Denis Ireland facts for kids

Denis Liddell Ireland (born July 29, 1894 – died September 23, 1974) was an Irish writer and political activist. He was a Protestant from Northern Ireland. After fighting in World War I, he became a strong supporter of Irish independence. He also believed in economic ideas called social credit.

In Belfast, he tried to help Protestants explore their Irish identity. However, his Ulster Union Club faced problems when it was found that a recruiter for the Irish Republican Army had joined in 1942. Later, in Dublin, he became a Senator in the Seanad Eireann (the Irish Senate) in 1948. He was part of the Clann na Poblachta party. Denis Ireland was the first member of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament) who lived in Northern Ireland.

Early Life and War Service

Denis Ireland was born in Malone Park, Belfast. His father, Adam Liddell Ireland, was a linen manufacturer. Denis went to school at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and the Perse School in Cambridge. He also studied at Queen's University, Belfast.

When World War I started in 1914, he joined the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He fought on the Western and Macedonian fronts. He was sent home due to injury with the rank of captain. He decided not to continue his medical studies. He felt they wouldn't be helpful in a city where factory work was very hard on people.

Instead, he worked for his family's linen business in London. This job allowed him to travel around Europe and North America. These travels inspired him to start writing. From 1930, he worked as a freelance writer and also wrote for the BBC.

Exploring Irish Identity

At the BBC in Belfast, Denis Ireland worked with other writers like John Boyd and Sam Hanna Bell. They tried to encourage discussions about Irish identity. Ireland believed it was hard for Protestants in Ulster to connect with Irish history. But he thought it could lead to a "renaissance" or a new awakening for them.

He wrote about the poet W. B. Yeats visiting Belfast in 1893. Ireland felt that Belfast, despite producing many artists, often pushed them away. He believed that Ulster Protestants could become "dreamers" and help Irish art and literature grow. He thought their focus on London prevented them from fully embracing their Irish heritage.

In 1929, Ireland ran for election in Belfast East as a Liberal. He did not win. He was critical of political leaders who he felt had harmed Ireland.

Working Against Partition

In 1941, Denis Ireland started the Ulster Union Club. His goal was to help Ulster Protestants connect with their Irish traditions. The club offered many activities. These included discussions on current events, economics, history, and the Irish language. They also had dancing and music classes. The club published pamphlets, and Ireland wrote for various magazines and radio shows.

The Ulster Union Club was mostly for Protestants. However, authorities soon found out that it was a place where people were recruited for the Irish Republican Army. A man named John Graham, who was a member of the Church of Ireland, attended UUC meetings. He was later arrested in 1942 for leading an IRA intelligence unit.

In April 1942, an RUC officer was shot. Six members of the IRA's Belfast Brigade were sentenced to hang. This was a very serious step for the Northern Ireland authorities. Denis Ireland and the UUC, with support from others, campaigned to save them. All but one of the sentences were changed. In September, Tom Williams, who was 19, was hanged. Ireland also worked against conscription (forced military service). In 1941, he spoke at a large meeting. He said that Protestants and Catholics were united on this important issue, just like the United Irishmen had been 150 years before.

In 1944, the Ulster Union Club was shut down by the Northern Ireland Special Powers Act. Police searched the club's building and the homes of its members. There was no evidence that Ireland was involved in the IRA's activities.

In 1947, Denis Ireland was introduced as "President of the Ulster Union Club" at a meeting in New York. He organized a celebration in Belfast for the 150th anniversary of the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The rally was banned, and so were counter-demonstrations by Loyalists.

In 1948, Ireland was part of the Belfast 1798 Commemoration Committee. They were not allowed to hold their rally in the city center. Instead, 30,000 people gathered in west Belfast. They marched to McArt's Fort, where Wolfe Tone and the Society of United Irishmen had taken an oath in 1795.

Ideas on Economics

Denis Ireland also thought about economic issues. He believed that the Irish government should control its own money and credit. He felt that the Irish pound was still too much controlled by the Bank of England in London.

He supported a system called "social credit" or "national dividend." This idea suggested that citizens should receive payments. This would help people buy more goods and services. He believed this "Economic Democracy" was important for nationalism in the modern world.

Ireland said his views were "nationalist" and "liberal." He did not see himself as a socialist.

Irish Senator

In 1948, Denis Ireland was chosen to be a Senator in the Seanad Éireann in Dublin. He was nominated by the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) John A. Costello. He was the first Senator to live in Northern Ireland.

As a Senator (from 1948 to 1951), Ireland represented Ireland at the Council of Europe. He supported Seán MacBride in his efforts to get the European Convention on Human Rights approved. Ireland also tried to discuss "the Irish question" with Britain's European partners. However, Ireland did not believe in a "federal union" of countries. He felt that problems were not solved by making them bigger. He had lost faith in international groups after the The League of Nations failed before World War II.

The Linen-Hall Writers

From the 1930s, Ireland was part of a group of people who regularly met at Campbell's Cafe. They were all members of the Linen Hall Library in Belfast. This library was a popular place for scholars and artists. The group included writers, actors, poets, and artists. They created a lively atmosphere. Campbell's Cafe even appeared in a novel by Brian Moore.

Later Life

Denis Ireland lived in South Belfast. He saw the start of the Northern Ireland Troubles, a period of conflict.

List of Works

• 1930 -- An Ulster Protestant Looks At His World
• 1931 -- Ulster to-day and to-morrow
• 1935 -- Portraits and Sketches
• 1936 -- Theobald Wolfe Tone: Patriot Adventurer
• 1936 -- From the Irish Shore: Notes on My Life and Times
• 1939 -- Statutes Round the City Hall
• 1941 -- Éamon de Valera Doesn't See it Through
• 1944 -- The Age of Unreason: A Short History of Democracy in Our Times
• 1945 -- Letters from Ireland
• 1947 -- Six Counties in Search of a Nation, Essays and Letters on Partition 1942-1946
• 1950 -- Red Brick City and Its Dramatist: A Note on St. John Ervine
• 1952 -- (with Niall Ó Dónaill) Cathair phrotastúnach [Protestant City]
• 1973 -- From the Jungle of Belfast: Footnotes to History 1904-1972