Alexander Martin Sullivan facts for kids
Alexander Martin Sullivan (1829 – 17 October 1884) was an important Irish politician, lawyer, and journalist. He came from Bantry, County Cork, Ireland.
Biography of Alexander Martin Sullivan
Alexander Martin Sullivan was born in 1829 in Bantry, County Cork. He was the second of six sons. He went to the local national school. His brother, Timothy Daniel Sullivan, later became the Lord Mayor of Dublin.
During the Great Famine (1845-1847), Alexander worked to help with government relief efforts. Seeing the hardship people faced made him want to help Ireland. He joined the Confederate Club in Bantry. This group supported the Young Irelanders, who wanted Ireland to be independent.
In 1853, Sullivan moved to Dublin. He first worked as an artist and then as a reporter for the Liverpool Daily Post.
In 1855, Sullivan became the assistant editor of The Nation, a famous Irish newspaper. Later, he became its editor and owner. From 1861 to 1884, he worked with his older brother, T. D. Sullivan. They made The Nation a very strong voice for Irish independence. They also published the Weekly News and Zozimus.
Sullivan became a lawyer in Ireland in 1876. He was also made a QC (a senior lawyer) in 1881. He mostly worked as a lawyer in England, but he also took on some political cases in Ireland.
In 1874, Alexander Sullivan was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Louth. An MP is a person elected to represent an area in the British Parliament. He was elected again for Louth in 1880. Later, he became the MP for Meath in 1880 and served until 1882. After this, he focused on his legal work.
Sullivan was also a member of the Dublin Corporation, which was like the city council for Dublin. He helped get a great spot for the Grattan Monument. He even gave £400 of his own money towards it. This money came from people who admired him when he was in prison for his political actions in 1868. The monument was officially revealed in 1876.
He worked on many important legal cases between 1878 and 1882. One of his last big cases was in 1883. He helped defend Patrick O'Donnell in a well-known trial.
Alexander Sullivan was also a strong supporter of the temperance movement, which encouraged people to drink less alcohol. He wrote two important books: The Story of Ireland and New Ireland. He also wrote many short stories and poems for Irish Penny Readings.
He passed away in Dublin on 17 October 1884 and was buried at Glasnevin Cemetery.
Family
Alexander Sullivan married Frances Genevieve Donovan. They had several children. His second son, also named Alexander, became a very important lawyer. He is remembered for defending Roger Casement in a famous legal case.
