Thomas Curran (South Sligo MP)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Curran was an Irish nationalist
politician from County Donegal
who served as an anti-Parnellite Member of Parliament
(MP) in the United Kingdom House of Commons.
He was elected as MP for the Southern division of Sligo
at the general election in 1892
, and held the seat until the 1900 general election
. His son Thomas Bartholomew Curran
(1870–1929) sat in Parliament
for the same period, as MP firstly for Kilkenny City
and then for North Donegal
.
Both father and son owed their election to the Irish National Federation
to whom Thomas senior made an unsecured loan of £10,000 to fund their campaign in the 1892 general election
. According to Tim Healy:
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
politician from County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
who served as an anti-Parnellite Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) in the United Kingdom House of Commons.
He was elected as MP for the Southern division of Sligo
South Sligo (UK Parliament constituency)
South Sligo was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1922....
at the general election in 1892
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
, and held the seat until the 1900 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. His son Thomas Bartholomew Curran
Thomas Bartholomew Curran
Thomas Bartholomew Curran was an Irish barrister and an Anti-Parnellite/Irish National Federation politician who served in the United Kingdom House of Commons as Member of Parliament for the constituencies of Kilkenny City and North Donegal .He was the son of Thomas Curran, MP for South Sligo...
(1870–1929) sat in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for the same period, as MP firstly for Kilkenny City
Kilkenny City (UK Parliament constituency)
Kilkenny City was an Irish Borough constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament...
and then for North Donegal
North Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)
North Donegal was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 the area was part of the Donegal constituency. From 1922 it was not represented in the UK Parliament....
.
Both father and son owed their election to the Irish National Federation
Irish National Federation
The Irish National Federation was a nationalist political party in Ireland. It was founded in March 1891 by former members of the Irish National League who had left the Irish Parliamentary Party in protest when Charles Stewart Parnell refused to resign the party leadership as a result of his...
to whom Thomas senior made an unsecured loan of £10,000 to fund their campaign in the 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
. According to Tim Healy:
Thomas Curran, an hotel-keeper in Sydney (New South Wales), came to our rescue by lending £10,000 without security. Although he was repaid, his generosity deserves remembrance. He was a man by no means sentimentally moulded. When I learnt to know him I thought him of the type least likely to make a sacrifice. We put his son (then a law student in London) up for the City of Kilkenny, and himself for Sligo, and both were elected.