Tom Kettle, Nationalist MP and poet born Artane, Dublin is commemorated on the Parliamentary War Memorial in Westminster Hall.
He left us the lines, “…Died not for flag, nor King, nor Emperor But for a dream, born in a herdsman’s shed And for the secret scripture of the poor”. From, To My Daughter Betty, The Gift of God.
image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Michael Collins, revolutionary, born 1890 in Sam’s Cross near Clonakility Co Cork. He left there in 1906 to work in London where he lived and worked for nearly a third of his life.
In 1914 he moved into a flat at 5 Netherwood Road, W14 which he shared with his sister Hannie. A discreet plaque commemorates its illustrious resident.
Around the corner and behind the Olympia Exhibition Centre at 23 Blythe Road W14, is Blythe House, the Post Office Savings bank where he worked until 1910.
Thanks to Katie Walsh for sourcing these gems.
For more information, especially on Collins’ life in London, see Michael Collins: A Life by James Mackay, Mainstream Publishing 1996.
photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons
This is photograph BU 6911 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums.
William JOYCE (Lord Haw-Haw) broadcaster (of fascist propaganda) born New York 1906 to unionist, Irish parents, grew up in Galway and executed in Wandsworth prison, London SW18 in 1946. With his wife Margaret, he left for Germany just before the outbreak of World War Two where they enjoyed an ‘interesting’ relationship. Announced with his droning of “Germany calling, Germany calling…” Joyce’s broadcasts were tuned into by millions of people.
The verdict of treason that led to his execution was controversial in that he lied to get the British passport he held and not being a legal British citizen could not have be guilty of treason against Britain – had his passport expired he would probably have escaped hanging.
The life of William Joyce contrasted with that of Brendan Bracken, previous entrant here, this contrast was the subject of Double Cross a play by Thomas Kilroy.
Dignitaries on the terrace at the Citadel overlooking Quebec Harbour, 18 August 1943. Seated are Anthony Eden (Foreign Secretary); President Roosevelt; the Countess of Athlone; Winston Churchill. Standing are the Earl of Athlone (Governor General of Canada); Mackenzie King (Prime Minister of Canada); Sir Alexander Cadogan (Permanent Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs); Brendan Bracken (Minister of Information).
Photograph: H 32144 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums via Wikimedia Commons. Photograph of No. 10 taken by Leonard Bentley via Wikimedia Commons.
Brendan BRACKEN, Minister for Information during World War II, Private Secretary to Winston Churchill, Privy Counciller and publisher born near Templemore Co. Tipperary 1901 lived on North Street (number required) and, for the duration of the War, at 10 Downing Street. Having led a full and prosperous life (he was a founder and Chairman of the Financial Times), he died in 1958.
Recommend looking up Bracken House, Cannon Street/Friday Street, near St Paul’s London EC4. This fellow blogger has a very authoritative feature, https://baldwinhamey.wordpress.com/2015/01/
A big thank you to the increasing number of followers, commenters and visitors. You make it all worthwhile. Wishing you all the happiest of new years. And, thank you, to many of these other bloggers whose work I am enjoying.
The list of names here so far features a range of great Irish names from diverse fields (and mostly good London addresses!). There are more ready to be posted and yet more under research. I hope they will surprise and inform in equal measure. As a reminder here they all are, in reverse order, not forgetting the thousands commemorated at the Crown, Cricklewood,
William Butler YEATS
Sir Francis BEAUFORT
George Bernard SHAW
Sir Ernest Henry SHACKLETON
Dr Thomas John BARNARDO
Duke of WELLINGTON
Francis BACON
Countess Constance MARKIEWICZ
Erskine Robert CHILDERS
Daniel MACLISE
Oliver GOLDSMITH
Bernardo O’HIGGINS
Daniel O’ CONNELL
John Henry FOLEY
Bram STOKER
Richard Brinsley SHERIDAN
St Oliver PLUNKETT
Katharine O’ Shea
Louis MACNEICE
Katharine O’ Shea (Kitty to her enemies) lived at 112 Tressillian Road SE4. Although born in Essex (1846) to a well connected family, her affair with and subsequent marriage to Charles Stewart Parnell stirred great moral outrage that affected the cause of Home Rule and altered the course of Irish history. A perfect example of not Irish but important to Ireland.
Pictures: thanks to Wikmedia Commons and Google
on pavement grey 