George A. Birmingham facts for kids
George A. Birmingham was the writing name of James Owen Hannay (born 16 July 1865 – died 2 February 1950). He was an Irish clergyman and a very successful novelist. Hannay was involved with the Gaelic League, which worked to bring back the Irish language. However, he had some disagreements with Irish nationalists because he supported Robert Lindsay Crawford. Crawford believed that churches should not control education.
Early Life and His Work in Ireland
James Hannay was born in Belfast. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1889, he became a minister in the Church of Ireland, which is an Anglican church. From 1904, he worked as the rector of Holy Trinity Church in Westport, County Mayo.
Hannay was very active in efforts to bring back the Irish language in Mayo. He also defended the Gaelic League in a newspaper called the Church of Ireland Gazette. Because of this, he was asked to join the League's main leadership group in December 1904. He knew important people in the Irish cultural movement, like Douglas Hyde, who was the president of the Gaelic League. He also knew Arthur Griffith, a key thinker behind the Sinn Féin movement.
Hannay hoped that Protestants in the north and Catholics in the south of Ireland could work together. He saw a possible friend in Robert Lindsay Crawford in Ulster. Crawford was a leader in the new Independent Orange Order. Hannay thought this group, like the Gaelic League, was very democratic. He felt they were not controlled by rich people or powerful figures.
However, Hannay's support for Crawford caused problems with Irish nationalists. Crawford was against churches controlling schools in Ireland. This idea also had little support within Hannay's own church. The Church of Ireland Gazette even called Crawford "the only champion of secularism" in their church meetings. Hannay eventually left the Gaelic League. This happened after many protests about his popular play, General John Regan, which was touring at the time.
Later Career and Travels
After his time in Westport, James Hannay became the rector of Kildare parish from 1918 to 1920. He then served as a chaplain to the Viceroy of Ireland, who was the King's representative in Ireland. In 1922, he joined the British team working at the embassy in Budapest.
He returned to England in 1924 and worked as a minister in Mells, Somerset until 1934. After that, he was appointed vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Kensington, a part of London. He served there from 1934 until he passed away in 1950.
A Love for Sailing
James Hannay really enjoyed sailing. He learned the basics from his father and grandfather when he was growing up in Belfast.
When he was living in Westport, his success as a writer meant he could afford to buy his own boat. He bought a type of boat called a Dublin Bay Water Wag. To honor Hannay, the Water Wag Club of Dun Laoghaire sailed back to Westport and Clew Bay in 2016.
In his book The Inviolable Sanctuary, George A. Birmingham even included a picture of his Water Wag boat at the very beginning of the book.
