Eamonn Duggan

Eamonn Duggan

Eamonn or Edmund S. Duggan (Irish: Éamon Ó Dúgáin;^[1] 1874 – 6 June 1936) was an Irish lawyer, nationalist and politician, a member of Sinn Féin and then Cumann na nGaedheal.^[2]

Born in Longwood, County Meath, Duggan's father was a Royal Irish Constabulary officer from County Armagh serving in the village, his mother a local woman by the name of Dunne. Duggan qualified as a solicitor and soon became involved in politics. He became a supporter of Sinn Féin and fought in the Easter Rising in 1916. He was subject to court-martial following the Rising and sentenced to three years penal servitude. Duggan was released in 1917 under general amnesty and went back to practicing law. For a time he also served as Irish Republican Army Director of Intelligence.

Duggan was elected to the First Dáil Éireann for South Meath in 1918.^[3] At the end of 1920 he was re-arrested and not released until the end of the Irish War for Independence in July, 1921. After the Truce he was appointed chief liaison officer for the Irish government. In October 1921 Duggan was appointed as one of the five envoys to negotiate and conclude a treaty with the British government. He signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty at 22 Hans Place, London.

In the post-Treaty provisional government he was appointed Minister for Home Affairs and later became parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Defence and to the Executive Council. He declined to go forward in the 1933 general election but was elected to Seanad Éireann.^[4]

He died suddenly at Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin on 6 June 1936.

Early life

Eamonn Duggan or Edmund S. Duggan was born in 1874 and died suddenly in June aged 62 and was buried in Glasnevin cemetery on the north side of County Dublin. Duggan was a lawyer, politician and nationalist. Duggan was also an active member of Cumann na nGaeghael and Sinn Féin.Eamonn Duggan was married to Miss E. Kavanagh and together they had one son. Duggan was born in Longwood, Co. Meath and was educated locally before beginning work as a law clerk. His father was from Co. Armagh and was a RIC officer who served in the village, his mother a local woman by the name of Dunne. During Duggan's early years he became heavily involved in politics after he qualified as a solicitor and set up a practice at 66 Dame Street in Dublin. As Duggan was a keen supporter of the political party Sinn Féin he fought in the 1916 Easter Rising, however Duggan suffered the consequences of this and was subjected to court martial following his actions and was sentenced to penal servitude for 3 years. Fortunately in 1917, things looked up for Duggan and under general amnesty he was released after 14 months in prison and returned to Dublin where he went back to studying law. For a period in his life, Duggan also served as Irish Republican Army Director of Intelligence. ^[5]

Involvement in politics

In 1918, Duggan was elected to the first Dáil Éireann for South Meath. The Drogheda Independent reported " Never before was a successful candidate accorded such a princely reception". He was re-arrested at the end of 1920, and was not released until 1921 when the Anglo- Irish Truce of July took place. When the truce concluded, Duggan was authorized as one out of the five envoys to discuss and finalise the treaty with the British Prime Minister, Llyod George. In London Duggan signed the Anglo Irish Treaty. After the post treaty government, Duggan was authorized The Minister of Home Affairs and shortly afterwards he became the parliamentry secretary for the Executive Council and For the Minister for Defence. Duggan continued various roles as a TD until 1933. ^[6] Until 1933, Duggan was a Cumann na NGael T.D for Meath. In 1933, Duggan declined to go forward for the general election but was elected to senate. He also became the last citizen of the free state to take the oath as a member of the oireachtas and he also was involved in local politics in Dun Laoghaire as the chairman of the Borough Council until he died in 1936. ^[7]

1916

In 1916, Duggan was part of Commandant Daly and therefore was serving in the North Dublin Union in the days approaching the 1916 rising and afterwards Father Matthew Hall. One of Duggan's close friends Thomas Allen was shot while Duggan was at the fourcourts. Duggans efforts to get medical assistance were unsucessful at Richmond hospital as the British officer who responded to the call declined the message and didn't allow it to go through. Eventually medical assistance was received but it was too late for Allen. In Duggan's region, the volunteers suffered very few injuries with the most violent fighting taking place on Friday night and Saturday morning. Duggan suffered the consequences and was then sentenced to penal servitude which lasted three years. De Valera and Duggan's attempts at Lewes to fight the authorities and collapse the prison system proved to be victorious as in June 1917, they were both released and Duggan finally got to go back to Dublin and followed his previous roots in law and continued his career as a solicitor. ^[8]

After 1916

After 1916, Duggan was stationed in the Father Matthew Hall and at the North Dublin Union which took place during the Easter Rising and after this took place he was interned in Maidstone, Portland and Lewes jails. when Duggan was released in 1917, he continued his career in law and in 1918 he was then elected as a Sinn Fein MP for South Meath. Duggan engaged in the War of Independence. and his role in this was the IRA's Director of Intelligence, however this all came to and end in November 1920 when he was imprisioned again. Even though Duggan was in prison, he still a main figure in the organisation of a truce collaborating with British civil servants. RTE Commercial Enterprises, 2013) After all this Duggan conducted Eamonn de Valera whilst he had meetings with Prime Minister, David Lloyd George. Duggan was evidently a very successful man as he detained a numerous amount of ministerial posts in the Cumann na nGaedhal government. In 1921, Duggan played a role in the Irish delegation throughout the Anglo Irish discussions, the then played a dominant role in liaising Briitish officials. ^[9]

Duggan's Papers

Duggan wrote papers between 1913 and 1968 which reflected on his engagement in the Easter Rising. In his letters Duggan wrote about his the tough times he spent imprisioned in Lewes, Mountjoy and Portland. Duggan also wrote about his participation in Sinn Fein and how he was released in 1917, and in 1918, how he was triumphant in being a candidate for the South Meath constituency. Most of Duggans papers consisted of letters to his Fiancee and wife May Duggan which we wrote whilst he was in prison. Duggans papers were very personal as they consisted of photographs of him, his family members and his political associates etc. Also information of his time in Teachta Dala was included. In one of his letters Duggan which he wrote on 25th April 2016, that he referenced as 'The whole damn family' consisted of information from how his volunteers and him were being 'treated as princes' by the nuns in the convent nearby, receiving help from the children in the area and building barricades.In his lettter Duggan also writes about morale amongst his comrades and hearing rumours about a German who had landed in Kerry. News had emerged of Sean Connolly's death and that the British Army were unfair in concluding the rebellion. In Duggan's note, he proclaims that the letter should be sent to May Duggan who was his fiancee at the time. At the end of the letter Duggan referred to himself as 'Edmund' which he is also known as. ^[10]

References