Robert Brennan (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Robert Brennan was an Irish
writer, diplomat and a founder of The Irish Press
newspaper. He took part in the 1916 Easter Rising and later became the Irish Free State's
first minister to the United States.
, Ireland
. He was a member of the staff of the Echo Newspaper in Enniscorthy. He joined the Gaelic League and the Irish Volunteers
and was recruited into the IRB
by Seán T. O'Kelly
.
He commanded the insurgents in Wexford during the 1916 Easter Rising and was sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to penal servitude. His continuing political activity resulted in further imprisonments in 1917 and afterwards. His daughter Maeve Brennan
was born while he was in prison. In April 1918 he was placed in charge of a newly-formed Sinn Féin
Department of Propaganda. However, in November 1918 he was arrested in the run-up to the General Election (held in December), in an effort by the British Government to stifle the Sinn Féin election campaign. The election manifesto on which he had worked was "mutilated by the censor" - only about one half of it could be published. He became Sinn Féín
National Director of Elections in December 1918. The election turned out to be a resounding success for the party.
He was Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Dáil Éireann
, from February 1921 to January 1922. He organised the Irish Race Convention in Paris in 1922.
He was director of publicity for the anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army during the Irish Civil War
. He was a founder and a director, in 1934, of The Irish Press
newspaper.
His imprisonments and activities greatly fragmented his daughter Maeve's childhood. In her story The Day We Got Our Own Back she recounts her memory of how, when she was five, her home was raided by Free State
forces looking for her father, who was on the run. Robert Brennan describes the same incident in his memoir Allegiance.
Robert Brennan was appointed the Irish Free State's first minister to the United States, and the family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1934. He was Minister Plenipotentiary to the US from 1938 to 1947. Robert, his wife, and one of his sons returned to Ireland (his three daughters remained in the United States) when he was appointed Director of Radio Éireann (1947-1948).
He wrote mystery stories as a hobby. He died in Dublin in 1964.
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...
writer, diplomat and a founder of The Irish Press
The Irish Press
The Irish Press was an Irish national daily newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 5 September 1931 and 25 May 1995.-Foundation:...
newspaper. He took part in the 1916 Easter Rising and later became the Irish Free State's
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...
first minister to the United States.
Life
Brennan was born in County WexfordCounty Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, Ireland
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...
. He was a member of the staff of the Echo Newspaper in Enniscorthy. He joined the Gaelic League and the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
and was recruited into 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...
by 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...
.
He commanded the insurgents in Wexford during the 1916 Easter Rising and was sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to penal servitude. His continuing political activity resulted in further imprisonments in 1917 and afterwards. His daughter Maeve Brennan
Maeve Brennan
Maeve Brennan , was an Irish short story writer and journalist. She moved to the United States in 1934 when her father was appointed to the Irish Legation in Washington. She was an important figure in both Irish diaspora writing and in Irish writing itself...
was born while he was in prison. In April 1918 he was placed in charge of a newly-formed 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...
Department of Propaganda. However, in November 1918 he was arrested in the run-up to the General Election (held in December), in an effort by the British Government to stifle the Sinn Féin election campaign. The election manifesto on which he had worked was "mutilated by the censor" - only about one half of it could be published. He became Sinn Féín
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...
National Director of Elections in December 1918. The election turned out to be a resounding success for the party.
He was Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
, from February 1921 to January 1922. He organised the Irish Race Convention in Paris in 1922.
He was director of publicity for the anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army during the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
. He was a founder and a director, in 1934, of The Irish Press
The Irish Press
The Irish Press was an Irish national daily newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 5 September 1931 and 25 May 1995.-Foundation:...
newspaper.
His imprisonments and activities greatly fragmented his daughter Maeve's childhood. In her story The Day We Got Our Own Back she recounts her memory of how, when she was five, her home was raided by 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...
forces looking for her father, who was on the run. Robert Brennan describes the same incident in his memoir Allegiance.
Robert Brennan was appointed the Irish Free State's first minister to the United States, and the family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1934. He was Minister Plenipotentiary to the US from 1938 to 1947. Robert, his wife, and one of his sons returned to Ireland (his three daughters remained in the United States) when he was appointed Director of Radio Éireann (1947-1948).
He wrote mystery stories as a hobby. He died in Dublin in 1964.
Books
- The Toledo Dagger (1927), a detective novel
- The Man Who Walked like a Dancer
- Allegiance (1950) (autobiography)
External links
- Notes on Robert Brennan Contains links to other sites.