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- January 30, 1920
Tomás Mac Curtain (20 March 1884 – 20 March 1920) was an Irish Sinn Féin politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Cork until he was assassinated by the Royal Irish Constabulary. He was elected in January 1920.
Tomás MacCurtain, a prominent figure in Irish history, was elected Lord Mayor of Cork representing Sinn Féin. His election took place during a tumultuous period in Irish history, marked by the struggle for independence from British rule.
Election as Lord Mayor
Tomás MacCurtain was elected Lord Mayor of Cork on March 30, 1920. This was during the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921), a guerrilla war between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and British forces, aimed at establishing an independent Irish Republic.
Background and Involvement in Irish Nationalism
MacCurtain was deeply involved in the Irish nationalist movement. He was a member of the Irish Volunteers, an organization founded in 1913 to secure and defend the rights and liberties common to all the people of Ireland. He later became involved in the IRA, the armed wing of the nationalist movement.
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin, the political party MacCurtain represented, was at the forefront of the Irish independence movement at the time. The party had a significant victory in the 1918 general election and established an alternative assembly in Dublin, Dáil Éireann, declaring Irish independence.
His Term and Assassination
Tragically, MacCurtain’s term as Lord Mayor was cut short. He was assassinated at his home in Cork by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) on March 20, 1920, just short of three weeks after his election. His assassination was one of the many violent acts that marked the War of Independence.
Impact of His Death
MacCurtain’s death became a rallying point for the Irish independence movement. It drew international attention to the cause and the brutal tactics used by British forces and their auxiliaries in Ireland. His successor as Lord Mayor, Terence MacSwiney, also became a martyr for the cause following his death after a long hunger strike in a British prison.
Legacy
Tomás MacCurtain is remembered as a martyr and hero within the Irish struggle for independence. His commitment to the cause and his untimely death symbolize the sacrifices made by many during this period in Irish history.
MacCurtain’s election and subsequent assassination highlight the intense political and social turmoil in Ireland during the early 20th century. His life and death are integral to the narrative of Ireland’s path to independence and the broader history of the Irish Republic.