Sir Anthony MacDonnell, later 1st Baron MacDonnell of Swinford

P.C. (1902), G.C.S.I (1897); K.C.S.I (1893), C.S.I (1888), D.Litt, M.A. QCG.

Under Secretary to the The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of Englands (pre-1707) or Britains (post 1707) administration in Ireland. The office was originally the central focus of English/British administration in Ireland under the... Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1902), appointed a member of the Council of India, successively Secretary to the Government of Bengal and of Bengal Legislative Council, and Secretary to the Government of India in the Home Department; officiated as Chief Commr. In Burmah, 1889, and as Lieutenant Government of Bengal 1893; Chief Commr. of the Central Provinces 1891-95, and a member of the Council of the Viceroy of India; 1893-95; Lieutenant Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh 1895-1901.

Early Life

Anthony MacDonnell was born at Shragh, County Mayo (Irish: Ballina - Béal an Átha or Béal Átha an Fheadha Ballycastle - Baile an Chaisil Ballyhaunis - Béal Átha hAmhnais Belmullet - Béal an Mhuirthead Castlebar - Caisleán an Bharraigh Claremorris - Clár Chlainne Mhuiris Killala - Cill Ala Newport - Baile Uí Fhiacháin Tourmakeady - Tuar Mhic Éadaigh... County Mayo in 1844. A talented scholar, he attended Summerhill College, Athlone and Queen's College Galway (now know as the The National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) (Irish: , the in respect of the use of the Irish language as the working language of the college. The university college retained the name University College, Galway until 1997 when the University Guide named the university as See also Education in Ireland List... National University of Ireland, Galway). Little is known of MacDonnell's early life, he left no memoirs nor any letters, we have only a few salient facts. He participated in the Literary & Debating Society at QCG. Indeed he was referred to by one of his professors as the finest debater he had ever seen. On leaving Queen's Galway MacDonnell sat examinations pertaining to a career in the Indian Civil Service, a path followed by more than a few QCG men.

India

Anthony MacDonnell was one of the most able men to work in the Indian Civil Service, particularly in dealing with famine relief, adopting a range of polices that prevented the loss of million of lives. He also devised a remarkable bill that protected tenants from over exacting landlords in the Bengali region. However it would appear that MacDonnell was not liked within the upper echelons of the service he came to occupy. His position had been achieved through intellectual ability and dedication to each task set before him, yet he was looked down upon as his background was certainly not that of a 'gentleman,' lacking the familial connections of this contemporaries. He did, however, have a powerful friend in George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (January 11, 1859 - March 20, 1925), was a conservative British statesman and sometime Viceroy of India. Eldest son of the 4th Baron Scarsdale, rector of Kedleston, Derbyshire, Curzon was educated at Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford. At Oxford he was president... Lord Curzon the The Governor-General of India (or Governor-General and Viceroy of India) was the head of the British administration in India. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William. The officer had direct control only over Fort William, but supervised... Viceroy of India. Curzon admired MacDonnell's tenacious capabilities when faced with drastic problems, qualities that were gravely lacking within Curzon himself. A further insight on MacDonnell's isolation was Curzon's somewhat cutting reference to MacDonnell as "singularly lacking any human emotion." Nevertheless Sir Anthony MacDonnell rose to some of the highest civilian offices within the The British Raj is an informal term for the period of British colonial rule of most of the Indian subcontinent, or present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon). It lasted from 1858, when the rule of the British East India Company was transferred to the... British Raj including a place on the Council of India.

Appointment as Chief Under Secretary and plans for devolution

In 1902 the normally sagacious MacDonnell made a remarkable decision to turn his back on his career in India and return to the post of Chief Under Secretary of Ireland. This critical choice was unusual for several reasons. Firstly the position and authority that MacDonnell enjoyed in India was greater than any he could hope to hold as Under Secretary in Ireland. Secondly the Government in Britain was in the hands of the Conservative Party can refer to: Canada Conservative Party of Canada (since 2003) Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942-2003) Conservative Party of Canada (historical) (until 1942) Their respective affiliated provincial parties Chile - Conservative Party Colombia - Colombian Conservative Party Denmark - Conservative Peoples Party New Zealand - Conservative Party (defunct) United Kingdom... Conservative Party, MacDonnell was a In politics, the term liberal refers to: an adherent of the ideology of liberalism or a state or quality of this ideology. (Note: the words liberal or liberalism can have different meanings in different countries and may also vary with the political background of the user. Therefore, the terms have... Liberal and a Catholic and it was known that MacDonnell was sympatric towards Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. It differs from federalism in that the powers devolved are temporary and ultimately reside in central government. Any devolved assemblies can be repealed by central government in the same way as... Home Rule for Ireland. However the decision was been justified as part of the Conservative policy of killing Irish demands for Home Rule and that George Wyndham (1863 - 1913) was a significant English political figure. He was also a man of letters, noted for his elegance, and one of The Souls. In politics he was a Conservative, closely involved in Irish affairs at two points. He was private secretary to Arthur Balfour, during the years... George Wyndham, the The Chief Secretary was the most important position for determining Ireland after the Lord Lieutenant, and was frequently a cabinet level position in the 19th and early twentieth centuries. Chief Secretarys Office, Dublin Castle By the late 19th century, power had effectively shifted from the Lord Lieutenant across the... Chief Secretary for Ireland, gave MacDonnell the impression that he would have more authority than the post of Under Secretary in practice allowed. At first the combination was a success. Wyndham had built up a good relationship with some of the politically minded The term Anglo-Irish means British-Irish and is used frequently to describe formal contacts, negotiations or treaties between both states. The most famous examples are: Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921) Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985) Anglo-Irish Summits (meetings between the British and Irish prime ministers). The term Anglo-Irish is... Anglo-Irish, especially Lord Dunraven. This association lead to the 1903 Land Act that would eventually transfer ownership of farms from the Irish Landlord class to her tennant farmers. Perhaps buoyed by this success MacDonnell began to pursue plans for the devolution of power to an elected authority in Dublin. What followed next was to prove disastrous for MacDonnell, Wyndham never seemed to grasp the full import of what MacDonnell was suggesting. When the story broke the Conservative The word Unionist, simply meaning one espousing a union, has a number of connotations, depending on context: Unionists are people in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales who were historically in favour of uniting their nations into a United Kingdom, or who in modern times wish their nations to remain part... unionist front bench was in uproar, with Joseph Chamberlain (July 8, 1836 - July 3, 1914) was a British politician. In his early years he was a Liberal and a campaigner for educational reform, and became President of the Board of Trade. Later he re-emerged in alliance with the Conservatives, as an imperialist and protectionist, serving as... Joseph Chamberlain already split on Free Trade the prime minister Sir Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (25 July 1848 - March 19, 1930) was a British statesman and the thirty-third Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Early Life The eldest son of James Maitland Balfour of Whittingehame, Haddingtonshire, and of Lady Blanche Gascoyne Cecil, he was educated at Eton... Arthur Balfour could ill afford a further controversy. While MacDonnell was formely censured by the Cabinet Wyndham accepted the inevitable and resigned.

MacDonnell was elevated to the House of Lords in 1908 as Baron MacDonnell of Swinford.