John O'Dowd (13 FebruaryRootsWeb: DOWD-L Re: [DOWD] FW: Genealogy 1856Catalogue, National Library of Ireland, http://www.nli.ie/en/online-catalogue.aspx – 26 October 1937Irish Independent, 27/10/1937) was an Irish Nationalist Member of Parliament for North Sligo, March–September 1900, and for South Sligo, 1900–18.

Life He was born in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo but emigrated to the US at an early age, returning in the later 1870sMcConnel (2004), citing Farry (1992), gives the date of return as 1876, while http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/th/read/DOWD/2001-03/0985396535 has 1878 to Bunninadden, Sligo, where he was a farmerMcDowell (1970), pp.91-2 and lived for the rest of his life. He was connected with Irish political movements from 1880 onwards and in 1881-82 was imprisoned as a ‘suspect’ under the then coercion legislation.

He was a veteran of the Land League and active in the United Irish League.Maume (1999), p.239. He was associated with the Irish Republican Brotherhood after his return from the US.McConnel (2004), p.44, citing Farry (1992), p.2; see also Maume (1999). For many years he was chairman of Sligo County Council and his son later became accountant to the Council.

He was elected unopposed to represent North Sligo on 7 March 1900 following the resignation of Bernard Collery, and transferred unopposed to his native South Sligo constituency at the general election later that year. He held this seat unopposed through successive general elections until December 1918, when he was defeated by the Sinn Féin candidate Alexander McCabe by 9,113 votes to 1,988.Walker (1978) O’Dowd had made representations on McCabe's behalf when the latter had been tried, and acquitted, for possession of explosives.Maume (1999) p.161, citing Farry (1992), pp.57-9 Maume (1999) states that O’Dowd was himself beaten up and severely injured by Sinn Féin supporters on polling day in 1918.Maume (1999) pp.213, 239, citing Farry (1992), pp.152-3

As a local authority representative, O’Dowd was a member of the Irish Convention of 1917–18, which unsuccessfully attempted to reconcile North and South Ireland.

He published a volume of poems, Lays of South Sligo, and contributed poems to T. D. Sullivan’s Weekly News.

Publication Lays of South Sligo: A Few Wild Flowers of National Poetry, Dublin, Gill, 1888; 2nd ed. 1889

Notes

References

James McConnel (2004) ‘ "Fenians at Westminster": The Edwardian Irish Parliamentary Party and the Legacy of the New Departure’, Irish Historical Studies, Vol. 34, No. 133, May, p. 44

External links

A lengthy and detailed biography of John O’Dowd by Frank Mara (2001) which however does not cite any sources. This appears to have been taken verbatim from "Worthies of Sligo" by John McTernan (Revised Edition, Sligo, 1994).