Conor Cruise O'Brien (Irish: Conchubhar Crús Ó Briain; born 3 November 1917) is an Irish politician, writer and academic. November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ...

Biography

Early life

O'Brien was born in Dublin, Ireland, to Francis ("Frank") Cruise O'Brien and Kathleen Sheehy. Frank, a journalist with the Freeman's Journal and Irish Independent newspapers, had also edited some of William Lecky's historical studies of European nationalism^{[citation needed]}. Kathleen was an Irish language teacher and daughter of David Sheehy, a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party and organizer of the Irish National Land League. She had three sisters, all of whom lost their husbands in the watershed year of 1916. These included Hanna, wife of murdered pacifist Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, and Mary, wife of Thomas Kettle, a member of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers who died during the Battle of the Somme. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... The Freemans Journal (1750s?-1924) was the oldest nationalist newspaper in Ireland. ... The Irish Independents header consists of its name and a green harp The Irish Independent is Irelands best-selling broadsheet newspaper. ... William Edward Hartpole Lecky, OM (26 March 1838–22 October 1903) was an Irish historian and publicist. ... Irish () is a Goidelic language spoken in Ireland. ... The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) (commonly called the Irish 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 (MPs) elected to the House of Commons at Westminster within the... The Irish painter Henry Jones Thaddeus enlisted the conscience of the propertied classes with the sentimental realism of La retour du bracconier (The Wounded Poacher), exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1881, at the height of the Irish Land War The Irish Land League was an Irish political organization of... Hanna Sheehy (May 26, 1877 — April 20, 1946) was born in Kanturk, County Cork, Ireland, a daughter of David Sheehy, Irish Parliamentary Party Westminster MP, who was also the brother of Father Eugene Sheehy, a priest who educated Eamon de Valera in Limerick. ... Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes. ... Francis Skeffington (1878 – 26 April 1916) from Bailieborough, County Cavan, was an Irish suffragist and pacifist. ... Thomas Kettle. ... Official name The Royal Dublin Fusiliers Colonel-in-Chief HRH Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1908) Nicknames The Blue Caps The Dubs The Lambs The Old Toughs Motto Anniversaries Marches Slow: The British Grenadiers St Patricks Day Unnofficial: The Dublin Fusiliers Alliances Description Line Infantry regiment Creation... Combatants British Empire United Kingdom Australia Canada New Zealand Newfoundland South Africa France German Empire Commanders Douglas Haig Joseph Joffre Max von Gallwitz Fritz von Below Strength 13 British and 11 French divisions (initial) 51 British and 48 French divisions (final) 10½ divisions (initial) 50 divisions (final) Casualties 419,654...

O'Brien's father made his wife promise to send their son to Sandford Park School^{[citation needed]}, despite the inevitable objections of the local Catholic clergy^{[citation needed]}. O'Brien subsequently attended Trinity College Dublin which, like Sandford Park, was neither Catholic or nationalist in ethos. O'Brien was editor of Trinity's weekly, TCD: A College Miscellany. His first wife was Christine Foster, who came from a Belfast Presbyterian family. They were married in a registry office in 1939, which was contrary to Catholic teachings. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ... Irish nationalism refers to political movements that desire greater autonomy or the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ...

Civil service

O'Brien's university education led to a series of appointments in the public service, most notably in the Department of External Affairs (now Foreign Affairs).

O'Brien became something of an anomalous iconoclast in post-1922 Irish politics, particularly in the context of government by Éamon de Valera's Fianna Fáil party, since those who did not conform to Catholic mores were generally not preferred in the public service appointment process at the time^{[citation needed]}. Éamon de Valera (born with the name Edward George de Valera,IPA: [1][2]) (14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century Ireland. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; traditionally translated by the party into English as Soldiers of Destiny, though the actual meaning is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland[1]), is currently the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland with 55,000 members. ... Mores are strongly held norms or customs. ...

In the Department of External Affairs, O'Brien served as a diplomat under the pro-physical force republican, Seán MacBride, the Nobel Peace Laureate of 1974. McBride was the son of John MacBride and Maud Gonne. O'Brien was particularly vocal on the anti-partition issue during the 1940s. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Sean McBride be merged into this article or section. ... Lester B. Pearson after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish and Norwegian: Nobels fredspris) is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ... Major John MacBride (7 May 1865 – 5 May 1916) was an Irish republican who was executed for his leading role in the Easter Rising of 1916. ... Maud Gonne MacBride (21 December 1866 – 27 April 1953) was an English-born Irish revolutionary, feminist and actress, best remembered for her turbulent relationship with William Butler Yeats. ... The Partition of Ireland took place in May 1921. ...

International postings

O'Brien came to world prominence as a special representative to Dag Hammarskjöld, Secretary General of the United Nations, when, in 1961, Katanga tried to secede from what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. See the Congo Crisis. Under pressure from a range of international interests, he eventually resigned and wrote To Katanga and Back (1962) which is still considered a classic of both modern African history and the inner workings of the United Nations. Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld ( ) (July 29, 1905 – September 18, 1961) was a Swedish diplomat and the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. ... The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... Country Democratic Republic of the Congo Capital Lubumbashi Largest city Lubumbashi National language Swahili, Tshiluba Land area¹ 496. ... Combatants Congo ONUC Cuba Belgium Katanga South Kasai Commanders Patrice Lumumba Pierre Mulele Laurent-Désiré Kabila Che Guevara Moise Tshombe Joseph Mobutu Mike Hoare Albert Kalonji Early history Migration & states Colonization Stanley (1867–1885) Congo Free State Leopold II (1885–1908) Belgian Congo (1908–1960) Congo Crisis First Republic... The following is an outline of African history, followed by a list of articles about the history of particular places in Africa. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

From 1962 to 1965 he was Chancellor of the University of Ghana. Following this he was the first Albert Schweitzer Professor of Humanities at New York University until 1969. The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the five Ghanaian public universities. ... Albert Schweltzer, M.D., OM, (January 14, 1875 - September 4, 1965) was an Alsatian theologian, musician, philosopher, and physician. ... New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational institution in New York City. ...

Irish politics

O'Brien returned to Ireland and in the 1969 general election was elected to Dáil Éireann as a member of the Labour Party, representing the Dublin North East constituency together with three other TDs, including Charles Haughey. He was appointed a member of the short-lived first delegation from the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) to the European Parliament. Jack Lynch becomes Taoiseach after winning his first election as leader of Fianna Fáil The Irish general election of 1969 was held on June 18, 1969, just over four years after its predecessor. ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann (pronounced ) is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Logo of the Irish Labour Party The Irish Labour Party (Irish: Páirti an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Dublin North East is a parliamentary constituency in the Republic of Ireland. ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This is a list of the 10 Members of the European Parliament for Ireland appointed to the delegation from the Oireachtas as a result of the Irish accession to the European Economic Community on January 1, 1973. ... The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of the Republic of Ireland. ... Established 1952, as the Common Assembly President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) Since 16 January 2007 Vice-Presidents 14 Political parties 8 Committees 22 Last election June 2004 (785 MEPs) Meeting place Brussels and Strasbourg Secretariat Luxembourg and Brussels Website europarl. ...

Following the 1973 general election, O'Brien was appointed Minister for Posts & Telegraphs in the coalition Cosgrave government. During this period he developed a deep hostility to militant Irish republicanism. He extended and vigorously enforced censorship of the media, banning members of Sinn Féin and the Provisional Irish Republican Army from being interviewed on Irish radio or television (Section 31). At the same time, he attempted to get Britain's BBC 1 television channel broadcast on Ireland's proposed second television channel. ^[1] The Irish general election of 1973 was held on February 28, 1973. ... The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (Irish An t-Áire Puist agus Telegrafa) was a senior Irish government minister from 1924 to 1984, when the post and the department was abolished. ... Liam Cosgrave (Irish name Liam Mac Cosgair) (born 13 April 1920), served as the fifth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland between 1973 and 1977. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn Féin (19th century). ... Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish name: Óglaigh na hÉireann) (PIRA; more commonly referred to as the IRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA) is an Irish Republican left-wing paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern Ireland... BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the oldest United Kingdom, and indeed, the world. ...

His stance caused controversy within and outside the government. In the 1977 general election O'Brien lost his Dáil seat, but he was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann (1977 to 1979). The Irish general election of 1977 was held on June 16, 1977. ... Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... The Seanad Chamber The Seanad meets in the former picture gallery in Leinster House. ...

Polemics and Academia

Between 1979 and 1981 O'Brien was editor-in-chief of The Observer newspaper in Britain. He held visiting professorships and lectureships throughout the world, particularly in the United States, and controversially in apartheid South Africa. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ...

A persistent critic of Charles Haughey, O'Brien coined the acronym GUBU (Grotesque, Unbelievable, Bizarre and Unprecedented), based on a statement by Charles Haughey, who was then Taoiseach, commenting on the discovery of a murder suspect^[2] in the apartment of the Fianna Fáil Attorney General Patrick Connolly, the Attorney General at the time. Haughey's short lived government from March to December 1982 became known as the GUBU period. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... GUBU is an acronym standing for grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented. ... The Taoiseach (IPA: or ) — plural: Taoisigh ( or ), also referred to as An Taoiseach[1], is the head of government of Ireland or prime minister. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... Patrick Connolly is a former Attorney General of Ireland. ...

Until 1994 O'Brien was Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dublin. In a university, an assistant to a Vice-Chancellor is called a Pro-Vice-Chancellor (also Pro Vice-Chancellor or Deputy Vice-Chancellor). ... The University of Dublin, corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin located in Dublin, Ireland, was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, making it Irelands oldest university. ...

Unionism

In 1996, he joined Robert McCartney's United Kingdom Unionist Party and was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum. He later resigned after publishing an extract from his book Memoir: My Life and Themes in which he called on Unionists to consider the benefits of a United Ireland to thwart Sinn Féin. In 2005 he rejoined the Labour Party. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Robert McCartney (born 1936) is a Northern Ireland unionist politician, and leader of the UK Unionist Party, and the only UKUP member of the currently-suspended Northern Ireland Assembly. ... The UK Unionist Party (UKUP) is a small political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... The Northern Ireland Forum, or formally the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue was a body set up in 1996 for the conduction of the negotiations that eventually led to the Belfast Agreement (or the Good Friday Agreement) in 1998. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Writings

Conor Cruise O'Brien's many books include: his picture of the politics of polarisation States of Ireland (1972), The Great Melody (1992), his unorthodox biography of Edmund Burke (a figure with whom he feels a great affinity, as Burke is apparently one of his ancestors^{[citation needed]}), and his Memoir: My Life and Themes (1998). He also published a collection of essays, Cunning and Passion (1986), which includes a substantial piece on the literary work of William Butler Yeats and some challenging views on the subject of terrorism. Perhaps his most controversial work is The Siege (1989), a sympathetic history of Zionism and the State of Israel. His books, particularly those on Irish issues, tend to be very involved and personal such as States of Ireland where he made the link between the political success of the republican Easter Rising and the consequent demise of his Home Rule family's position in society. His private papers have been deposited in the University College Dublin Archives. Edmund Burke (12 January 1729 – 9 July 1797) was an Anglo-Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist, and philosopher, who served for many years in the British House of Commons as a member of the Whig party. ... W.B. Yeats in Dublin on 24 January 1908. ... Terrorist redirects here. ... Zionism is a political movement that supports a homeland for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, where Jewish nationhood is thought to have evolved somewhere between 1200 BCE and late Second Temple times,[1][2] and where Jewish kingdoms existed up to the 2nd century CE. Zionism is... Combatants Irish Volunteers, Irish Citizen Army, Irish Republican Brotherhood British Army Royal Irish Constabulary Commanders Patrick Pearse, James Connolly Brigadier-General Lowe General Sir John Maxwell Strength 1250 in Dublin, c. ... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... The School of History and Archives at University College Dublin is one of the major centres in Ireland for the study of history. ...

He is a long time columnist for the Sunday Independent and his articles have been distinguished by hostility to the peace process in Northern Ireland, regular predictions of civil war in the Republic of Ireland and an openly pro-Unionist stance. In 1997, a libel action was brought against him by relatives of Bloody Sunday victims for alleging in one article that the marchers were "Sinn Féin activists operating for the IRA" [1] The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in the Republic of Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. ... In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great... // The Bogside area viewed from the city walls Bloody Sunday (Irish: Domhnach na Fola) is the term used to describe an incident in Derry, Northern Ireland, on 30 January 1972 in which 26 civil rights protesters were shot by members of the 1st Battalion of the British Parachute Regiment led...

Legacy

O'Brien had three children with his first wife Christine Foster -- Donal, Fedelma, and Kathleen (Kate), who died in 1996. O'Brien's second wife, is the Irish-language writer and poet Máire Mhac an tSaoi. She is five years his junior, and the daughter of former TD and Tánaiste, Seán MacEntee; they have a son (Patrick) and a daughter (Margaret), both adopted. Kate Cruise OBrien (1948 - 26 May 1998) was an Irish writer. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Irish () is a Goidelic language spoken in Ireland. ... Máire Mhac an tSaoi is an Irish language scholar and academic. ... The Tánaiste[1] (plural: Tánaistithe), or, more formally, An Tánaiste, is the deputy prime minister of the Republic of Ireland. ... Seán MacEntee (1889 – 1984) was a senior Irish politician. ...

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

There is a tradition in Irish politics of having family members succeed each other, frequently in the same parliamentary seat. ...

Works

• To Katanga and Back (1962)
• The Siege: The Saga of Israel and Zionism (1986)
• Passion & Cunning: Essays on Nationalism, Terrorism, and Revolution (1988)
• The Great Melody: A Thematic Biography of Edmund Burke (1992). ISBN 0-226-61651-7
• On the Eve of the Millennium (1994). ISBN 978-0887845598
• The Long Affair: Thomas Jefferson and the French Revolution, 1785-1800 (1996)

Notes

External links

• ElectionsIreland.org - Profile
• Oireachtas Members Database - Profile