-
Subject Index A-B
-
Subject Index C-F
-
Subject Index G-K
-
Subject Index L-O
-
Subject Index P-Z
Email: info@searcs-web.com
Searc's Web Guide to 20th Century Ireland - Charlie Donnelly (1914-1937)
Charlie Donnelly was born near Dungannon, County Tyrone and was educated at the Christian Brothers' School, Dundalk. After the death of his mother, Rose McCaughey, his family moved to Dublin where Donnelly witnessed the appalling poverty of Dublin's inner city slums. He become involved in local politics while training as a carpenter's apprentice and began to write poetry and short stories.
In 1931 he went to UCD to study arts and became one of a group of students which included the novelist Flann O'Brien; the short story writer Mary Lavin; the poets Donagh MacDonagh and Denis Devlin and the actor Cyril Cusack. At UCD Donnelly also founded an anti-fascist group, the Student Vanguard. In 1934 he left UCD to devote himself to politics and was imprisoned for picketing a Dublin factory which barred its workers from forming a union. In the same year Donnelly joined Republican Congress and became a member of its National Executive.
In 1935 he was again arrested and imprisoned for partaking in a factory picket. On his release Donnelly went to London where, with Sean Mulgrew and Mick Kelly he formed the first London Branch of Republican Congress. Donnelly also founded, with Leslie Dalkien, the Congress newspaper Irish Front while working as a journalist in Fleet Street. When the Spanish Civil war broke out Donnelly called on fellow Republican Congress members, Frank Ryan and George Gilmore, to condemn Franco and to form an Irish Brigade to fight in Spain. Donnelly worked for the London Branch of the Spanish Medical Aid Committee until he went to Spain in December, 1936.
Charlie Donnelly was killed at the Jamara Front on February 27th, 1937 at the age of twenty-two. In 1987 Charlie Donnelly: The Life & Poems was published posthumously. Donnelly's poem The Flowering Bars was composed while he was in prison in Mountjoy Gaol, Dublin in 1935.©
Charlie Donnelly (1914-1937)