Eoin O'Mahony (politician) facts for kids

Eoin "the Pope" O'Mahony (born March 22, 1905, died February 15, 1970) was a very interesting Irish person. He was a barrister (a type of lawyer) and a genealogist (someone who studies family history). He was also a local politician. People knew him as a clever, funny person who often supported causes that seemed impossible to win.

He was born in County Cork, Ireland. He went to school at Presentation Brothers College, Cork and Clongowes Wood College. The most popular story about how he got his nickname "the Pope" is from when he was asked at school what he wanted to be when he grew up.

A Clever Speaker

Eoin O'Mahony was a very skilled debater when he was a student. He led the debating societies at both University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin. He even had one of his speeches published in a law magazine.

Early Political Life

In the 1930s, O'Mahony became a local politician. He was a member of the Fianna Fáil party. He served on both the Cork City Council and the Cork County Council.

Breaking with His Party

During World War II, Ireland had a law called the Offences against the State Act. This law allowed the government to put people in jail without a trial. O'Mahony disagreed with his party's decision to use this law against some Irish republicans. Because of this, he left the Fianna Fáil party.

This disagreement affected his career as a lawyer for the government. For a while, he didn't have a steady job or a permanent home. His friends joked that his mailing addresses were places like "Main Gate, Trinity College" or a barber shop.

Helping Others

Eoin O'Mahony was known for helping people. When the famous writer Brendan Behan was a young man and held in a special school in England, O'Mahony sent a famous telegram. It said that "the Pope" was coming to help defend him. He also worked on a committee that helped secure the release of some prisoners in 1947.

A Man of Many Talents

People admired Eoin O'Mahony for his great speaking skills and his deep knowledge of family histories.

Broadcasting and Teaching

He had his own program on Radio Éireann, which was Ireland's national radio station. He also worked as a visiting professor at Southern Illinois University in the United States. He even wrote a paper about an important Irish figure named John Conmee.

International Recognition

O'Mahony received an award from Germany called the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He earned this for his important work helping German child refugees after World War II. He was also a Knight of Malta and a member of the "Men of the Trees" group, which promotes planting trees.

Unique Ideas for Ireland

In 1966, he tried to run for president of Ireland. He got one of the four nominations he needed from North Tipperary County Council.

O'Mahony had interesting ideas about Irish heritage. He respected parts of Irish history that others sometimes ignored. For example, he honored the memory of Irish people who fought in World War I. He also supported the Irish Georgian Society, which works to protect old Irish buildings. He even suggested that a united Ireland could be a monarchy. He thought it could be led by someone like Viscount Gormanston or the O'Conor Don, who was a descendant of Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, the last pre-Norman High King.

Legacy

Eoin O'Mahony was a portly man. He died suddenly from a heart attack. After he passed away, the National Gallery of Ireland bought a portrait of him. The artist Harry Kernoff also painted him.

His friends created a special fund, called a bursary, in his memory. This fund helped people study the history of Irish people living in other countries, known as the Irish diaspora. The Royal Irish Academy managed this fund until 2017.