Gearóid Ó Cuinneagáin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gearóid Ó Cuinneagáin
Ó Cuinneagáin in 1942
Born	John Gerald Cunningham (1910-01-02)2 January 1910 Belfast, Ireland
Died	13 June 1991(1991-06-13) (aged 81)
Occupation	Civil servant, writer, tax advisor, politician
Title	Ceannaire (Leader)
Political party	Ailtirí na hAiséirghe (1942–1958)
Spouse(s)	Síle Ní Chochláin
Children	6

Gearóid Ó Cuinneagáin (born John Gerald Cunningham; 2 January 1910 – 13 June 1991) was an Irish language activist and nationalist politician from Belfast, Ireland. He founded and led Ailtirí na hAiséirghe, a political party that wanted to create a Christian state in Ireland. This state would have been run by a strong, single leader. The party also aimed to bring back the Irish language as the main language of the country.

Early Life and Education

John Gerald Cunningham was born on January 2, 1910, in Belfast. His father managed a restaurant, and his mother, Catherine McMahon, spoke Irish. Gearóid had four sisters and two brothers. One brother, Seósamh, became a lawyer and fought in the Spanish Civil War. Another brother, Tomás, became a Catholic priest.

Gearóid went to St. Malachy's Christian Brothers School. In 1927, he did very well in the Irish civil service exams, getting third place in the whole country. He could have gone to Queen's University Belfast, but he chose to work instead. He joined the Irish Department of Finance and was sent to Athlone.

There, he met his old teacher, Patrick Lenihan, again. Lenihan was very proud of Irish culture. Inspired by him, John Gerald Cunningham changed his name to its Irish form, Gearóid Ó Cuinneagáin.

Later, Ó Cuinneagáin worked in Castlebar and Dublin. He became a Junior Executive Officer in the Department of Defence. In 1932, he wanted to take time off to learn Irish better in Ranafast, but his request was denied. So, he quit his job and spent a year in Ranafast. He became a very good Irish speaker.

In 1933, his strong Irish skills helped him get a job writing for An tÉireannach, an Irish language newspaper. He used the pen name "Immaculate Virgin" for some articles. After a few months, he left this job for a more stable income. He also might have disagreed with the newspaper's socialist ideas. In 1937, he started a small business helping people with their taxes.

Political Ideas and Groups

In 1937, Ó Cuinneagáin wrote an article suggesting that Ireland should team up with Italy. He believed they shared a common enemy: the United Kingdom. He wanted Ireland to build a strong army. He hoped that a powerful Ireland, along with Irish people living abroad, could convince Mussolini to help Ireland. At this time, Ó Cuinneagáin was not yet a fascist. He imagined Ireland as a democratic republic, like the United States. Its economy would be inspired by Roosevelt's "New Deal" plan.

By 1939, he saw that war between Britain and Germany was coming. He urged Irish people to use this situation to benefit their country. In 1940, he wrote a plan called "Ireland a Missionary-Ideological State?". In this plan, he suggested a "corporate state." This type of state would combine faith with modern ideas. It would reject the focus on money seen in capitalism and communism.

In 1940, Ó Cuinneagáin helped create Clann na Saoirse. This group was linked to other groups that supported the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) during World War II. These groups wanted to create a corporate state in Ireland. Ó Cuinneagáin became a "Stiúrthóir" (director) in May. He proposed an eight-point plan. This plan included taking back Northern Ireland by force and encouraging more births. It also called for stopping people from leaving Ireland and removing "bad influences" from foreign people on Ireland's economy. He also wanted to create a "sovereign federation" of Celtic nations (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany). Finally, he wanted to ban the English language.

The Irish government found out about a plan called Plan Kathleen. This plan involved helping Germany invade Ireland. Because of this, the main members of Clann na Saoirse and other pro-Axis groups were arrested. Ó Cuinneagáin was not arrested because his involvement was not public knowledge. The arrested people were released a few days later. The pro-Axis groups then started holding meetings to help a German invasion. They used Irish language classes taught by Ó Cuinneagáin as a cover. However, in September, Ó Cuinneagáin announced he was leaving these groups. He planned to form a new branch of Conradh na Gaeilge, called Craobh na hAiséirghe (Branch of the Resurrection). He described it as "a Hitler Youth Movement under the guise of an Irish class."

Two days later, Irish police raided the homes of members of the pro-Axis groups. Again, Ó Cuinneagáin avoided arrest. The authorities did not realize that "Séamus Cunningham," "Jerry Cunningham," and Gearóid Ó Cuinneagáin were the same person.

Craobh na hAiséirghe and Ailtirí na hAiséirghe

Craobh na hAiséirghe claimed to be a group focused only on Irish language and culture. Many members were not interested in politics. The group grew quickly, reaching 1,200 to 1,500 members within a year. At the second meeting, Ó Cuinneagáin was elected president. But he soon changed his title to "Ceannaire," meaning "leader." He made sure he had complete control over the group.

Ó Cuinneagáin also got involved with Córas na Poblachta, a pro-German republican party. He led its youth group, Aicéin. This allowed him to find new members for Craobh na hAiséirghe. It also helped him connect with the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He also hoped to influence Córas's political ideas.

In 1941, Ó Cuinneagáin was elected to Conradh na Gaeilge's national executive, the Coiste Gnótha. He had a disagreement with other members about a publication for the 1916 Easter Rising. Ó Cuinneagáin insisted that a member of Craobh na hAiséirghe should edit the publication. His attempts to get more of his supporters into Conradh's leadership failed. Only he and Proinsias Mac an Bheatha were elected to its council. He also failed twice to become president of Conradh na Gaeilge. After this, he stopped Craobh delegates from joining the Coiste Gnótha. He also stopped paying the annual fee for his branch.

In June 1942, a meeting was held to celebrate 100 years since The Nation newspaper was founded. Ó Cuinneagáin was asked to speak because of his work for the Irish language. His two-hour speech was very political. He criticized Irish society and its leaders. But he praised the Emergency Powers Act. He said it helped prepare Ireland for a strong, single-leader government. He then announced a new political movement, Ailtirí na hAiséirghe, which would work alongside Craobh na hAiséirghe.

This speech caused problems within Craobh na hAiséirghe. Many members worked for the government, which Ó Cuinneagáin now wanted to overthrow. The publication of Aiseirghe 1942 made things worse. This book was all about Ó Cuinneagáin's political ideas for his new movement. It was similar to the eight-point plan he had proposed earlier.

On November 6, 1942, Craobh na hAiséirghe split peacefully. The members who focused on culture, led by Proinsias Mac an Bheatha, formed a new group called Glún na Buaidhe (Generation of Victory). They also agreed to take on Craobh na hAiséirghe's debts. In his last speech as leader, Ó Cuinneagáin promised to cooperate with Glún na Buaidhe. He asked members to help the new group.

Ailtirí na hAiséirghe in Action

Ó Cuinneagáin and his new movement, Ailtirí na hAiséirghe, started giving speeches in public places. They spoke in pubs, cinemas, at sports events, and even churches. They also organized parades and Irish dancing events. Aiséirghe speakers would start in Irish, then switch to English. This made people curious and drew crowds. Ó Cuinneagáin often spoke at university events, even at Trinity College, which was generally pro-British.

Ó Cuinneagáin tried to get support from Irish republicans. He had built good relationships with them through his work with Conradh na Gaeilge and Córas na Poblachta. He was active in the Green Cross Fund, which helped families of republican prisoners. He also arranged film screenings and provided books and literature to IRA prisoners. Several important IRA members joined Ó Cuinneagáin or supported his party. The Irish intelligence service G2 and the British MI5 noticed that Aiséirghe members often attended Sinn Féin meetings and sometimes spoke there.

The party was not ready for the 1943 Irish general election and did not win any seats. Two weeks before the election, Ó Cuinneagáin tried a publicity stunt. He organized an Aiséirghe dance in Belfast and gave a strong speech. He hoped to be arrested and get media attention as a "political prisoner." As he expected, the Royal Ulster Constabulary broke up the event and arrested him. However, he was released 48 hours later, so he did not get the media coverage he wanted. The party's support in Northern Ireland suffered greatly. After this, Aiséirghe members in Northern Ireland were visited by the police. They were told to either leave Aiséirghe or be imprisoned under the Special Powers Act.

Challenges and Decline

In February 1944, the "American Note crisis" happened. The American minister to Ireland, David Gray, sent a message to Éamon de Valera. He demanded that Ireland close the offices of the Axis powers in Dublin. The Irish government feared this was a sign that the Allies (like the US and Britain) might invade Ireland. So, they put the army on high alert. The Allied governments then had to explain that their message was a request, not a demand. They said they had no plans to invade Ireland.

Aiséirghe groups in Cork and Waterford supported the Irish leader, Taoiseach de Valera. But Ó Cuinneagáin used the situation to attack de Valera's government. This caused disagreements within the party. Ernest Blythe suggested that Ó Cuinneagáin should step down as leader. Seosamh Ó Coigligh, the leader of the Cork group, felt that Ó Cuinneagáin's attacks on respected leaders pushed away potential supporters. He wrote a letter criticizing Ó Cuinneagáin's attacks on the government.

De Valera's popularity grew because of this crisis. He called a general election in May. Even though it was clear that de Valera's party would win, Ó Cuinneagáin insisted that Aiséirghe run candidates. The party again failed to win any seats in the 1944 Irish general election.

After the war ended, the Emergency Powers Act was lifted. This meant Aiséirghe could share its ideas publicly without censorship. In the 1945 Irish local elections, the party worked hard. They focused on local issues. As a result, Aiséirghe candidates won nine seats. Most of these wins were in Munster, showing the party was not strong across the whole country.

Ó Cuinneagáin saw these election results as a success. But some in the party, like Tómas Ó Dochartaigh, thought the results showed the party needed a more moderate leader. They wanted a leader who would work with mainstream parties. In August, Ó Dochartaigh and Seán Ó hUrmoltaigh met with Ó Cuinneagáin. They shared their complaints, but he dismissed them. When their request for a party meeting was ignored, Ó Dochartaigh threatened to hold one without Ó Cuinneagáin's permission. In response, Ó Cuinneagáin suspended them from the party.

The party's executive committee criticized Ó Cuinneagáin at a meeting in September. They said he had gone too far by suspending Ó Dochartaigh and Ó hUrmoltaigh, and they brought them back into the party. Ó Cuinneagáin then fired Ó Coigligh and Muiris Mac Gearailt, the head of the Tipperary group. Some unhappy members, led by officers from the Cork City branch, nominated Riobárd Breathnach as a new leader.

At a party meeting in October, a vote was held. Twenty-two officials supported Ó Cuinneagáin, and thirteen supported Riobárd Breathnach. After the vote, Tómas Ó Dochartaigh and the entire Cork group resigned. This split greatly hurt the party. Many Aiséirghe supporters in Munster also left. The rise of a new party, Clann na Poblachta, caused even more members to leave. Ó Cuinneagáin did not think this new party was a big threat. He believed their popularity was just a passing trend. But in the 1948 Irish general election, Aiséirghe won no seats. Clann na Poblachta, however, won ten seats and joined the government.

Seeing the party's bad state, Ó Cuinneagáin tried to get attention again. In May 1949, Aiséirghe members put up posters saying "Arm Now to Take The North" in Dublin and other towns. The Gardaí (Irish police) tore down the posters, which only drew more attention. However, Ó Cuinneagáin could not follow through on his call to action. Many people who had briefly supported him became disappointed. The party continued to decline. By 1950, it had almost completely stopped working.

Later Life

In 1950, Ó Cuinneagáin caused a small international incident. When Basil Brooke, a Northern Irish leader, toured the United States and Canada, Ó Cuinneagáin's newspaper offered a £1,000 reward for Brooke's capture. The British government protested this to the Irish ambassador.

Even though his party declined in the 1950s and 1960s, sales of his newspaper, Aiséirí, remained strong. He continued to criticize the Irish government's language policies, party politics, and foreign cultural influences. Ó Cuinneagáin was also interested in new technologies. He suggested ways they could help an Irish cultural and economic revival. In 1954, he launched Deirdre, the first Irish-language magazine for women.

He became open to the idea of a united Europe and supported Ireland joining the European Economic Community. He welcomed the increase in nationalism caused by the Troubles (conflict in Northern Ireland). But he regretted that the fight for Irish unity was left to armed groups instead of the Irish government. He continued to publish Aiséirí until 1975, when he could no longer afford it. Despite this, Ó Cuinneagáin never gave up his beliefs. In 1990, shortly before he died, he told Risteárd Ó Glaisne, "You think we're all washed up. We're not. You wait and see - our day is coming."