Harry Boland

Harry Boland
Teachta Dála
In office
May 1921 – August 1923
Constituency Mayo South–Roscommon South
Member of Parliament
for South Roscommon
In office
14 December 1918 – 2 August 1922
Preceded by John Patrick Hayden
Succeeded by Office abolished
Personal details
Born Henry James Boland
(1887-04-27)27 April 1887
Phibsborough, Dublin, Ireland
Died 2 August 1922(1922-08-02) (aged 35)
Merrion Road, Dublin, Ireland
Resting place Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin, Ireland
Nationality Irish
Political party Sinn Féin
Relations
Education Synge Street CBS

Henry James Boland (Irish: Enri Ua Beolláin; 27 April 1887 – 2 August 1922)[1] was an Irish republican politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) in the First Dáil for the Mayo South–Roscommon South constituency from 1921 to 1923. He was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for South Roscommon in 1918, but never took his seat.[2]

Early life

Harry Boland was born at 6 Dalysmount Terrace, Phibsborough, Dublin, on 27 April 1887, the son of Irish Republican Brotherhood member James Boland and Kate Woods.[3] He was active in GAA circles in early life, and refereed the 1914 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. He joined the IRB at the same time as his older brother Gerry in 1904,[4] following in the footsteps of his father, uncle and probably grandfather. He was educated at the Synge Street CBS, but had a personality clash with one of the brothers so he refused to carry on his attendance at the school. He then went to De la Salle College, County Laois, as a novice.[5]

Irish nationalism

Boland later joined the Irish Volunteers along with Gerry and his younger brother Ned. They took an active part in the Easter Rising of 1916.

At the 1918 general election Boland was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the South Roscommon seat.[6] In line with all the Sinn Féin MPs elected at that election, he did not represent his constituents at Westminster, but withdrew to sit in the declared independent Dáil Éireann (the First Dáil) and was named by Éamon de Valera as special envoy to the United States, a role his uncle Jack had played 25 years previously.[7] He left Ireland for the United States of America along with de Valera as part of a campaign to raise awareness and support for their cause in America. Boland negotiated a loan of $20,000 from the Irish Republic to the Soviet Republic through the head of the Soviet Bureau, Ludwig Martens, using some Russian jewellery as collateral.[8] These jewels were transferred to Ireland when he returned.

During the Irish War of Independence, Boland operated alongside Michael Collins, who was a close friend.

Civil War

Boland opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty along with de Valera, and in the ensuing Irish Civil War, he sided with the Anti-Treaty IRA. In 1922, he was re-elected to the Dáil, representing Mayo South–Roscommon South. Boland was shot by soldiers of the Irish Free State Army when they attempted to arrest him at the Skerries Grand Hotel.[9] Two Free State Army officers entered his room and Boland, unarmed, was shot and mortally wounded:[10]

He died several days later in St. Vincent's Hospital. As he lay dying, he refused to give the name of his attacker to his sister, Kathleen.[12]

He was buried at Glasnevin Cemetery. The service took place from the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church. The hearse was followed by Cumann na mBan, Clan na Gael and the Citizen Army women's section.[13]

Legacy

Boland's death affected Collins and may have spurred him towards peace negotiations with De Valera. Soon afterward, Collins was killed in an ambush at Béal na Bláth, County Cork. The Skerries Grand Hotel later became a secondary school for boys, managed by the De La Salle Brothers. There is a commemorative plaque on the site explaining that Boland was killed in action there.

Family

Harry's brother, Gerald Boland, was a prominent member of Fianna Fáil and later served as Minister for Justice. His nephew, Kevin Boland, served as a Minister and was implicated in the Arms Crisis. Kevin Boland's resignation from Fianna Fáil and the subsequent loss of his seat marked the end of an era for the Boland political dynasty.

His nephew, Harry Boland, was a basketball player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. He died on 18 December 2013, at the age of 88.[14][15]

In the 1991 TV movie The Treaty, Boland was portrayed by Malcolm Douglas.

In the 1996 film Michael Collins, Boland was portrayed by Irish-American actor Aidan Quinn. The film was criticised for fictionalising both Boland's death and Collins' life.[16]

See also

Biographies

  • Brasier, Andrew and John Kelly, Harry Boland: A Man Divided, (Dublin 2000)
  • Fitzpatrick, David Harry Boland's Irish Revolution, (Cork 2003)
  • Maher, Jim Harry Boland: A Biography, (Cork 1998)

Sources

References

  1. ↑ "Residents of a house 26.2 in Lennox St. (Fitzwilliam, Dublin)". The National Archives of Ireland 1911 Census. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  2. ↑ "Mr. Harry Boland". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "General Registrar's Office". IrishGenealogy.ie. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  4. ↑ Fitzpatrick, David (2004). Harry Boland's Irish Revolution (illustrated ed.). Cork University Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-85918-386-1.
  5. ↑ "Harry Boland (1887–1922)". Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 61.
  6. ↑ "Harry Boland". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  7. ↑ Kevin Boland. James Boland 1857 – 1895 A Nationalist of the Advanced School. Unpublished essay.
  8. ↑ https://issuu.com/scolairestaire/docs/vol3iss1print page 25
  9. ↑ Maher, Jim (1998). Harry Boland – A Biography. Mercier,. pp. 241–242. ISBN 978-1-85635-236-9.
  10. ↑ The Times, Mr. Harry Boland Shot, 1 August 1922
  11. ↑ Brasier, Andrew; Kelly, John (2000). Harry Boland – A Man Divided. New Century. p. 135. ISBN 0-9539669-0-9.
  12. ↑ p272, James Mackay, Michael Collins: A Life;
  13. ↑ The Times, Blow To Irish Rebels, 5 August 1922
  14. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill. "Harry Boland". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  15. ↑ McConnell, Daniel (22 December 2013). "Former Olympic great Harry Boland dies". independent.ie. The Independent. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "Film failed to do justice to drama surrounding death of Harry Boland". The Irish Times. August 5, 1997. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
Preceded by
Seán McGarry		 President of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
1919–1920		 Succeeded by
Patrick Moylett
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