Edward Martyn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Martyn
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drawing by John Butler Yeats, 1899
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| President of Sinn Féin | |
| In office 1905–1908 |
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| Preceded by | Creation of Office |
| Succeeded by | John Sweetman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 January 1859 |
| Died | 5 December 1923 (aged 64) Tullira, County Galway, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Relatives | John Martyn and Annie Mary Josephine Smyth (parents) |
| Education | Belvedere College |
| Alma mater | Wimbledon College |
| Occupation | Playwright |
Edward Martyn (born January 30, 1859 – died December 5, 1923) was an important Irish writer and political leader. He was the first president of Sinn Féin, an Irish political party, from 1905 to 1908. He also played a big part in supporting Irish culture and arts.
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Edward Martyn's Early Life
Edward Martyn was born in County Galway, Ireland. His father, John Martyn, owned Tullira Castle. Edward's mother was Annie Mary Josephine Smyth. Edward's father passed away in 1860, when Edward was very young.
Edward went to school at Belvedere College in Dublin and Wimbledon College in London. These were both Jesuit schools. Later, he attended Christ Church, Oxford university in 1877. However, he left in 1879 without finishing his degree. Edward had one brother, John, who died in 1883.
A Supporter of the Arts
Edward Martyn started writing stories and plays in the 1880s. He was known for his great taste in music, both classical European and traditional Irish. He was also a talented musician himself. He even had an organ installed at his home, Tullira Castle, where he would play for his guests.
Edward used his wealth to help Irish culture grow. Here are some of the things he supported:
- He helped start the Palestrina Choir in Dublin in 1903. This choir sings at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral.
- He helped fund and guide the building of St. Brendan's Cathedral in Loughrea.
- He was a co-founder and helped fund the Feis Ceoil, a big Irish music festival.
- He was the president of Na hAisteoirí, a drama group that performed plays in the Irish language.
- He supported An Túr Gloine, which was Ireland's first workshop for making stained-glass art.
- He also supported the Irish Theatre, which put on European and Irish-language plays.
Founding the Irish Literary Theatre
Edward Martyn was very important in bringing together two famous writers, William Butler Yeats and Augusta, Lady Gregory, in 1896. Together, these three people started the Irish Literary Theatre.
Edward wrote some of his most famous plays, like The Heather Field and A Tale of a Town, for this theatre group. He paid for the theatre's first three seasons. This support was very important for the theatre to get started and later led to the famous Abbey Theatre. Edward later had disagreements with Yeats and Lady Gregory, but he remained good friends with Lady Gregory until he died.
Friendship with George Moore
Edward Martyn was a cousin and friend of the writer George Moore. Edward and George were both single their whole lives. They often traveled across Europe together. George Moore helped Edward learn about modern art. Because of this, Edward bought many artworks by famous artists like Degas, Monet, Corot, and Utamaro. He later gave all these artworks to the National Gallery of Ireland. They also went to music performances in Bayreuth, Germany, because Edward loved the music of Wagner.
Their friendship sometimes had its ups and downs. George Moore wrote about Edward in his book Hail and Farewell. However, they had different political ideas. Edward was an Irish republican, meaning he wanted Ireland to be independent. These political differences eventually caused their friendship to end, and they stopped speaking to each other.
Edward Martyn's Political Work
Edward Martyn came from a family with a history of fighting for Ireland. His ancestors, Richard Óge Martyn and Oliver Óge Martyn, were involved in important Irish wars. However, by Edward's time, his family generally supported British rule.
Edward's own views began to change in the 1880s as he studied Irish history. He became an Irish republican. He famously refused to allow the British national anthem, "God Save The Queen", to be sung at a dinner party at his home.
He became involved with political activists like Maud Gonne and Arthur Griffith. He spoke out against the visits of Queen Victoria in 1897 and Edward VII in 1903 to Ireland. He was the first president of Sinn Féin from 1905 to 1908. In 1908, he left politics to focus more on his writing and other activities. He remained close friends with Arthur Griffith and even paid for Griffith's book The Resurrection of Hungary to be published in 1904.
In 1906, Edward was part of a well-known court case. He had said that any Irishman who joined the British Army should be punished. This led to him being suspended from a club he belonged to, the Kildare Street Club. He won the court case, and he joked that he only fought it because the club served the best caviar in Dublin!
Edward was also good friends with Thomas MacDonagh, Joseph Mary Plunkett, and Patrick Pearse. He was very sad when they were executed after the Easter Rising in 1916. A church and hall he founded near his home were burned down by the Black and Tans during the Irish War of Independence. He supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which created the Irish Free State.
Edward Martyn's Death
Edward Martyn passed away at his home, Tullira Castle, on December 5, 1923. He was 64 years old and had been unwell for some years.
His friends and family were surprised by his will. He asked that his body be given to medical science for study. After that, he wanted to be buried in an unmarked grave. The Palestrina Choir, which he had helped found, sang at his graveside.
Edward left his personal papers to a group of monks in Dublin, but sadly, these papers were later lost. There are portraits of Edward Martyn by artists like John Butler Yeats and Sarah Purser. When Edward died, his direct family line ended. His property was inherited by his cousins. Tullira Castle was sold many years later and has had several owners since then.
See also
- Oliver Óge Martyn
- Richard Óge Martyn
