P. A. Ó Síocháin
Encyclopedia
Pádraig Augustine Ó Síocháin (P. A.) (1905 – 1995) was an Irish
journalist
, author
, lawyer
, Irish language
activist and entrepreneur
, born in Kanturk
, County Cork
, Ireland
on 26 May 1905, the sixth child and fourth son of five sons and five daughters of Daniel Desmond (D. D.) Sheehan
BL, MP for Mid-Cork, of Kanturk, and Mary Pauline (née O'Connor) from Tralee, County Kerry
.
, and the University of London
, receiving a diploma
in journalism
in 1923. Appointed junior reporter for the Daily Sketch
in London
in 1924, he returned to Ireland later that year as junior editor
of the Enniscorthy Echo
, County Wexford
.
Moving to Dublin, from 1927 to 1931 he was a reporter, political and aviation
correspondent for The Irish Times
, reporting exclusively on the first east-west Atlantic
crossing by an aeroplane
, the Bremen
, in 1928 from Baldonnel Airfield
, County Dublin
.
He was one of the founder members of The Irish Press
in 1931, for which he worked as political correspondent for some years. As member of the National Union of Journalists
he served many years on the 'Newspaper Conciliation Board
' as trade union
representative. He was responsible for securing the agreement settling the hours and wages for journalists in the Irish national press.
Magazine
- the natinal air magazine of Ireland and the New Irish Magazine. Then from 1931 editor of the Garda Review, the official journal
of Ireland's National Police Service, the Garda Síochána
's (in English the Guardians of the Peace), which he edited for 41 years in accordance with General
Eoin O'Duffy
's instructions to edit it strictly in the interest of the service members. The Garda Review followed its own independent line. With it the Garda force had a vibrant and successful journal, interesting and entertaining for the vast majority of the force, which helped to keep those in remote areas involved. It was highly professional in layout and literary standards, providing a medium for conveying the views of the government and the commissioner to the force. At the same time it allowed the Gardaí voice their suggestions or grievances.
(LDF) area company leader and on the district HQ
staff, as well as initiating and directing a parish
council movement for the distribution of 10,000 ton
s of turf peat
fuel
and 750 tons of timber
supplies from the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains
to south Dublin
homes during the war rationing
period on a unique share system.
studies in 1933 he qualified as barrister-at-law
at King's Inns
Dublin on 2 November 1936. He was called to the Inner Law Bar
as Senior Counsel
on 2 March 1948, practising extensively at the Four Courts
, Dublin, specialising in trade union
law, acting as legal adviser for 20 years to the Marine Port and General Worker's Union. He was also recognised as an authority on Criminal Law
and Constitutional Law
. He published as author several legal books also officially in the Irish Language
, the first since the ancient Brehon Laws
.
version of Ó Síocháin. In the 1950s he recognised the need for himself to understand his native country at a deeper level, so becoming involved with the Aran Islands
where he perfected his spoken Irish to the fluency of a native speaker and gained immense respect from the islanders.
He was founder of the National Language Revival Movement and president of CARA, Society
of Friends to promote
the spoken use of the Irish language
, and established an Irish language school
in Dublin, also using learning recording systems
. Always wearing the Fáinne Óir
, he insisted on being spoken to only in Irish wherever he went.
He was fervently against the compulsory requirements of taking Irish in schools, feeling that the language could best be promoted through enthusiasm
and self-desire.
Galway Bay Products
Ltd. from a Dublin client Norman Baillie-Stewart
, to develop, market
and export
hand-knitted
Aran Islands's knitwear, pioneering in the later 1950s and early 1960s the big sales boom
of Aran sweater
s and cardigans to the United States
and Canada
, later adding a similar range of County Wexford
Loch Garman handknits, expanding his markets further in the 1970s to include Europe
, Australia
, and, significantly, Japan
. His sales brochures and book on the Aran Isles were illustrated by the Irish artist Seán Keating
.
During those decades he recorded in detailed documentary films the life and tradition
s on the islands. Elsewhere he furthered the fishing industry
by providing two modern fishing trawlers in the 1970s under his company Shannon Atlantic Fisheries Ltd.
party from the early 1930s, having been County Dublin's Fianna Fáil director of elections in 1948
achieving one of their best returns, but abandoning them in 1952 due to their disinterest in furthering the Irish language
.
During the 1960s he turned his attention again to politics
, becoming involved in the Labour movement
, standing as an unsuccessful Labour party
candidate at the 1965 general election
for the Clare constituency, polling 2.362 1st preferences, or 6.9%.
numerous book
s, on history
, law
, as well as diverse newspaper articles. He was presiding president of the PEN Club
of Ireland in 1956. He became an excellent low handicap golf
er, winning many local tournament
s, was a year round Dalkey
-Forty-foot swimmer and qualified to pilot
aircraft
out of Weston Airfield
and gliders
out of Baldonnel. In the early 1930s as members of the Dublin and District Motor Club, he as navigator, his wife Marjorie as driver, won many road rally
trophies.
House, County Dublin. They had four sons, Niall Padraig Maire (b.1932), Dr. Donal Adrien Maire (1936 - 1961), Parra Maire (b.1942), Ruarí Maire (b.1944), and one daughter, Orla Maire (b.1940).
They lived at Rathfarnham
, Dublin, where he died unexpectedly in his family
home
on 19 December 1995, aged 90, and is buried
at Cruagh cemetery
, South Dublin
Two Rock hills
.
His wife, renowned for her greyhound racing
, coursing
and breeding
, predeceased him in 1984.
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...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, Irish language
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...
activist and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, born in Kanturk
Kanturk
-Transport:*Kanturk railway station opened on 1 April 1889, closed for passenger traffic on 27 January 1947 and finally closed altogether on 4 February 1963. Kanturk is however served by the nearby Banteer railway station.-People:...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
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...
on 26 May 1905, the sixth child and fourth son of five sons and five daughters of Daniel Desmond (D. D.) Sheehan
D. D. Sheehan
Daniel Desmond Sheehan, usually known as D. D. Sheehan was an Irish nationalist, politician, labour leader, journalist, barrister and author...
BL, MP for Mid-Cork, of Kanturk, and Mary Pauline (née O'Connor) from Tralee, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
.
Journalism
He was educated at Kanturk National school, Rochestown College, CorkCork (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...
, and the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, receiving a diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
in 1923. Appointed junior reporter for the Daily Sketch
Daily Sketch
The Daily Sketch was a British national tabloid newspaper, founded in Manchester in 1909 by Sir Edward Hulton.It was bought in 1920 by Lord Rothermere's Daily Mirror Newspapers but in 1925 Rothermere offloaded it to William and Gomer Berry The Daily Sketch was a British national tabloid newspaper,...
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...
in 1924, he returned to Ireland later that year as junior editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of the Enniscorthy Echo
Enniscorthy Echo
The Enniscorthy Echo is a local newspaper published once per week in County Wexford, Ireland. It is published in colour.-History:...
, County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
.
Moving to Dublin, from 1927 to 1931 he was a reporter, political and aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
correspondent for The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
, reporting exclusively on the first east-west Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
crossing by an aeroplane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
, the Bremen
Bremen (aircraft)
The Bremen is a German Junkers W33 type aircraft that made the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west between April 12 and April 14, 1928....
, in 1928 from Baldonnel Airfield
Casement Aerodrome
Casement Aerodrome or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the south west of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole base of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes...
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
.
He was one of the founder members of The Irish Press
The Irish Press
The Irish Press was an Irish national daily newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 5 September 1931 and 25 May 1995.-Foundation:...
in 1931, for which he worked as political correspondent for some years. As member of the National Union of Journalists
National Union of Journalists
The National Union of Journalists is a trade union for journalists in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1907 and has 38,000 members. It is a member of the International Federation of Journalists .-Structure:...
he served many years on the 'Newspaper Conciliation Board
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
' as trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
representative. He was responsible for securing the agreement settling the hours and wages for journalists in the Irish national press.
Editor
During the 1930s he was editor of the Irish AviationAviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
Magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
- the natinal air magazine of Ireland and the New Irish Magazine. Then from 1931 editor of the Garda Review, the official journal
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
of Ireland's National Police Service, the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
's (in English the Guardians of the Peace), which he edited for 41 years in accordance with General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Eoin O'Duffy
Eoin O'Duffy
Eoin O'Duffy was in succession a Teachta Dála , the Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army , the second Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, leader of the Army Comrades Association and then the first leader of Fine Gael , before leading the Irish Brigade to fight for Francisco Franco during...
's instructions to edit it strictly in the interest of the service members. The Garda Review followed its own independent line. With it the Garda force had a vibrant and successful journal, interesting and entertaining for the vast majority of the force, which helped to keep those in remote areas involved. It was highly professional in layout and literary standards, providing a medium for conveying the views of the government and the commissioner to the force. At the same time it allowed the Gardaí voice their suggestions or grievances.
War Emergency
During the war emergency (1939 - 1946) he served as Local Defence ForceFCA
FCA may refer to:In economics:* False Claims Act, United States federal law* Fellow of Chartered Accountants, senior member of the largest Canadian accountancy body for chartered accountants and auditors....
(LDF) area company leader and on the district HQ
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
staff, as well as initiating and directing a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
council movement for the distribution of 10,000 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s of turf peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
fuel
Solid fuel
Solid fuel refers to various types of solid material that are used as fuel to produce energy and provide heating, usually released through combustion....
and 750 tons of timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
supplies from the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into Counties Carlow, Wexford and Dublin. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains...
to south Dublin
South Dublin
South Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. The county seat is Tallaght, the largest suburb of Dublin and the biggest urban centre in the county. Other important centres of population are Lucan and Clondalkin...
homes during the war rationing
Rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services. Rationing controls the size of the ration, one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.- In economics :...
period on a unique share system.
Lawyer
Beginning lawLaw
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
studies in 1933 he qualified as barrister-at-law
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 King's Inns
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns , is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland...
Dublin on 2 November 1936. He was called to the Inner Law Bar
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns , is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland...
as Senior Counsel
Counsel
A counsel or a counselor gives advice, more particularly in legal matters.-U.K. and Ireland:The legal system in England uses the term counsel as an approximate synonym for a barrister-at-law, and may apply it to mean either a single person who pleads a cause, or collectively, the body of barristers...
on 2 March 1948, practising extensively at the Four Courts
Four Courts
The Four Courts in Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's main courts building. The Four Courts are the location of the Supreme Court, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit Court. The building until 2010 also formerly was the location for the Central Criminal Court.-Gandon's Building:Work based on...
, Dublin, specialising in trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
law, acting as legal adviser for 20 years to the Marine Port and General Worker's Union. He was also recognised as an authority on Criminal Law
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
and Constitutional Law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
. He published as author several legal books also officially in the Irish Language
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...
, the first since the ancient Brehon Laws
Brehon Laws
Early Irish law refers to the statutes that governed everyday life and politics in Early Medieval Ireland. They were partially eclipsed by the Norman invasion of 1169, but underwent a resurgence in the 13th century, and survived into Early Modern Ireland in parallel with English law over the...
.
Language activist
Early in 1948 he changed the family name from Sheehan to the modern GaelicIrish 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...
version of Ó Síocháin. In the 1950s he recognised the need for himself to understand his native country at a deeper level, so becoming involved with the Aran Islands
Aran Islands
The Aran Islands or The Arans are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland...
where he perfected his spoken Irish to the fluency of a native speaker and gained immense respect from the islanders.
He was founder of the National Language Revival Movement and president of CARA, Society
Voluntary association
A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
of Friends to promote
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
the spoken use of the Irish language
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...
, and established an Irish language school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
in Dublin, also using learning recording systems
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
. Always wearing the Fáinne Óir
Fáinne
Fáinne is the name of a pin badge worn to show fluency in, or a willingness to speak, the Irish Language.The three present variations of the pin are the Fáinne Airgid , Fáinne Óir , and Seanfháinne - all have alternate meanings in Irish.In other contexts, fáinne simply means "ring" or "circle"...
, he insisted on being spoken to only in Irish wherever he went.
He was fervently against the compulsory requirements of taking Irish in schools, feeling that the language could best be promoted through enthusiasm
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm originally meant inspiration or possession by a divine afflatus or by the presence of a god. Johnson's Dictionary, the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language, defines enthusiasm as "a vain belief of private revelation; a vain confidence of divine favour or...
and self-desire.
Aran Islands engagement
In 1952 he acquired a companyBusiness
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
Galway Bay Products
Galway Bay
Galway Bay is a large bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south. Galway city is located on the northeast side of the bay. It is about long and from to in breadth...
Ltd. from a Dublin client Norman Baillie-Stewart
Norman Baillie-Stewart
Norman Baillie-Stewart was a British army officer known as The Officer in the Tower when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London...
, to develop, market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
and export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
hand-knitted
Knitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
Aran Islands's knitwear, pioneering in the later 1950s and early 1960s the big sales boom
Boom and bust
A credit boom-bust cycle is an episode characterized by a sustained increase in several economics indicators followed by a sharp and rapid contraction. Commonly the boom is driven by a rapid expansion of credit to the private sector accompanied with rising prices of commodities and stock market index...
of Aran sweater
Aran sweater
The Aran sweater is a style of jumper/sweater that takes its name from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. It is sometimes known as a fisherman sweater...
s and cardigans to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, later adding a similar range of County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
Loch Garman handknits, expanding his markets further in the 1970s to include Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and, significantly, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His sales brochures and book on the Aran Isles were illustrated by the Irish artist Seán Keating
Seán Keating
Seán Keating was an Irish romantic-realist painter who painted some iconic images of the Irish War of Independence and of the early industrialization of Ireland...
.
During those decades he recorded in detailed documentary films the life and tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
s on the islands. Elsewhere he furthered the fishing industry
Fishing industry
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products....
by providing two modern fishing trawlers in the 1970s under his company Shannon Atlantic Fisheries Ltd.
Politics
He was a member of the Fianna FáilFianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
party from the early 1930s, having been County Dublin's Fianna Fáil director of elections in 1948
Irish general election, 1948
The Irish general election of 1948 was held on 4 February 1948. The 147 newly elected members of the 13th Dáil assembled on 18 February when the First Inter-Party government in the history of the Irish state was appointed....
achieving one of their best returns, but abandoning them in 1952 due to their disinterest in furthering the Irish language
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...
.
During the 1960s he turned his attention again to politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, becoming involved in the Labour movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
, standing as an unsuccessful Labour party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
candidate at the 1965 general election
Irish general election, 1965
The Irish general election of 1965 was held on 7 April 1965. The newly elected members of the 18th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 21 April when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
for the Clare constituency, polling 2.362 1st preferences, or 6.9%.
Other activities
He wroteAuthor
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
numerous book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s, on history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, as well as diverse newspaper articles. He was presiding president of the PEN Club
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
of Ireland in 1956. He became an excellent low handicap golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er, winning many local tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
s, was a year round Dalkey
Dalkey
Dalkey is suburb of Dublin and seaside resort in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. It was founded as a Viking settlement and became an important port during the Middle Ages. According to John Clyn, it was one of the ports through which the plague entered Ireland in the mid-14th century...
-Forty-foot swimmer and qualified to pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
out of Weston Airfield
Weston Airport
Weston Airport or Aerfort Weston in Irish, is a publicly licensed executive airport located on the R403 regional road at Leixlip, County Kildare west of Dublin, in Ireland...
and gliders
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
out of Baldonnel. In the early 1930s as members of the Dublin and District Motor Club, he as navigator, his wife Marjorie as driver, won many road rally
Road rally
A road rally is a car rally that takes place on the public road. It is a popular sport in the United Kingdom, especially Wales, and has traditionally been the core of the "grass roots" of club-based amateur motorsport. However it has declined in popularity since the 1980s and now stage rallies are...
trophies.
Family and works
In 1931 he married Marjorie Ann Griffin, eldest of seven children of Patrick and Eva (née Adrien) Griffin, of RolestownRolestown
Rolestown, or Rowlestown , is a small village six miles north-west of Swords along the R125 in County Dublin, Ireland, about halfway between Swords and Ashbourne...
House, County Dublin. They had four sons, Niall Padraig Maire (b.1932), Dr. Donal Adrien Maire (1936 - 1961), Parra Maire (b.1942), Ruarí Maire (b.1944), and one daughter, Orla Maire (b.1940).
They lived at Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham or Rathfarnam is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and 16. It is within the administrative areas of both Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils.The area of Rathfarnham...
, Dublin, where he died unexpectedly in his family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
home
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
on 19 December 1995, aged 90, and is buried
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
at Cruagh cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
, South Dublin
South Dublin
South Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. The county seat is Tallaght, the largest suburb of Dublin and the biggest urban centre in the county. Other important centres of population are Lucan and Clondalkin...
Two Rock hills
Two Rock
Two Rock is a mountain in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Ireland. It is high and is the 382nd highest mountain in Ireland. It is the highest point of the group of hills in the Dublin Mountains which comprises Two Rock, Three Rock, Kilmashogue and Tibradden Mountains. The mountain takes its name from the...
.
His wife, renowned for her greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
, coursing
Coursing
Coursing is the pursuit of game or other animals by dogs—chiefly greyhounds and other sighthounds—catching their prey by speed, running by sight and not by scent. Coursing was a common hunting technique, practised by the nobility, the landed and wealthy, and commoners with sighthounds and lurchers...
and breeding
Dog breeding
Dog breeding is the practice of mating selected specimens with the intent to maintain or produce specific qualities and characteristics.Dogs reproduce without human interference, so their offsprings' characteristics are determined by natural selection. Domestic dogs may be intentionally bred by...
, predeceased him in 1984.
- Personal Publications:
- Outline of EvidenceEvidenceEvidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
: Practice and Procedure, (2nd. Edition 1953) - Dlí na Fianaise in Éirinn, (1953), an Dara hEagrán (2nd. Ed.) (1962)
- The Criminal LawCriminal lawCriminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
of Ireland, (8th. Edition 1988) - Dlí Coiriúil na h-Éireann, (1964)
- Aran Islands of LegendLegendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
, (3rd. Edition 1967) - Ireland: A journey into lost time, (1983)
- Ireland: Journey to freedom, (1990)
- Outline of Evidence