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Patrick McCartan
Patrick McCartan (1878-1963) was an Irish republican and politician.
He was born on March 13, 1878 in Eskerbuoy, near Carrickmore, County Tyrone, one of five children, to Bernard ...view morePatrick McCartan (1878-1963) was an Irish republican and politician.
He was born on March 13, 1878 in Eskerbuoy, near Carrickmore, County Tyrone, one of five children, to Bernard McCartan, a farmer, and the former Bridget Rafferty. He emigrated to the USA as a young man and became a member of Clan na Gael in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and edited the journal Irish Freedom. He returned to Ireland some years later and qualified as a doctor. He also continued working with nationalist politics and worked closely with Bulmer Hobson and Denis McCullough with the Dungannon Clubs and the Irish Republican Brotherhood.
McCartan was to take part in the 1916 Easter Rising with the Tyrone volunteers but did not, owing to Eoin MacNeill’s countermanding order. He was arrested after the Rising and interned in an open prison in England. In 1917 he took “French leave” to return to Ireland and assist Sinn Féin in the by-elections being held throughout Ireland that year.
McCartan contested the by-election in South Armagh for Sinn Féin but lost out to the Irish Parliamentary Party candidate. He was later elected in a by-election in King’s County Tullamore in 1918. He was re-elected in the 1918 general election. He was re-elected for Leix-Offaly at the 1921 elections.
At the meeting of the First Dáil in January 1919 McCartan was appointed Sinn Féin’s representative in the USA where he would remain until 1921. McCartan then negotiated with the Soviet Union in 1920-1921 in an attempt to have it recognise the Irish Republic, at a time when both were pariah states.
He contested the 1945 presidential election as an independent candidate and secured 20% of the vote. He became a founder member of Clann na Poblachta and contested the 1948 general election without success though was nominated to Seanad Éireann that same year and remained a Senator until 1951.
McCartan died on March 28, 1963, aged 85.view less