Desmond FitzGerald (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Desmond FitzGerald
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| Minister for Defence | |
| In office 23 June 1927 – 9 March 1932 |
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| President | W. T. Cosgrave |
| Preceded by | Peter Hughes |
| Succeeded by | Frank Aiken |
| Minister for External Affairs | |
| In office 30 August 1922 – 23 June 1927 |
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| President | W. T. Cosgrave |
| Preceded by | Michael Hayes |
| Succeeded by | Kevin O'Higgins |
| Minister for Publicity | |
| In office 26 August 1921 – 9 September 1922 |
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| President | W. T. Cosgrave |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Director of Publicity | |
| In office 17 June 1919 – 11 February 1921 |
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| Preceded by | Laurence Ginnell |
| Succeeded by | Erskine Childers |
| Senator | |
| In office 13 March 1938 – 6 June 1943 |
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| Constituency | Administrative Panel |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office February 1932 – July 1937 |
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| Constituency | Carlow–Kilkenny |
| In office May 1921 – February 1932 |
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| Constituency | Dublin County |
| In office December 1918 – May 1921 |
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| Constituency | Dublin Pembroke |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thomas Joseph FitzGerald
13 February 1888 Forest Gate, Essex, England |
| Died | 9 April 1947 (aged 59) Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, including Garret |
| Relatives |
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| Education | St Bonaventure's |
| Alma mater | |
Desmond FitzGerald (born Thomas Joseph FitzGerald; 13 February 1888 – 9 April 1947) was an important Irish politician, poet, and publicist. He played a key role in Ireland's fight for independence. He served as a government minister in the early Irish Free State, holding positions like Minister for Defence and Minister for External Affairs. He was also a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish parliament, from 1918 to 1937. Later, he served as a Senator from 1938 to 1943.
Contents
Early Life and Poetry
Desmond FitzGerald was born in Forest Gate, England, in 1888. His parents were Irish, from County Tipperary and County Kerry. As a teenager, he changed his first name to "Desmond." He first visited Ireland in 1910. He went to school at St Bonaventure's.
While living in London, FitzGerald was part of a group of poets and writers called the Tour Eiffel group. They met at a restaurant named Tour Eiffel in Soho. This group included famous poets like Ezra Pound. FitzGerald helped introduce Pound to the group, which led to the creation of the Imagist poetry movement. Imagism focused on clear, sharp images and precise language in poetry.
Family Life
In 1911, Desmond FitzGerald married Mabel Washington McConnell. Mabel was from Belfast and shared Desmond's interest in the Irish language. They met at a language event in London. After living in France for a while, they moved to County Kerry, Ireland, in 1913. They had four sons: Desmond, Pierce, Fergus, and Garret.
Becoming an Irish Nationalist
FitzGerald became very involved in the Irish nationalist movement. In 1914, he joined the Irish Volunteers, a group that aimed to protect Ireland's rights. He helped organize a Volunteers group in County Kerry.
In 1915, FitzGerald was sent to prison because he spoke out against people joining the British army during the First World War. He was later told to leave Kerry and moved to County Wicklow.
The Easter Rising
In 1916, FitzGerald took part in the Easter Rising, a major rebellion against British rule in Ireland. He was inside the General Post Office (GPO) in Dublin, which was the headquarters for the rebels. He was in charge of managing the food supplies.
During the Rising, FitzGerald discussed the reasons for the rebellion with leaders like Patrick Pearse and Joseph Plunkett. They hoped that if Germany won the First World War, a successful Irish uprising would allow Ireland to have a say in the peace talks. They even considered inviting a German prince to rule a new Irish kingdom, where Irish would be the main language again. This was a way to get support from Germany for Irish independence.
Publicity and the War of Independence
After being released from prison in 1918, FitzGerald was elected as a Sinn Féin MP for Dublin Pembroke. When the First Dáil (the first Irish parliament) was formed in 1919, he became the Director of Publicity for Dáil Éireann. His job was to spread information about the Irish Republic.
He worked with Erskine Childers to create the Irish Bulletin in 1919. This publication reported on actions by the British forces in Ireland. For nearly two years, the Bulletin successfully shared the goals of the Irish Republic with the world. It helped gain support for Irish independence during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921).
FitzGerald was arrested in March 1921 but was soon released. Later that year, he became the Minister of Publicity. He was also one of the politicians who tried to convince Éamon de Valera to join the talks for the Anglo-Irish Treaty. This treaty was signed in December 1921 and led to the creation of the Irish Free State.
Government Minister
Desmond FitzGerald strongly supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty. On 30 August 1922, he was appointed Minister for External Affairs for the new Irish government.
Ireland Joins the World Stage
After the Irish Free State was officially established on 6 December 1922, FitzGerald worked to get Ireland recognized internationally. In 1923, he applied for Ireland to join the League of Nations, an international organization that aimed to promote peace. Ireland was accepted as a member the following year. FitzGerald also represented Ireland at important international meetings.
In 1927, FitzGerald became the Minister for Defence. He continued to serve as a TD until 1937. In 1938, he was elected to Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Irish parliament, and served there until he retired from politics in 1943.
Later Life and Legacy
Desmond FitzGerald passed away on 9 April 1947 in Dublin, at the age of 59.
His son, Garret FitzGerald, also became a very important figure in Irish politics. Garret served as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the 1970s and later as Taoiseach (the head of government in Ireland) twice in the 1980s.
See also
- Families in the Oireachtas
Images for kids
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Desmond FitzGerald
