John O'Connor (MP, KC)
Encyclopedia
John O'Connor was an Irish
nationalist
revolutionary-turned Parnellite parliamentarian
MP in the House of Commons
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party
represented Tipperary
in 1885, and South Tipperary
from 1885 to 1892, and North Kildare
from 1905 to 1918. He was also member of the English Bar.
He was called to the English Bar in 1893 and after his final parliamentary defeat, aged nearly 70, became a King’s Counsel
(K.C.) in 1919. He was commonly known as "Long John" because of his great height - he measured at least 6 ft 6in in height.
He was the son of William O'Connor and Julia Corbet, both fluent Irish
speakers, and was educated by the Christian Brothers
at Cork
. Other details of his early life given in the official obituary in The Times
were disputed by the historian Denis Gwynn, apparently without resolution. Thus it is not clear whether he was born in Mallow
or in Blarney Lane in Cork city. Although he certainly started his working life in boyhood as some sort of traveller, it is not clear whether he was a van-boy for a local firm of wine merchants, John Daly & Co. of North Main Street, Cork, or a commercial traveller for Sir John Arnott's drapery establishment. He certainly joined the Fenian
movement, and The Times stated that he used his travels in rural Co. Cork to promote the organization.
O'Connor's role in the 1867 Fenian Rising
is disputed, but he certainly maintained the confidence of the Fenian leadership afterwards. According to Gwynn, he was imprisoned at least five times as a result of his republican
activities, and also went to the USA as an Irish Fenian delegate in 1874.
A political turning-point came when the constitutional Home Rule League
leader Charles Stewart Parnell
came on a visit to Cork. O'Connor was credited with a leading part in a plot laid by Fenians to kidnap Parnell when his train stopped at Blarney
station for ticket collecting. A strong party of Fenians, armed with revolvers, gathered on the platform at Blarney. However, suspicions were aroused and the train went by without stopping. When he reached Cork, Parnell had a meeting with leading Fenians, and secured the active support of some and neutrality of the rest.
In January 1885, Parnell chose O'Connor as his nominee for a parliamentary by-election for Tipperary
, and secured his selection at the Party convention over a strongly supported local candidate. O'Connor was returned unopposed. At the December 1885 general election
, O'Connor stood for the new South Tipperary
seat, defeating a Conservative
by a margin of almost 30 to 1. He was subsequently returned unopposed at the election of 1886
.
When the Irish Parliamentary Party split over Parnell's leadership in December 1890, O'Connor was one of Parnell's strongest supporters. In the week-long debate in Committee Room 15 of the House of Commons, O'Connor played a prominent role, particularly on the last day when he moved a resolution critical of Gladstone
’s continued insistence on Parnell’s removal from the leadership.
At the subsequent general election in 1892
, O'Connor stood as a Pro-Parnellite but lost his seat to an Anti-Parnellite by a margin of more than 3 to 1. At the same election he also fought Kilkenny City
, losing to the Anti-Parnellite candidate by the much narrower margin of 45 to 55 per cent. He remained out of the House of Commons for 13 years. During this time he trained as a barrister
at the Middle Temple
in London, being called to the English Bar in 1893. He served as a member of the Royal Commission for the British Section of the Chicago Exhibition, 1893, and a member of the Council of the Royal Society of Arts, and was later chairman of the New Central Omnibus Co. and a Director of the London Central Motor Omnibus Co.
In February 1905 he was returned unopposed for North Kildare
, which had become vacant through the death of his fellow Parnellite Edmund Leamy. Thereafter he was returned unopposed until the 1918 general election
, when he was defeated by the Sinn Féin
candidate Daniel Buckley, later the last Governor-General of the Irish Free State
, by more than 2 to 1.
Among O'Connor’s achievements as an Irish Nationalist MP was obtaining an annual grant for the teaching of Irish in schools. Before the start of the First World War, when the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, John Redmond
, was having difficulty in establishing military credibility for the Irish Volunteers
, O'Connor went with Tom Kettle to Belgium, at Redmond's request, and purchased several thousand rifles for the use of the Volunteers.
O'Connor was a popular figure in the House of Commons and had a very courtly manner. The Times said that he had close friendships with Lord Loreburn
, anti-imperialist Liberal Lord Chancellor, and with Sir John Brunner, although it does not indicate whether the latter was the first baronet or the second baronet
. Both baronets were Liberal MPs
during O'Connor’s time in Parliament. According to The Times, O'Connor was unmarried. Maume (1999), however, citing manuscripts in the Redmond papers in the National Library of Ireland
, says that at the time of his first election at North Kildare he had an estranged wife who was suing him for maintenance and whom he intended to divorce.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
revolutionary-turned Parnellite parliamentarian
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
MP in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
represented Tipperary
Tipperary (UK Parliament constituency)
Tipperary, also known as Tipperary County, was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which from 1801 to 1885 returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:...
in 1885, and South Tipperary
South Tipperary (UK Parliament constituency)
South Tipperary was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.Prior to 1885 the area was part of the Tipperary...
from 1885 to 1892, and North Kildare
North Kildare (UK Parliament constituency)
North Kildare was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 the area was part of the Kildare constituency. From 1922 it was not represented in the UK Parliament....
from 1905 to 1918. He was also member of the English Bar.
He was called to the English Bar in 1893 and after his final parliamentary defeat, aged nearly 70, became a King’s Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(K.C.) in 1919. He was commonly known as "Long John" because of his great height - he measured at least 6 ft 6in in height.
He was the son of William O'Connor and Julia Corbet, both fluent Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
speakers, and was educated by the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
at Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. Other details of his early life given in the official obituary in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
were disputed by the historian Denis Gwynn, apparently without resolution. Thus it is not clear whether he was born in Mallow
Mallow, County Cork
Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town....
or in Blarney Lane in Cork city. Although he certainly started his working life in boyhood as some sort of traveller, it is not clear whether he was a van-boy for a local firm of wine merchants, John Daly & Co. of North Main Street, Cork, or a commercial traveller for Sir John Arnott's drapery establishment. He certainly joined the Fenian
Fenian
The Fenians , both the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood , were fraternal organisations dedicated to the establishment of an independent Irish Republic in the 19th and early 20th century. The name "Fenians" was first applied by John O'Mahony to the members of the Irish republican...
movement, and The Times stated that he used his travels in rural Co. Cork to promote the organization.
O'Connor's role in the 1867 Fenian Rising
Fenian Rising
The Fenian Rising of 1867 was a rebellion against British rule in Ireland, organised by the Irish Republican Brotherhood .After the suppression of the Irish People newspaper, disaffection among Irish radical nationalists had continued to smoulder, and during the later part of 1866 IRB leader James...
is disputed, but he certainly maintained the confidence of the Fenian leadership afterwards. According to Gwynn, he was imprisoned at least five times as a result of his republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
activities, and also went to the USA as an Irish Fenian delegate in 1874.
A political turning-point came when the constitutional Home Rule League
Home Rule League
The Home Rule League, sometimes called the Home Rule Party, was a political party which campaigned for home rule for the country of Ireland from 1873 to 1882, when it was replaced by the Irish Parliamentary Party.-Origins:...
leader Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
came on a visit to Cork. O'Connor was credited with a leading part in a plot laid by Fenians to kidnap Parnell when his train stopped at Blarney
Blarney
Blarney is a town and townland in County Cork, Ireland. It lies north-west of Cork and is famed as the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.-Tourism:Blarney town is a major tourist attraction in County Cork...
station for ticket collecting. A strong party of Fenians, armed with revolvers, gathered on the platform at Blarney. However, suspicions were aroused and the train went by without stopping. When he reached Cork, Parnell had a meeting with leading Fenians, and secured the active support of some and neutrality of the rest.
In January 1885, Parnell chose O'Connor as his nominee for a parliamentary by-election for Tipperary
Tipperary (UK Parliament constituency)
Tipperary, also known as Tipperary County, was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which from 1801 to 1885 returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:...
, and secured his selection at the Party convention over a strongly supported local candidate. O'Connor was returned unopposed. At the December 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
, O'Connor stood for the new South Tipperary
South Tipperary (UK Parliament constituency)
South Tipperary was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.Prior to 1885 the area was part of the Tipperary...
seat, defeating a Conservative
Irish Conservative Party
The Irish Conservative Party, often called the Irish Tories, was one of the dominant Irish political parties in Ireland in the 19th century...
by a margin of almost 30 to 1. He was subsequently returned unopposed at the election of 1886
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
.
When the Irish Parliamentary Party split over Parnell's leadership in December 1890, O'Connor was one of Parnell's strongest supporters. In the week-long debate in Committee Room 15 of the House of Commons, O'Connor played a prominent role, particularly on the last day when he moved a resolution critical of Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
’s continued insistence on Parnell’s removal from the leadership.
At the subsequent general election in 1892
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
, O'Connor stood as a Pro-Parnellite but lost his seat to an Anti-Parnellite by a margin of more than 3 to 1. At the same election he also fought Kilkenny City
Kilkenny City (UK Parliament constituency)
Kilkenny City was an Irish Borough constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament...
, losing to the Anti-Parnellite candidate by the much narrower margin of 45 to 55 per cent. He remained out of the House of Commons for 13 years. During this time he trained as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in London, being called to the English Bar in 1893. He served as a member of the Royal Commission for the British Section of the Chicago Exhibition, 1893, and a member of the Council of the Royal Society of Arts, and was later chairman of the New Central Omnibus Co. and a Director of the London Central Motor Omnibus Co.
In February 1905 he was returned unopposed for North Kildare
North Kildare (UK Parliament constituency)
North Kildare was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 the area was part of the Kildare constituency. From 1922 it was not represented in the UK Parliament....
, which had become vacant through the death of his fellow Parnellite Edmund Leamy. Thereafter he was returned unopposed until the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
, when he was defeated by the Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
candidate Daniel Buckley, later the last Governor-General of the Irish Free State
Governor-General of the Irish Free State
The Governor-General was the representative of the King in the 1922–1937 Irish Free State. Until 1927 he was also the agent of the British government in the Irish state. By convention the office of Governor-General was largely ceremonial...
, by more than 2 to 1.
Among O'Connor’s achievements as an Irish Nationalist MP was obtaining an annual grant for the teaching of Irish in schools. Before the start of the First World War, when the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, John Redmond
John Redmond
John Edward Redmond was an Irish nationalist politician, barrister, MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to 1918...
, was having difficulty in establishing military credibility for the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
, O'Connor went with Tom Kettle to Belgium, at Redmond's request, and purchased several thousand rifles for the use of the Volunteers.
O'Connor was a popular figure in the House of Commons and had a very courtly manner. The Times said that he had close friendships with Lord Loreburn
Robert Reid, 1st Earl Loreburn
Robert Threshie Reid, 1st Earl Loreburn GCMG, PC, QC was a British lawyer, judge and Liberal politician. He served as Lord Chancellor between 1905 and 1912.-Background and education:...
, anti-imperialist Liberal Lord Chancellor, and with Sir John Brunner, although it does not indicate whether the latter was the first baronet or the second baronet
Sir John Brunner, 2nd Baronet
Sir John Fowler Leece Brunner, 2nd Baronet was a British Liberal Party politician.Brunner was the eldest son of industrialist Sir John Tomlinson Brunner...
. Both baronets were Liberal MPs
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
during O'Connor’s time in Parliament. According to The Times, O'Connor was unmarried. Maume (1999), however, citing manuscripts in the Redmond papers in the National Library of Ireland
National Library of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism is the member of the Irish Government responsible for the library....
, says that at the time of his first election at North Kildare he had an estranged wife who was suing him for maintenance and whom he intended to divorce.
Sources
- Dod's Parliamentary Companion, 1912, London, Whittaker & Co.
- Stephen Gwynn (1919), John Redmond’s Last Years, London, Edward Arnold
- Patrick Maume, The Long Gestation: Irish Nationalist Life 1891-1918, Dublin, Gill & MacMillan, 1999
- The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, 1 December 1885, 8 January 1912, 29 October, 2 and 7 November 1928, 19 February 1930 - The Times The Parnellite Split: or, The Disruption of the Irish Parliamentary Party, from The Times, with an Introduction, London. 1891
- Brian M. Walker (ed.), Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, 1978
- Who Was Who 1916-1928