Pádraig Ó Fathaigh facts for kids

Pádraig Ó Fathaigh (1879–1976) was an important Irish person who worked to keep the Irish language alive. He was also an Intelligence Officer for the Irish Republican Army, a group that fought for Ireland's independence.

Early Life and Learning

Pádraig Ó Fathaigh was born in a place called Lurgan, near Gort in County Galway, Ireland. He was one of six children. His family were farmers who rented their land. They grew crops and raised animals to sell. At home, Pádraig's family spoke Irish.

When Pádraig was growing up, Ireland was going through big changes. There was the Irish Land War, which was about farmers wanting to own their land instead of renting it. There was also the idea of Home Rule, which meant Ireland would govern itself instead of being fully ruled by Britain.

Pádraig joined the Gaelic League, a group that worked to protect and promote the Irish language and culture. He became a certified teacher of Irish in 1907. Two years later, he became a full-time múinteoir taistil, which means a travelling teacher, for the Gort area. He would cycle all over the area every week, teaching Irish to many students in night classes. Sometimes, as many as 150 people would come to his classes!

Joining the Volunteers

In 1914, Pádraig joined the Irish Volunteers. This was a group of Irish people who wanted to gain more freedom for Ireland. He might have also joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood around the same time. His older brothers, Mícheál and Seán, were also Volunteers. His youngest sister, Mary, was the secretary for the local Cumann na mBan, a women's organization that supported the Volunteers.

A famous Irish leader named Liam Mellows often visited the Ó Fathaigh family home. Pádraig was involved in the Easter Rebellion in 1916. This was a big uprising against British rule in Ireland. However, Pádraig was arrested early on in Kinvara. The main group of over six hundred Galway Volunteers gathered near Athenry and Oranmore under Liam Mellows.

Fighting for Independence

After the Easter Rebellion failed, Pádraig was sent to prison in England. He was released in 1917. When the Irish War of Independence began, he became an intelligence officer. This meant he gathered important information for the Irish Republican Army.

Pádraig was arrested again in January 1920 and sent back to prison in England. He took part in a ten-day hunger strike in Wormwood Scrubs prison in London in 1920. A hunger strike is when prisoners refuse to eat to protest their conditions or treatment. He managed to escape on May 16 and returned to the Gort area in June.

During this time, many difficult events happened. Pádraig's friend, Joe Howley, and an informant, Constable Kearney, were killed by the Black and Tans. The Black and Tans were a group of British ex-soldiers who were sent to Ireland to help the police. Other sad events included the deaths of Eileen Quinn, Fr. Michael Griffin, the Loughnane brothers, Frank Shawe-Taylor, and Captain C.E.N. Blake. After Captain Blake and others were killed in an ambush, Pádraig's family home was burned down by British forces. They also caused a lot of trouble in Gort.

After the fighting stopped with a Truce in 1922, Michael Collins, a very important Irish leader, praised Pádraig for his efforts. However, Pádraig did not agree with the Anglo-Irish Treaty that ended the war. He took the Anti-Treaty side in the Irish Civil War, which was a conflict between Irish groups who disagreed about the Treaty.

Later Life and Legacy

After the Civil War, Pádraig went to National University of Ireland, Galway. He earned a degree in Celtic Studies, which is the study of Celtic languages and cultures, including Irish. He then taught in his local area.

In his later years, Pádraig worked as a clerk for the Galway County Council Health Board. He was also the secretary of the committee that built a monument to Liam Mellows in Eyre Square in Galway city.

Memoir

Pádraig Ó Fathaigh wrote a book about his life in 1968. This book is now kept at the National Library of Ireland. It was published in 2000, so others could read about his experiences.

See also

• Éamonn Ceannt
• Liam Mellows
• Frank Shawe-Taylor