Thomas Sexton (Irish politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas Sexton
Sexton, c. 1880s
Member of Parliament
In office 1880–1885
Preceded by	Denis Maurice O'Conor and Edward King-Harman
Succeeded by	Constituency divided
Constituency	County Sligo
In office 1885–1886
Preceded by	New Constituency
Succeeded by	Edward Joseph Kennedy
Constituency	South Sligo
In office 1886–1892
Preceded by	James Horner Haslett
Succeeded by	H. O. Arnold-Forster
Constituency	Belfast West
In office 1892–1896
Preceded by	John Stack
Succeeded by	Michael Joseph Flavin
Constituency	North Kerry
Lord Mayor of Dublin
In office 1888–1889
Preceded by	Timothy Daniel Sullivan
Succeeded by	Edward Joseph Kennedy
Personal details
Born	1848 Ballygannon, County Waterford, Ireland
Died	1932 (aged 83–84)
Political party	Irish Parliamentary Party (until 1891) Irish National Federation (1891 to 1896)

Thomas Sexton (1848–1932) was an important Irish figure. He was a journalist, a money expert, and a nationalist politician. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1896. During this time, he represented four different areas. Sexton was also the High Sheriff of County Dublin in 1887 and the Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1888 to 1889. He was a high-ranking member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, a group led by Charles Stewart Parnell. However, Sexton later left Parnell's group in 1891 due to a disagreement. He became sad about the arguments within the new group he joined and stepped back from politics. After that, he became the chairman of the Freeman's Journal, which was one of the biggest newspapers in Ireland.

Early Life and Beginnings

Thomas Sexton was born in Ballygannon, County Waterford, Ireland, in 1848. He went to the local CBS school there. When he was just 12 years old, he got a job as a clerk. This job was with the Waterford and Limerick Railway, and he worked there until 1867.

Sexton also started writing for local newspapers like the Waterford News. He even helped start a debating club. Later, he moved to Dublin and joined The Nation newspaper. There, he became the main writer for their important articles. In 1879, Sexton joined the Irish National Land League, a movement that helped farmers. He then became part of the Irish Parliamentary Party, which was led by Charles Stewart Parnell.

Thomas Sexton's Political Journey

Charles Stewart Parnell encouraged Thomas Sexton to run for Parliament. Sexton was first elected as an MP for County Sligo in 1880. He then won seats for South Sligo in 1885, Belfast West in 1886, and North Kerry in 1892. He was seen as one of Parnell's most important helpers during his time as an MP.

Speaking Out in Parliament

In 1881, Sexton signed the No Rent Manifesto. This was a call for people in Ireland to stop paying rent to protest unfair laws. He was known as one of the best speakers in the Irish Party. People said he could speak for a very long time. Once, he spoke for three hours straight to try and stop the government from passing a new law called the Coercion Act.

In October 1881, Sexton and other Irish MPs were arrested. They were put in prison with Parnell for their actions with the Irish Land League. Sexton was released early because he was not well. After his release, he signed the No Rent Manifesto, which asked for a country-wide rent strike. This was meant to challenge the Land Law (Ireland) Act 1881.

Sexton's win in Belfast West in 1886 was a big surprise. Many people gave credit to Joseph Devlin and his organizing skills for this victory. Sexton's speech about the first Home Rule Bill was considered his greatest moment. William Ewart Gladstone, a very famous politician, said it was "the most eloquent he had heard in a generation."

Lord Mayor of Dublin

In December 1887, Thomas Sexton was given the "freedom of Dublin," a special honor. He was a member of the Dublin Corporation (Dublin's city council) from 1886 to 1892. During this time, he became the Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1888 to 1889. As Lord Mayor, Sexton did a great job of reorganizing the city's debt, which saved Dublin a lot of money.

The Party Split

{{gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed" widths="300px" heights="300px" Justin McCarthy, 1891.jpg|Justin McCarthy John Dillon LOC 25678086606.jpg|John Dillon }} After a big disagreement about Parnell's leadership, the Irish Parliamentary Party split. Sexton chose to side with John Dillon's group, called the Irish National Federation. Sexton believed that Parnell needed to step down. This was important so that the Irish politicians could keep their alliance with William Gladstone's Liberal party. However, Parnell refused to leave his position.

Sexton also started writing for the National Press, a newspaper that supported the anti-Parnell group. This paper started in March 1891. In March 1892, the National Press joined with the more famous Freeman's Journal. Sexton became the Chairman of the board for this newly combined newspaper.

Stepping Back from Politics

Sexton lost his seat in Belfast West in 1892. But he won another seat in North Kerry in the same election. During his last time as an MP, Sexton was very disappointed by the constant arguments within the Irish National Federation. There were two groups fighting, one supporting John Dillon and another supporting T. M. Healy. Sexton tried to stay out of these fights.

In 1896, Justin McCarthy resigned as the leader of the Irish National Federation. Sexton was offered the job, but he said no. He also decided to retire from politics completely. He was disgusted by the bitter arguments after the second Home Rule Bill failed.

Sexton later seemed to regret leaving politics. He tried to use his role as Chairman of the Freeman's Journal to influence his former colleagues. This made Dillon complain about Sexton in 1899. Sexton continued to be a challenge even after the Irish Parliamentary Party reunited under John Redmond in 1900.

By 1903, Sexton's Freeman's Journal was very critical of the party. This was especially true about a land purchase plan introduced by George Wyndham. Sexton thought the plan gave too much to landlords. He also felt it was meant to stop the idea of "Home Rule" (Ireland governing itself).

Later Life and Legacy

After leaving the Freeman's Journal, Thomas Sexton became the Chairman of Boland's Mill. During World War I, he spoke out against wartime taxes. In 1918, he supported Sinn Féin, another Irish political party. Towards the end of his life, he supported Fianna Fáil. He liked this party because it promised to protect the flour-milling industry with special taxes.

Images for kids

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  Justin McCarthy

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  John Dillon