We enjoyed an excellent presentation from Declan Brady on Frank Lawless, 1870-1922: Fingal’s Revolutionary Politician. We were delighted to see such a big crowd and welcome back some of our friends for the first time since 2019. It was particularly nice to welcome members of the Lawless family including Frank Lawless grandson as we heard all about his amazing life.
Frank Lawless is well known for his involvement with the Fingal Battalion and the Battle of Ashbourne in 1916, but he had a long and influential career in local politics, which reflected his journey from a supporter of Parnell to the revolutionary who fought in 1916 and in The War of Independence. Like his father he served as a poor law guardian in Balrothery, and his brothers and children were involved in the political and cultural movements that helped shape Irish Independence and the early years of the Irish Free State. This talk revisits Frank’s journey and the key role he played as a local political leader in Fingal.
