Thomas MacDonagh (Irish: Tomás Mac Donnchadha ; (1 February 1878 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish nationalist, poet, playwright, and a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising. is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Cloughjordan (Cloch Shiurdáin in Irish, meaning Jordans Stone), in North Tipperary, Ireland is situated in the north-west part of North Tipperary close to the Offaly border. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: North: Nenagh South: Clonmel Code: North: TN South: TS Area: 4,303 km² Population (2006) 149,040[[1]] County Tipperary (Contae Thiobraid Árann in Irish) is a county in the Republic of Ireland, and situated in the province of Munster. ... Victorian Wing Kilmainham Gaol, also known as Kilmainham Jail, is a former prison located in Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Irish Volunteers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... 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. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... An Irish nationalist is generally one who seeks (greater) independence of Ireland from Great Britain, including since 1921 the goal of a United Ireland. ... The poor poet A poet is a person who writes poetry. ... A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... 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. ...

MacDonagh was born in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary. Throughout his life he had a keen interest in Irish heritage and the Irish language. He moved to Dublin where he joined the Gaelic League, soon establishing strong friendships with such men as Eoin MacNeill and Patrick Pearse. Cloughjordan (Cloch Shiurdáin in Irish, meaning Jordans Stone), in North Tipperary, Ireland is situated in the north-west part of North Tipperary close to the Offaly border. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: North: Nenagh South: Clonmel Code: North: TN South: TS Area: 4,303 km² Population (2006) 149,040[[1]] County Tipperary (Contae Thiobraid Árann in Irish) is a county in the Republic of Ireland, and situated in the province of Munster. ... This article is about the modern Goidelic language. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ... Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League) is an organization for the purpose of keeping the Irish language spoken in Ireland. ... Eoin MacNeill (May 15, 1867 - October 15, 1945) was an Irish scholar, nationalist and revolutionary. ... Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig Pearse; Irish: ; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was a teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist and political activist who was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916. ...

His friendship with Pearse and his love of Irish led him to join the staff of Pearse's bilingual St. Enda's School upon its establishment in 1908, taking the role of teacher and Assistant Headmaster. He also founded the teachers' trade union ASTI (Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland). Though MacDonagh was essential to the school's early success, he soon moved on to take the position of lecturer in English at the National University. MacDonagh remained devoted to the Irish language, and in 1910 he became tutor to a younger member of the Gaelic League, Joseph Plunkett. The two were both poets with an interest in the Irish Theatre, and formed a lifelong friendship. St. ... The National University of Ireland (NUI) is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997. ... This article is about the modern Goidelic language. ... Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League) is an organization for the purpose of keeping the Irish language spoken in Ireland. ... Joseph Mary Plunkett (November 21, 1887 - May 4, 1916) was an Irish nationalist, poet, and leader of the Easter Rising in 1916. ...

Geraldine Plunkett Dillon, a sister of Joseph Plunkett gives a contemporary description of him in her book All in the Blood: "As soon as Tomás came into our house everyone was a friend of his. He had a pleasant, intelligent face and was always smiling, and you had the impression that he was always thinking about what you were saying." Joseph Mary Plunkett (November 21, 1887 - May 4, 1916) was an Irish nationalist, poet, and leader of the Easter Rising in 1916. ...

In 1912 he married Muriel Gifford, a Protestant who converted to Catholicism; their son, Donagh, was born later that year. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      As a...

In 1913 both MacDonagh and Plunkett attended the inaugural meeting of the Irish Volunteers and were placed on its Provisional Committee. He was later appointed commandant of Dublin's 2nd battalion, and eventually made commandant of the entire Dublin Brigade. Though originally more of a constitutionalist, through his dealings with men such as Pearse, Plunkett, and Sean MacDermott, MacDonagh developed stronger republican beliefs, joining the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), probably during the summer of 1915. Around this time Tom Clarke asked him to plan the grandiose funeral of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, which was a resounding propaganda success, largely due to the graveside oration delivered by Pearse. Irish Volunteers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Sean MacDermott (February 28, 1883 – May 12, 1916) was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916 in Ireland. ... Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent republic, whether as a unitary state, a federal state or as a confederal arrangement. ... The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB; Bráithreachas na Poblachta in Irish) was a secret fraternal organisation dedicated to fomenting armed revolt against the British state in Ireland in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. ... Thomas James (Tom) Clarke (Irish name: Tomás Ó Cléirigh; 11 March 1857 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish revolutionary leader and arguably the person most responsible for the 1916 Easter Rising. ... Jeremiah ODonovan Rossa. ... Ireland unfree shall never be at peace were the climactic closing words of the graveside oration of Patrick Pearse at the funeral of Jeremiah ODonovan Rossa on 1 August 1915. ...

Though credited as one of the Easter Rising's seven leaders, MacDonagh was a late addition to that group. He didn't join the secret Military Council that planned the rising until April 1916, weeks before the rising took place. The reason for his admittance at such a late date is uncertain. Still a relative newcomer to the IRB, men such as Clarke may have been hesitant to elevate him to such a high position too soon, which raises the question as to why he should be admitted at all. His close ties to Pearse and Plunkett may have been the cause, as well as his position as commandant of the Dublin Brigade (though his position as such would later be superseded by James Connolly as commandant-general of the Dublin division). Nevertheless, MacDonagh was a signatory of the Proclamation of the Republic. For the Olympic athlete, see James Connolly (athlete) James Connolly James Connolly (June 5, 1868 - May 12, 1916) was an Irish nationalist and socialist leader. ... The Proclamation of the Republic, also known as the 1916 Proclamation or Easter Proclamation, was a document issued by the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army during the Easter Rising in Ireland, which began on 24 April 1916. ...

During the rising, MacDonagh's battalion was stationed at the massive complex of Jacob's Biscuit Factory. On the way to this destination the battalion encountered the veteran Fenian, John MacBride, who on the spot joined the battalion as second-in-command, and in fact took over much of the command throughout Easter Week, although he had had no prior knowledge and was in the area by accident. Fenian is a term used since the 1850s for Irish nationalists (who oppose British rule in Ireland). ... 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. ...

As it was, despite MacDonagh's rank and the fact that he commanded one of the strongest battalions, they saw little fighting, as the British Army easily circumvented the factory as they established positions in central Dublin. MacDonagh received the order to surrender on April 30, though his entire battalion was fully prepared to continue the engagement. Following the surrender, MacDonagh was court martialled, and executed by firing squad on 3 May 1916, aged thirty-eight. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Third of May by Francisco Goya Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in times of war. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...

MacDonagh was generally credited with being one of the most gregarious and personable of the rising's leaders.

In Mary Colum's Life and the Dream, she writes of hearing about the Rising from America, where she was living with her husband, Pádraic Colum, remembering Tomás MacDonagh saying to her: "This country will be one entire slum unless we get into action, in spite of our literary movements and Gaelic Leagues it is going down and down. There is no life or heart left in the country." Padraic Colum, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1959. ...

His widow died in a swimming accident in Skerries, Co Dublin in July 1917; his son Donagh MacDonagh became a prominent poet, playwright, songwriter and judge. He died in 1968. Donagh MacDonagh (12 November 1912 - 1 January 1968) was an Irish writer and judge. ...

His Works

His works include;
April and May
When the Dawn is Come
Songs of Myself
Lyrical Poems

Video sample

A clip of three of Thomas MacDonagh's students' recollections

See also

• Francis Ledwidge