Laurence Ginnell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laurence Ginnell
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| Teachta Dála | |
| In office May 1921 – August 1923 |
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| Constituency | Longford–Westmeath |
| In office December 1918 – May 1921 |
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| Constituency | Westmeath |
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office February 1906 – December 1918 |
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| Constituency | Westmeath North |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 April 1852 (baptised) Delvin, County Westmeath, Ireland |
| Died | 17 April 1923 (aged 71) Washington, D.C., USA |
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Laurence Ginnell (born 1852, died 1923) was an important Irish nationalist politician and lawyer. He worked hard to make Ireland a better place for its people. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the British government. Later, he joined the Sinn Féin party, which wanted Ireland to be independent.
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Early Life and Political Beginnings
Laurence Ginnell was born in Delvin, County Westmeath, Ireland, in 1852. He taught himself and became a lawyer. In his younger years, he was involved in the Land War. This was a time when people fought for fairer land ownership in Ireland. He also worked as a private secretary for a politician named John Dillon.
Leading the Ranch War
From 1906 to 1909, Ginnell led a big campaign called the Ranch War. This movement aimed to help farmers who had little or no land. Many large areas of land were used for cattle grazing, called 'ranches'. These ranches were often empty of people.
Ginnell wanted to draw attention to this unfair situation. He started a plan called the Down's Policy. This involved "cattle driving," where people would move cattle from these large ranches. This was a way to bother the wealthy landowners. It also showed everyone how unfair land ownership was in the Irish countryside.
The Ranch War helped lead to a new law in 1909. This law allowed the government to buy farmland from owners, even if they didn't want to sell. This was seen as a big win for the national movement.
Standing Up for Ireland
In 1909, Ginnell was kicked out of the Irish Parliamentary Party. This happened because he asked to see the party's money records. After this, he became an Independent Nationalist. People often called him "The MP for Ireland" because he spoke up for the whole country.
While in the British Parliament, Ginnell strongly disagreed with Britain's war policies. He also spoke out against the executions of people involved in the Easter Rising of 1916. On May 9, 1916, he even accused the British Prime Minister of "murder." Because of this, he was forced to leave the Parliament meeting. He also visited many Irish prisoners held in jails in Wales and England.
Joining Sinn Féin
In 1917, Ginnell helped Count Plunkett get elected in a special election. Plunkett won on a platform that meant he would not take his seat in the British Parliament. This was a new approach.
After Éamon de Valera won another election for Sinn Féin in July 1917, Ginnell decided to join the Sinn Féin party.
Working for the Irish Republic
At a big Sinn Féin meeting that year, the party became a republican party. This meant they wanted a fully independent Irish Republic. De Valera became the President, and Ginnell was chosen as one of the party's treasurers.
In March 1918, Ginnell was put in prison for encouraging land protests. He was later sent to Reading Gaol in England. In the 1918 Irish general election, he was elected as a Sinn Féin MP for Westmeath. He easily beat his opponent.
After he was released from prison, Ginnell attended the first meeting of the First Dáil. The Dáil Éireann was the new Irish Parliament. He was one of the few politicians who had served in both the British Parliament and the Dáil. He was also made the Director of Propaganda for the new Irish Republic. This meant he was in charge of spreading information about the Republic.
Representing Ireland Abroad
Ginnell spent a year in Chicago, USA, working as a campaigner for the Irish Republic. Later, de Valera appointed him as the Republic's representative in Argentina and South America. His job was to share news and information about Ireland's fight for independence. He wanted to make sure people knew Sinn Féin's side of the story during the Irish War of Independence.
In August 1921, he came back to Ireland for the first meeting of the Second Dáil. A few months later, he returned to Argentina to continue his work.
Opposing the Anglo-Irish Treaty
Laurence Ginnell was against the Anglo-Irish Treaty. This treaty was agreed upon in January 1922 and led to the creation of the Irish Free State. He was elected as an anti-Treaty Sinn Féin politician in the 1922 Irish general election. This election happened just before the Irish Civil War began.
A Stand in the Dáil
On September 9, 1922, Ginnell was the only anti-Treaty politician to attend the first meeting of the new Provisional Parliament, also known as the Third Dáil. Before he signed his name to officially join, Ginnell asked for an explanation. He said he was elected to the Dáil Éireann, not to a Parliament based on a "foreign" (British) law.
He kept asking questions, even though he was told to wait until a speaker was chosen. He wanted to know if members from the Six Counties (Northern Ireland) would be allowed to sit in this Dáil. Another politician, W. T. Cosgrave, then suggested that Ginnell should be removed from the House. Ginnell protested, but he was forcibly taken out.
De Valera later made Ginnell a member of his "Council of State." This was a group of twelve people who advised de Valera during the difficult time of the Civil War.
Ginnell soon returned to the United States. He continued to work as the Republic's envoy there. He even ordered some friends to take over the Irish Consular Offices in New York City. These offices were then controlled by the Free State government. He wanted to get a list of people who had donated money to help Ireland's fight for independence.
Laurence Ginnell died in the United States on April 17, 1923. He was 71 years old. He was still campaigning against the Anglo-Irish Treaty when he passed away.
