James Nowlan
Encyclopedia
James Nowlan was the President of the Gaelic Athletic Association
from 1901 to 1921 and is the longest serving president of the organisation. He was also a Sinn Féin
representative and member of the Gaelic League. In 2009 he was named in the Sunday Tribune
's list of the 125 Most Influential People In GAA History.
Nowlan was born in Kilkenny City
in 1855. A member of the Gaelic League, he was a lifelong supporter of the Irish language
revival movement and a supporter of Sinn Féin
from its foundation in 1905. In 1898 he was elected an alderman
of Kilkenny Corporation, and used his time in the position to help promote the GAA, which having been set up 14 years prior was a relatively new organisation at the time. In 1900 he became the first chairman of the Leinster Council
of the GAA. He was elected President of the national GAA at the 1901 Congress held in September of that year. He would hold that position for twenty years making him the longest serving president. During his time in office he attempted to steer the organisation on a more republican
path.
Following the Easter Rising
, Nowlan was arrested by the British in May 1916 and interned
without trial in Frongoch
, Wales
. In August of that year he was released and continued with his GAA and Sinn Féin duties. He publicly voiced support for the Irish Republican Army
during the Anglo-Irish War in the 1920s.
At the 1921 Congress, held in March of that year, Nowlan retired as GAA President, and was appointed Honorary Life President of the association - the only person to be so honoured. He died in June 1924 in his mid-70s. Nowlan Park
, the GAA stadium in his native Kilkenny
, was renamed in his honour three years later.
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
from 1901 to 1921 and is the longest serving president of the organisation. He was also a 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...
representative and member of the Gaelic League. 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.
Nowlan was born in Kilkenny City
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
in 1855. A member of the Gaelic League, he was a lifelong supporter of the Irish language
Irish 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...
revival movement and a supporter of 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...
from its foundation in 1905. In 1898 he was elected an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of Kilkenny Corporation, and used his time in the position to help promote the GAA, which having been set up 14 years prior was a relatively new organisation at the time. In 1900 he became the first chairman of the Leinster Council
Leinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
of the GAA. He was elected President of the national GAA at the 1901 Congress held in September of that year. He would hold that position for twenty years making him the longest serving president. During his time in office he attempted to steer the organisation on a more republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
path.
Following the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
, Nowlan was arrested by the British in May 1916 and interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
without trial in 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...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. In August of that year he was released and continued with his GAA and Sinn Féin duties. He publicly voiced support for the Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
during the Anglo-Irish War in the 1920s.
At the 1921 Congress, held in March of that year, Nowlan retired as GAA President, and was appointed Honorary Life President of the association - the only person to be so honoured. He died in June 1924 in his mid-70s. Nowlan Park
Nowlan Park
Nowlan Park is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Kilkenny, Ireland, home to the Kilkenny hurling team. It has two covered stands and two terraces, behind each goalpost. The current capacity of the stadium is approximately 24,000 with a seating capacity of 17,000. Plans have...
, the GAA stadium in his native Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, was renamed in his honour three years later.