Dad and Sean Lemass
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Where: Dublin, Ireland
Try to find the spot where the photographer was standing.
When: 01 November 1924
Try to find the date or year when this image was made.
Sean Lemass being carried shoulder high by a group of smiling men with one, very happy looking, lady in attendance. Lemass was one of the few Irish political figures of the 1916 to 1922 era to survive to old age and retain his reputation. What was the occasion and can we establish who "Dad" was?
Indebted almost entirely to Niall McAuley, the key questions we had on this image have been answered. The main one ("who is 'Dad'"?) is that he is the man pictured with the glasses and pipe holding Lemass aloft. "Dad" (father to the family whose collection this image came from) was Michael J. O'Mullane. He had himself been a potential Cumann na nGaedheal candidate for the by-election which Lemass won. So his happiness for his colleague (previously his competition) seems especially magnanimous. As indeed is the smile of his sister (auntie?) Bridie O'Mullane who is almost certainly the woman carrying her brother's briefcase and coat :) She was herself apparently a significant figure in Cumann na mBan and likely no less involved in the politics of the time. LOVING this photo and the stories behind it.....
Photographers: Various
Collection: Irish Political Figures Photographic Collection
Date: November 1924
NLI Ref: NPA POLF102
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 29406
Indebted almost entirely to Niall McAuley, the key questions we had on this image have been answered. The main one ("who is 'Dad'"?) is that he is the man pictured with the glasses and pipe holding Lemass aloft. "Dad" (father to the family whose collection this image came from) was Michael J. O'Mullane. He had himself been a potential Cumann na nGaedheal candidate for the by-election which Lemass won. So his happiness for his colleague (previously his competition) seems especially magnanimous. As indeed is the smile of his sister (auntie?) Bridie O'Mullane who is almost certainly the woman carrying her brother's briefcase and coat :) She was herself apparently a significant figure in Cumann na mBan and likely no less involved in the politics of the time. LOVING this photo and the stories behind it.....
Photographers: Various
Collection: Irish Political Figures Photographic Collection
Date: November 1924
NLI Ref: NPA POLF102
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Info:
Owner: National Library of Ireland on The CommonsSource: Flickr Commons
Views: 29406
irishpoliticalfiguresphotographiccollection
nationallibraryofireland
politicalfigures
ireland
seanlemass
tánaiste
taoiseach
fiannafáil
leader
19161921
group
election
dublin
capelstreet
michaeljomullane
brigidomullane
mjomullane
mullane
byelection
cumannnangaedheal
locationidentified
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Niall McAuley
I see this image at independent.ie captioned: Sean Lemass is carried shoulder high by supporters following his by-election victory in Dublin
Niall McAuley
Wikipedia says Hugh Kennedy of Cumann na nGaedheal was appointed Chief Justice, and Lemass won the ensuing bye-election.
Carol Maddock
Nothing useful to contribute. Just popping my head up to say I LOVE THIS PHOTOGRAPH! (Not often I take to ALL CAPS, but this one's worth it)
Niall McAuley
The elections was on the 18th- not sure when it was declared.
Niall McAuley
The archive record says the Photographer is Joseph Cashman, so Dad is presumably a Cashman who supported Sinn Fein around this time? Edit: Perhaps not. Per the archive entry, photographer Joseph Cashman was born in 1881 (Perhaps this Cork machinist of 1911 ), so his father would be latest 1861, and 63+ in the photo. None of these gents look 63 to me.
Niall McAuley
Ah, Dad is explained in the notes at the archive entry: Caption refers to the location of the photograph as "Model Schools, Dublin". Manuscript note reads "Photographic material etc. ex Accession 3643 (O'Mullane Papers.) In Lemass election photo Michael J. O'Mullane is the second figure from left in front (with hat, glasses and pipe in hand). So the happy man with the pipe and glasses in Michael J. O'Mullane, referred to as Dad as the photo is from the O'Mullane Papers, presumably donated by one of his children.
Niall McAuley
Another catalogue item which may be related: An outline history of Western Europe :with an introductory sketch of the developments of the principal powers in early history around the Mediterranean basin, introducing any points of contact with Ireland by M. J. O'Mullane, M.A. 1925
Niall McAuley
This could indeed be the Model Schools on Marlborough Street, Streetview
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Slightly different angle-of-the-dangle here - todayinirishhistory.com/2012/07/15/sean-lemass-countess-m... (found by Google image search)
Niall McAuley
The catalogue has quite a list of works by O'Mullane, including one summarised as: Noel Lemass with an unsurpassable record of Irish valour has been brutally murdered by agents of The "Free" State. Electors of South Dublin show your disapproval of all such hellish acts by recording your vote for Michael O'Mullane ...
Niall McAuley
This suggests that O'Mullane himself was going to run in South Dublin, but Noel's brother Sean was released and ran and won.
sissonni
Wow, great research! Assuming this is around the 18th or 19th November 1924 and Sean Lemass was married on 24 August 1924 (per wikipedia). Is it likely that the woman on the right (and holding his coat and briefcase) is Kathleen Lemass (née Hughes?)
derangedlemur
What with Cashman being 1881-1969, that would suggest that "Dad" is Cashman himself and that the image was inscribed by his offspring. Nobody in the picture looks old enough to be Cashman's dad.
derangedlemur
Here's Cashman: stillslibrary.rte.ie/indexplus/image/0507/044.html Is he in the mob? I suppose he could be the chap who has Lemass by the foot.
derangedlemur
Only just read https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley's reams of stuff. I see I am barking up completely the wrong tree.
Niall McAuley
Another possible ID for the woman is Brigid O'Mullane, MJs sister and formidable Cumann na mBan organizer. She looks rather similar to MJ here?
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Trove amazes - Lemass got 17,297 votes in South Dublin - via Reuters, London on Wednesday 19 November ... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/168114710
sissonni
Here's the full by-election count details... electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1923B&cons=1...
Niall McAuley
The O'Mullanes were recorded as Mullane in 1901 and 1911.
Niall McAuley
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130615039@N05 notes that the woman is holding a coat and briefcase, but Lemass is wearing his coat. In fact, everyone in shot is wearing a coat (it is November!) except MJ and the boy in the cap.Since the boy has his hands free, I think she is carrying MJ's coat and briefcase, and that she is Brigid O'Mullane.
domenico milella
Congratulation for tour beautiful Album.
sissonni
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley Super detective work! The wikipedia article states that the Hughes family were largely apolitical, so indeed more likely to be Brigid !
Carol Maddock
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley Forced back into all caps, Niall! HUZZAH FOR YOU! :)
silverio10
Buena serie de fotos antiguas .
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Brilliant stuff. Absolutely indebted almost entirely to [https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley] for the incredible investigations and learnings on this one. Were our backs up to it we would carry Niall through the streets of Dublin in recognition ourselves :D Otherwise Niall will have to be satisfied with a "shout out" in the newly (and belatedly) updated description! (For fits and giggles I've also added this to our 'Upon High' album. Normally reserved for views from mountaintops and the like, it just seems fitting for this one :) )
guliolopez
A brilliant shot! I have nothing to add to the shot itself. Cannot argue with Niall's incredible work on the subject and location. I would however note there were FOUR other by-elections in that week of November 1924. Most of them won by CnaG candidates. Lemass's victory bucking the trend somewhat. The other by-election victories were a boost to Cosgrave's government - which didn't technically have an overall majority. These extra CnaG seats, and Sinn Féin's refusal to take theirs, meant that CnaG remained in government for much of the next decade. SF's abstentionist policy ultimately led to Lemass (and DeV and Boland) forming Fianna Fáil - which eventually won a majority over Cosgrave's party in the 1930s. Lemass would later, of course, replace DeV as FF leader and Taoiseach in the 1950s. Interesting to think what would have happened had "Dad" been put-forward as the by-election candidate instead of Lemass?
Women in Red
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