Showing 185 results

For a full biography of John O'Donovan, please refer to the Dictionary of Irish Biography, https://www.dib.ie/biography/odonovan-o-donnabhain-john-sean-a6718.

General Eoin O'Duffy was an Irish nationalist military leader who played a central role in the development of the Irish armed forces and police. His attraction to fascism led him to raise an Irish Brigade to aid Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939.

Stephen O'Mara was born on 26 December 1844 as the eldest son of James O'Mara, founder of O'Mara's Bacon Company in 1839. Stephen became managing director of the company in 1919, following the death of his brother John O'Mara who had taken over the reigns when their father retired from business. Under Stephen's charge, the family business became one of the most prominent commercial enterprises in Limerick city. Stephen O’Mara was also a prominent figure in local politics. He became a Town Councillor on Limerick Corporation in the 1880s and was elected Mayor of Limerick in 1885. He was the first Mayor of Limerick to be elected on a Nationalist ticket. He also served as High Sheriff of Limerick city in 1888, 1913 and 1914. In national politics, he was a strong supporter of Isaac Butt's Home Rule movement. He later developed a close association with Charles Stewart Parnell and was elected Member of Parliament for Upper Ossory in Kilkenny South for the Irish Parliamentary Party in February 1886. When the Irish National League split from Irish Parliamentary Party in December 1890, O’Mara took the Parnellite side. Towards the end of his life, his moderate political views became more radicalised. He supported the Sinn Fein party in the 1918 General Election and took the pro-Treaty side in 1921, but remained on friendly terms with Eamon de Valera.

Stephen O’Mara married Ellen Pigott in 1867, and the couple had 12 children. From c. 1909 onwards, the family lived at Strand House, where Stephen O'Mara died on 26 July 1926.

Stephen O'Mara was born on 5 January 1884 as the second-youngest son of Stephen O'Mara, managing director of O'Mara's Bacon Factory. He entered the family business in 1903, when he travelled to Canada to work in the bacon factory established by the O’Mara family in Ottawa. In 1923, he became Managing Director of O’Mara Limited and created numerous employment opportunities by establishing bacon factories in Claremorris, County Mayo, and Letterkenny, County Donegal, in the 1930s. The three bacon companies were amalgamated in 1938 and formed into the Bacon Company of Ireland.

Throughout his life, Stephen O’Mara played a prominent role in both local and national affairs. When George Clancy, Lord Mayor of Limerick, and his predecessor Michael O’Callaghan were murdered by the British military forces in March 1921, Stephen decided to stand for election and became Mayor. He was re-elected in 1922 and in 1923 but resigned before the expiration of his term of office. Unlike his father and elder brother James, Stephen was opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty but in a conciliatory manner. He was prominently identified with the Sinn Fein movement after the Easter Rising. He was one of Eamon de Valera’s strongest supporters and a member of his Fianna Fail Party since its formation in 1926.

In 1921, Stephen O’Mara was selected to go to America as Special Envoy appointed by Dáil Éireann to the United States to oversee one of the country’s biggest fundraising drives to finance the first Dáil and was made Trustee of the funds. The funds-drive was terminated following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Considering himself as the exchequer to the Irish Free State, O’Mara refused to hand over the collected funds to the pro-Treaty administration which resulted in his imprisonment in 1922-1923. He had also been imprisoned for seven days in 1921 for refusing to pay a fine of £10 for non-compliance with a military summons.

The bulk of the money collected during the Bond Drive was left in various banks in New York and remained untouched for a number of years. In 1927, following legal action between the Irish Government and Eamon de Valera, a court in New York ordered that money outstanding to bond holders must be paid back. Having anticipated such a ruling, de Valera’s legal team invited bond holders to sign over their bonds to de Valera, for which they were paid 58 cents to the dollar. The monies so accumulated were used to launch the national daily newspaper, Irish Press. Stephen O’Mara served on the paper’s Board of Directors until 1935.

In 1932, Stephen O’Mara was once again sent to America on a mission involving the various consular and diplomatic offices maintained in the country by the Irish Government. Two years later, he was appointed a member of the Commission on Vocational Organisation, on which he served until 1943. In 1959, he was created a member of the Council of State following de Valera’s inauguration as President of Ireland. Stephen O’Mara died less than two months after his appointment, on 11 November 1959.

Stephen O’Mara married in 1918 Anne O’Brien, third daughter of Thomas O’Brien of Boru House, and the couple had an adopted son, Peter O’Mara.

Photographer Gerard O’Meara was born in Cork City in 1944 and lives in Mallow. He took up photography at the age of 14 and received his first professional commission just four years later. Over his long and varied career, theatre and fashion photography have remained closest to his heart.

Member of sales and catering staff at Shannon Airport.