Henry Dixon(IRB)
Encyclopedia
A neglected figure in Irish historiography, Henry Dixon was nonetheless an influential nationalist at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. He was a key member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
and Sinn Féin
, and was extremely active in pivotal organisations like the Young Ireland League, the Celtic Literary Society and the Sinn Féin Printing & Publishing Company
. A practising solicitor, he looked after the legal affairs of personalities like Seán T. O'Kelly
and helped to structure Irish nationalism in the early 1900s. Liked many of his nationalist peers, he was interned at Frongoch
after the 1916 Rising but unlike his younger comrades, slipped into obscurity afterwards.
Between then and the end of the century he was extremely active in nationalist organisations, most with overlapping memberships, all controlled by the IRB
. He ran the National Club Literary Society with Patrick Lavelle. He was the only non Dublin city councillor on the Charles Stuart Parnell Leadership committee established by the National Club to create an alliance between local government officials across the country to consolidate Parnell’s support base. He was also on the executive of the Parnell Leadership Fund with Fred Allan. The purpose of this fund was to raise money to maintain a Parnellite presence in the press.
Dixon was also on the Young Ireland League executive with John McBride and Patrick Lavelle, organised the local NMC and most republican commemorative events.
During this period Dixon wrote political letters to the Northern Patriot.
A provisional 1798 committee was set up in 1896 consisting of Dixon, Lavelle, and Fred Alan amongst others.
He was also active in the Celtic Literary Society, run by William Rooney
. Arthur Griffith
and Denis Devereux, were also members and he went on to work with them in the Sinn Féin Printing & Publishing Company
.
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
and Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, and was extremely active in pivotal organisations like the Young Ireland League, the Celtic Literary Society and the Sinn Féin Printing & Publishing Company
Sinn Féin Printing & Publishing Company
The Sinn Féin Printing & Publishing Company, Ltd. was a Dublin-based enterprise founded by Arthur Griffith, chief propagandist of the nationalist Sinn Féin movement. It published, and for several years also printed, the influential weekly newspaper Sinn Féin. It also very briefly printed and...
. A practising solicitor, he looked after the legal affairs of personalities like Seán T. O'Kelly
Sean T. O'Kelly
Seán Thomas O'Kelly was the second President of Ireland . He was a member of Dáil Éireann from 1918 until his election as President. During this time he served as Minister for Local Government and Minister for Finance...
and helped to structure Irish nationalism in the early 1900s. Liked many of his nationalist peers, he was interned at Frongoch
Frongoch
The village of Frongoch is located in Gwynedd, Wales. It lies close to the market town of Bala, on the A4212 road in north Wales.It was the home of the Frongoch internment camp, used to hold German prisoners-of-war during First World War, and then Irish Republican prisoners from the 1916...
after the 1916 Rising but unlike his younger comrades, slipped into obscurity afterwards.
19th Century Activism
Henry Dixon appears for the first time in open political activity in the spring of 1885 when he gave a lecture on the need to protect Irish industry to a meeting of the Dublin Young Ireland Society.Between then and the end of the century he was extremely active in nationalist organisations, most with overlapping memberships, all controlled by the IRB
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
. He ran the National Club Literary Society with Patrick Lavelle. He was the only non Dublin city councillor on the Charles Stuart Parnell Leadership committee established by the National Club to create an alliance between local government officials across the country to consolidate Parnell’s support base. He was also on the executive of the Parnell Leadership Fund with Fred Allan. The purpose of this fund was to raise money to maintain a Parnellite presence in the press.
Dixon was also on the Young Ireland League executive with John McBride and Patrick Lavelle, organised the local NMC and most republican commemorative events.
During this period Dixon wrote political letters to the Northern Patriot.
A provisional 1798 committee was set up in 1896 consisting of Dixon, Lavelle, and Fred Alan amongst others.
He was also active in the Celtic Literary Society, run by William Rooney
William Rooney
William Rooney was an Irish nationalist, journalist, poet and Gaelic revivalist. Along with Arthur Griffith and Denis Devereux he founded the Celtic Literary Society, and with Griffith founded the first Cumann na nGaedheal....
. Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922, and was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations in London that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.-Early life:...
and Denis Devereux, were also members and he went on to work with them in the Sinn Féin Printing & Publishing Company
Sinn Féin Printing & Publishing Company
The Sinn Féin Printing & Publishing Company, Ltd. was a Dublin-based enterprise founded by Arthur Griffith, chief propagandist of the nationalist Sinn Féin movement. It published, and for several years also printed, the influential weekly newspaper Sinn Féin. It also very briefly printed and...
.