John Fergus O'Hea
Encyclopedia
John Fergus O'Hea was an Irish
political cartoonist who sometimes published under the pseudonym Spex. Born in Cork
, he was the son of James O'Hea, a barrister who was active in the Young Ireland
movement and had been secretary to Daniel O'Connell
. He attended the Cork School of Design, and painted trade union banners for Cork parades in the 1860s, 70s and 80s.
As a cartoonist, his early work appeared in the Dublin Weekly News, a nationalist newspaper, in the late 1860s. In 1870 he co-founded the humorous magazine Zozimus, an Irish answer to Punch
, with journalist A. M. Sullivan
. O'Hea was chief artist and drew the covers. In its second year Richard Dowling became editor. Other cartoonists who contributed included Harry Furniss
and Wallis Mackay. O'Hea also drew cartoons for the European Civiliser in the early 1870s. In 1872, after Zozimus folded, he moved to London and contributed to an Irish-run magazine called Tomahawk, which only lasted a few issues.
Back in Dublin in 1874, O'Hea, Dowling and Edwin Hamilton founded Ireland's Eye. After the style of Vanity Fair, each issue featured a colour caricature of a notable person, drawn by O'Hea under the name "Spex". Two editions of each issue were published, one at 6d with the cartoon in colour, the other at 3d with the cartoon in black and white. Ireland's Eye closed in 1876, after which O'Hea and Hamilton revived Zozimus as Zoz. O'Hea drew a full or double page cartoon in each issue until it too folded two years later. In 1879 O'Hea and Hamilton launched a new magazine, Pat, which ran until 1883 and also featured cartoons by Thomas Fitzpatrick
.
In the 1880s O'Hea contributed a large colour weekly political cartoon to the Weekly Freeman, a weekly nationalist newspaper. He also drew cartoons for The Nation
, and created poster-sized lithographs for the Christmas issues of magazines such as the Shamrock, Young Ireland and The Sunshine. He was on staff at the Weekly Freeman from 1893 to 1896. In January 1897 he delivered an illustrated lecture on "Irish Caricaturists and Cartoonists" to the Irish Literary Society in London.
For a time O'Hea was manager of the pictorial department of the Evening Telegraph. He lived in London
from the 1893 until his death. Towards the end of his career, in 1914-15, he drew cartoons for Thomas Fitzpatrick's magazine The Lepracaun, during Fitzpatrick's final illness.
O'Hea's talents were highly regarded, even by those who did not share his nationalist politics. In 1883 the conservative British journal St. Stephen's Review described O'Hea as an "out-and-out nationalist", but also as "one of the cleverest artists in the three kingdoms" who "could be making his thousands per annum if he cared to live in London, where he is well known and highly thought of;" instead he "draws his most marvellous cartoons for the most miserable of Irish comic papers." In 1890 William Ewart Gladstone
gave "a high testimony to the ability and principle of the Weekly Freeman artist" and described his pencil as "directly guided by a spirit of patriotism".
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
political cartoonist who sometimes published under the pseudonym Spex. Born in 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...
, he was the son of James O'Hea, a barrister who was active in the Young Ireland
Young Ireland
Young Ireland was a political, cultural and social movement of the mid-19th century. It led changes in Irish nationalism, including an abortive rebellion known as the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848. Many of the latter's leaders were tried for sedition and sentenced to penal transportation to...
movement and had been secretary to Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
. He attended the Cork School of Design, and painted trade union banners for Cork parades in the 1860s, 70s and 80s.
As a cartoonist, his early work appeared in the Dublin Weekly News, a nationalist newspaper, in the late 1860s. In 1870 he co-founded the humorous magazine Zozimus, an Irish answer to Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
, with journalist A. M. Sullivan
Alexander Martin Sullivan (Irish politician)
Alexander Martin Sullivan was an Irish politician, lawyer and journalist from Bantry, County Cork.He was the son of Daniel and Ann Sullivan, and brother to Timothy Daniel Sullivan, who was Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1886 to 1888....
. O'Hea was chief artist and drew the covers. In its second year Richard Dowling became editor. Other cartoonists who contributed included Harry Furniss
Harry Furniss
Henry Furniss was an artist and illustrator, born in Wexford, Ireland. His father was English and his mother Scottish, Furniss identifying himself as English...
and Wallis Mackay. O'Hea also drew cartoons for the European Civiliser in the early 1870s. In 1872, after Zozimus folded, he moved to London and contributed to an Irish-run magazine called Tomahawk, which only lasted a few issues.
Back in Dublin in 1874, O'Hea, Dowling and Edwin Hamilton founded Ireland's Eye. After the style of Vanity Fair, each issue featured a colour caricature of a notable person, drawn by O'Hea under the name "Spex". Two editions of each issue were published, one at 6d with the cartoon in colour, the other at 3d with the cartoon in black and white. Ireland's Eye closed in 1876, after which O'Hea and Hamilton revived Zozimus as Zoz. O'Hea drew a full or double page cartoon in each issue until it too folded two years later. In 1879 O'Hea and Hamilton launched a new magazine, Pat, which ran until 1883 and also featured cartoons by Thomas Fitzpatrick
Thomas Fitzpatrick (cartoonist)
Thomas Fitzpatrick , pen name Fitz, was an Irish political cartoonist.Fitzpatrick was born in Cork. He contributed to the satirical magazine Pat , the Weekly Freeman, the Irish Figaro, the Irish Emerald, the Weekly Nation, Punch and the New York Gaelic American, and was for a time chief...
.
In the 1880s O'Hea contributed a large colour weekly political cartoon to the Weekly Freeman, a weekly nationalist newspaper. He also drew cartoons for The Nation
The Nation (Irish newspaper)
The Nation was an Irish nationalist weekly newspaper, published in the 19th century. The Nation was printed first at 12 Trinity Street, Dublin, on 15 October 1842, until 6 January 1844...
, and created poster-sized lithographs for the Christmas issues of magazines such as the Shamrock, Young Ireland and The Sunshine. He was on staff at the Weekly Freeman from 1893 to 1896. In January 1897 he delivered an illustrated lecture on "Irish Caricaturists and Cartoonists" to the Irish Literary Society in London.
For a time O'Hea was manager of the pictorial department of the Evening Telegraph. He lived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from the 1893 until his death. Towards the end of his career, in 1914-15, he drew cartoons for Thomas Fitzpatrick's magazine The Lepracaun, during Fitzpatrick's final illness.
O'Hea's talents were highly regarded, even by those who did not share his nationalist politics. In 1883 the conservative British journal St. Stephen's Review described O'Hea as an "out-and-out nationalist", but also as "one of the cleverest artists in the three kingdoms" who "could be making his thousands per annum if he cared to live in London, where he is well known and highly thought of;" instead he "draws his most marvellous cartoons for the most miserable of Irish comic papers." In 1890 William Ewart 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...
gave "a high testimony to the ability and principle of the Weekly Freeman artist" and described his pencil as "directly guided by a spirit of patriotism".
External links
The following sites include cartoons by O'Hea:- Collins Collection of Irish Political Cartoons at the University of Illinois
- Ireland in Schools: The 'Irish card' in the 1885-86 general elections
- Multitext Project in Irish History, Home Rule: the elections of 1885 and 1886, University College Cork
- Case Studies in Irish History No 4: The Elections of 1885-86
- John Fergus O'Hea at the Irish Comics Wiki