Information: The first column shows data points from Clarke, Thomas James, 1858-1916 in red. The third column shows data points from Clark, James Thomas. in blue. Any data they share in common is displayed as purple boxes in the middle "Shared" column.
Thomas Clarke was born in 1857 on the Isle of Wight. His father was in the British Army. The Clarkes emigrated to South Africa and stayed there for about 10 years before moving to Dungannon, County Tyrone, Ireland. Clarke stayed in Dungannon until moving to the United States in 1880.
In the United States, Clarke joined Clan na Gael, the American wing of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). In 1883, Clarke and Thomas Gallagher were sent to England on a dynamiting mission. Both were arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for treason. Clarke served fifteen years in English prisons and was released in 1898. Clarke returned to Ireland, was made a freeman of the city of Limerick, but was unable to find work and returned to the United States in 1899. He resumed his activities with Clan na Gael, working on the Gaelic American. In 1901, he married Kathleen Daly. They returned to Ireland in 1907 and established a newspaper and tobacconist shop in Dublin.
In Dublin, Clarke worked to reorganize the Irish Republican Brotherhood. He was elected to the Supreme Council of the IRB in 1913 and argued for a Military Council to plan an armed insurrection. In 1911, Clarke organized the first national pilgrimage to Wolfe Tone’s grave in Bodestowne, County Kildare. In September 1915, Clarke and Sean MacDiarmada were admitted into the IRB’s secret Military Council, joining Patrick Pearse, Joseph Mary Plunkett, Eamonn Ceannt, and later, James Connolly. Clarke presided over the meeting that decided to proceed with the Easter Rising.
As the oldest member of the Provisional Government and a Fenian, Clarke was the first signatory of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. He fought in the General Post Office (GPO) during Easter week and was court-martialed on May 1, 1916. He was executed by firing squad on May 3, 1916.
Hopkinson, Michael. "Clarke, Thomas James [Tom] (1858–1916), Fenian organizer." <title render="italic">Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</title>. 23 Sep. 2004; Accessed 14 Aug. 2020
Kathleen Daly Clarke papers and collection of Thomas Clarke and Irish political materials
Kathleen Daly Clarke papers and collection of Thomas Clarke and Irish political materials
Title:
Kathleen Daly Clarke papers and collection of Thomas Clarke and Irish political materials
The collection contains the personal and professional papers of Kathleen Daly Clarke (1878-1972), a founding member of Cumann na mBan and an Irish politician, as well as her collection of materials about her husband Thomas Clarke and Irish politics in the first half of the twentieth century. Materials include correspondence, photographs, artwork, clippings, and publications and ephemera circulated by Irish political groups, including Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail.
We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
