Thomas Hunter (Irish politician)

For other people named Thomas Hunter, see Thomas Hunter (disambiguation).

Thomas Hunter (22 December 1880 – 11 March 1932) an Irish republican and politician. He was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), Sinn Féin, the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Hunter was born on 22 December 1880 in Castletownroche, County Cork in Ireland.

He participated in the 1916 Easter Rising as a Captain of the 2nd Battalion under Commandant Thomas MacDonagh, which occupied the Jacob's biscuit factory on Bishop Street, almost a mile to the south of the General Post Office. Following the Rising he was sentenced to death – this was later commuted to penal servitude for life.[1][2]

In 1917, Hunter, along with Éamon de Valera and Thomas Ashe, were accepted among their fellow prisoners at Lewes prison as commanding officers.[3] On 28 May of that year, de Valera, Ashe and Hunter lead a prison hunger-strike. This led the authorities to remove the prisoners from Lewes to separate facilities.[4] By 18 June 1917, all participants of the Easter Rising had been released.

In May 1918, Hunter was again arrested along with all other members of Sinn Féin during the "German Plot".[5] In December 1918 he was elected as a Sinn Féin MP for the Cork North East constituency at the 1918 general election.[6] Sinn Féin MPs refused to attend Westminster, and instead assembled at the Mansion House in Dublin as a revolutionary parliament called Dáil Éireann, though Hunter could not attend as he was still in prison.[7]

By March 1920, Hunter had established a business with his partner Peadar Clancy, calling themselves a "republican tailor". Hunter was once again arrested for his involvement in the theft of Viceroy French's documents.[8] While in prison, Hunter and several others engaged in a hunger strike, demanding to be treated as prisoners of war.[9] News of these hunger strikes sparked general strikes called by the trade unions and large scale demonstrations in Dublin to show support for the hunger strikers.[10] On 14 April 1920, all hunger striking prisoners were released.[10]

In October 1920, during a "wholesale raid" of the homes of Sinn Fein members,[11] British troops attacked Hunter's business ("The Republican Outfitters"), destroying the building. It was mistakenly reported at the time that Hunter was among the dead.[12]

In May 1921, Hunter was elected unopposed as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cork East and North East constituency at the 1921 elections. During Dáil debates on the Anglo-Irish Treaty, Hunter spoke (albeit briefly) against the treaty.[13]

“ I rise to say a few words; perhaps if I did not do so some people might say that I had not the courage to voice my opinions in this assembly. I vote against this Treaty because I am a Republican; I was elected on the Republican ticket; I came here and took the oath to the Republican Government and I am not going now to destroy that Government. If the people do not agree with me they can get rid of me at any time and in any way that they like. Finally, as a Republican, I could never recognise the Government of George V of England in either internal or external association. ”

[14]

At the 1922 general election, Hunter stood unsuccessfully for as an anti-Treaty Sinn Féin candidate.[15]

Hunter died on 11 March 1932 at Glanworth, County Cork.

Legacy

A stretch of the N72 (Mallow Road) leading to the village of Castletownroche has been named Commandant Tom Hunter Park.

References

  1. ^ "The Main Sites of Activity During the Rising.". National Library of Ireland. http://www.nli.ie/1916/pdf/7.8.pdf. Retrieved 14 October 2010. 
  2. ^ "Britain to free Sullivan". The Indianapolis Star: p. 2. 7 May 1916. "The sentences of Thomas Hunter and William Cosgrove [sic] were communted (sic) to live imprisonment." 
  3. ^ Béaslaí, Piaras (1926). Michael Collins and the making of a New Ireland. 1. London: George G. Harrap. pp. 149–50. 
  4. ^ Fitzpatrick, David (2003). Harry Boland's Irish Revolution. Cork University Press. p. 56. 
  5. ^ "Arrest all heads Sinn Fein to put down revolt". Nevada State Journal: p. 1. 19 May 1918. 
  6. ^ "Mr. Thomas Hunter". Oireachtas Members Database. http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=1&MemberID=541&ConstID=40. Retrieved 10 April 2009. 
  7. ^ "Roll call of the first sitting of the First Dáil" (in Irish). Dáil Éireann Historical Debates. 21 January 1919. http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/DT/D.F.O.191901210004.html. Retrieved 29 March 2008. 
  8. ^ "Wholesale raids in Dublin follows theft of documents". Reno Evening Gazette: p. 1. 4 March 1920. "Thomas Hunter, Sinn Fein member of parliament for North Cork, was arrested, together with his partner, Peter Clancy, in the tailoring business, under the style republican tailor." 
  9. ^ McConville, Seán (2003). Irish Political Prisoners, 1848 - 1922: theaters of war (reprint ed.). Psychology Press. p. 720. ISBN 9780415219914. 
  10. ^ a b http://www.dcu.ie/~foxs/irhist/april_1920.htm
  11. ^ "Big battle is raging in Dublin". Olean Evening Times (Olean, New York). 16 October 1920. 
  12. ^ The dead officer was, in fact, Seán Treacy. "Leader of Irish Army shot down". Olean Evening Times (Olean, New York): p. 1. 15 October 1920. 
  13. ^ Knirk, Jason K. (2006). Imagining Ireland's Independence. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 111. ISBN 9780742541481. 
  14. ^ "http://generalmichaelcollins.com/Ml.Collins_Growing_up/Treaty_Debate.2.html"
  15. ^ "Thomas Hunter". ElectionsIreland.org. http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=953. Retrieved 10 April 2009.