary, Chairman on 11-12 December 1922 before the election of Lord Glenavy
James Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy
James Henry Mussen Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy PC was an Irish lawyer, politician in the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and later in the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State...
. The day after his death the Senate paid a kind tribute to him.
GAA supporter
The Sigerson CupSigerson Cup
The Sigerson Cup is the top division of Higher Education Gaelic football in Ireland, It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
, the top division of third level Gaelic Football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
competition in Ireland is named in his honour. Sigerson donated the salary from his post at UCD so that a trophy could be purchased for the competition. In 2009, he was named in the Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
s list of the "125 Most Influential People In GAA History". The cup was first presented in 1911, with the inaugural winners being UCD
UCD GAA
UCD GAA or University College Dublin Gaelic Athletic Association club is a Dublin based Gaelic games club in University College Dublin. The UCD hurling club was founded in 1900 and boasted the motto's "Ad Astra" and "Cothrom Féinne". The first team was an amalgamation of students from UCD and...
. The trophy itself, is thought to be the longest-serving trophy in the GAA.
Partial bibliography
- The Poets and Poetry of Munster (1860)
- CannabicultureCannabis cultivationThis article presents common techniques and facts regarding the cultivation of the flowering plant cannabis, primarily for the production and consumption of marijuana buds. Cultivation techniques for other purposes differ...
in Ireland; its profit and possibility (1866) - Modern Ireland (1869)
- Political prisoners at home and abroad
- On the need for village hospitals in Ireland
- Celtic influence on the evolution of rimed hymnHymnA hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s - The advantages of AmbidexterityAmbidexterityAmbidexterity is the state of being equally adept in the use of both left and right appendages . It is one of the most famous varieties of cross-dominance. People that are naturally ambidextrous are rare, with only one out of one hundred people being naturally ambidextrous...
- Discovery of fish remains in the alluvial clay of the River FoyleRiver FoyleThe River Foyle is a river in west Ulster in the northwest of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, and Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. From here it flows to the City of Derry, where it...
- Bards of the Gael and Gall (1897)
Further reading
- McGilloway, K., George Sigerson: Poet, Patriot Scientist and Scholar, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2011
External Links
- George Sigerson Papers at Newberry LibraryNewberry LibraryThe Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...