John Francis Maguire (died 1 November 1872) was an Irish politician. He was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Dungarvan in 1852, and resigned on 20 April 1852 through appointment as Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds. He was subsequently an MP for Cork City, serving between 1865 and his death in 1872.
John Francis Maguire was an Irish writer and politician born in Cork, Ireland in 1815 to a merchant and was never a wealthy man, but sat as a member for Dungarvan from 1852 until 1865 and then for Cork from 1865 until his death in 1872. He wrote for his Newspaper, the Cork Examiner and wrote several books, including Irish in America in 1868. He actively supported the Liberal Party’s legislation on the disestablishment of the Church as well as the land question. Then in 1870, John Maguire joined the Home Rule party for Ireland, who wanted nothing more than to be able to govern their own instead of being governed by England. He cared about his fellow countrymen and the issues that they faced, and enjoyed writing his Newspaper and books. He was not interested in being a man of wealth or affluence and just wanted to do what he felt was right for his people and be a voice for them.
John Maguire wrote the Irish in America thoughtfully and deliberately after speaking to countless Irish Americans about many of the pressing issues of the times in America. His book covered such topics as their views towards slavery, the troubles they found once arriving in America, the overcrowding of immigrants within the large cities and the poverty they became accustomed to. There were other parts of this book that weren’t directly related to those subjects, but that of the actual passage and perils on the seas that those travelling experienced.
He was interested in explicitly educating his readers of this group of people and to implore his Irish brothers and sisters to be prudent in the way they lived. Wanting to bring attention to the reasons for crime committed in these difficult times, and point out some of the positive traits the Irish brought with them, such as a love for life, a strong sense of loyalty, and a strong work ethic, John Maguire wrote in such a manner as to bring stories into his book. He also had a sincere concern with the drinking problem among the Irish and how their drinking differed from that of other races.
Maguire, John Francis. The Irish in America, 4th Edition. New York: D. & J. Sadlier & Company, 1867.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles Ponsonby |
Member of Parliament for Dungarvan 1852–1852 |
Succeeded by Charles Robert Barry |
| Preceded by Nicholas Daniel Murphy and Francis Bernard Beamish |
Member of Parliament for Cork City 1865 – 1872 With: Nicholas Daniel Murphy |
Succeeded by Nicholas Daniel Murphy and Joseph Philip Ronayne |