Desmond FitzGerald Papers
Born in London of Irish parents, Desmond FitzGerald learnt Irish at Gaelic League classes where he met Mabel Washington McConnell, a Belfast Presbyterian and nationalist. They married in 1911 and lived in Brittany for two years in the company of writers and artists. While in London FitzGerald had been a member of the Imagist group of poets which included Ezra Pound with whom he had a lifelong friendship. Mabel had acted for a time as secretary to George Bernard Shaw.
He fought in the 1916 rebellion and was imprisoned in Dartmoor and Maidstone prisons. Elected Sinn Féin MP for the Pembroke division of Dublin at the 1918 general election he was rleeased from prison later that year. In 1919 he was appointed Dáil Éireann Director of Publicity and published the Irish Bulletin for which he was again imprisoned until July 1921. In favour of the 1921 Anglo-Irish treaty, he served as Minister for External Affairs, 1922–27, representing Ireland at the Imperial Conferences and the League of Nations and as Minister for Defence, 1927–32. He continued as TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, 1932–37, and as a member of the Seanad, 1938–43. His publications include Preface to Statescraft (1939).
His substantial collection of papers includes some 200 photographs originating from his Department of Publicity function, relating overwhelmingly to the Irish civil war but including some 1916 rebellion, and war of independence photographs.
This image is of a British soldier standing in the ruins of Sackville Street, renamed O’Connell Street after independence, in the aftermath of the 1916 rebellion.
