Thomas McDonagh was an Irish writer and teacher born in 1878 who was involved in the Irish independence movement and fought in the 1916 Easter Rising. He joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and helped draft the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. During the Rising, McDonagh's battalion was stationed at the Jacob's Biscuit Factory. At the end of heavy fighting, he surrendered and was subsequently executed by firing squad at the age of 38. McDonagh had a passion for the Irish language and was involved in the Gaelic League, meeting Padraig Pearse on the Aran Islands where he studied Irish culture.

1. Thomas McDonagh
BY Amirat and Julia
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40
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1st
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North

2. FACT FILE
 BORN
- 1 February , 1878
 HOBBIES – He loved to write poems and
play scripts .
 DIED – 3 May ,1916 [age 38]
 OCCUPATION – He was first a a teacher at
St . Enda’s school in 1908 and also the
assistant headmaster . Later on he became a
a lecturer in English at the National
University .

3. EDUCATION

Education was very important for Thomas and his
family . Both his parents were teachers who strongly
emphasised education , While his brother John
McDonagh was a a play writer and a film director.

While McDonagh attended Rockwell college, he was
also interested in becoming a priest or a brother , but
after a few years he realized that it wasn’t the life for
him .

4. Family life
 Thomas
was born on the 1st of February
1878 in Cloughjordan. His brothers John,
Joseph and Jim were born in Cloughjordan
as well. Residents of that time recalled with
affection this talented and well loved family.
Their mother gave piano lessons to local
children after school. They recalled the
MacDonagh children as ‘high-spirited’.

5. The Irish Voluneers
 Thomas
was part of the Irish Volunteers .
He joined the Irish Volunteers in November
1913, becoming a member of the provisional
committee and taking part in the Howth gunrunning. MacDonagh believed Irish freedom
would be achieved by what he called
“zealous martyrs”, hopefully through peace
but, if necessary, by war.

6. The Irish Republican Brotherhood
 Although
he was a member of the IRB from
April 1915, he was not co-opted to the
Military Council until early April 1916, and
so had little part in planning the Rising.
He is believed, however, to have contributed
to the content of the Proclamation .

7. The Proclaimation
The proclaimation was a document that was
made by the Irish Volunteers telling the
British that Ireland want to be a republic .
This document was read outside the GPO by
Patrick Pearse. Thomas was one of the
people the that helped make the document
with the rest of the people from the IRB.

8. The Easter Rising
 During
the Rising , Thomas’s battalion was
stationed at the massive complex of Jacob’s
Biscuit Factory. The British army avoided the
factory because they established the
positions of people at the GPO .At the end of
the day Thomas was told to surrender . This
lead to his death.

9. His Love For The Irish Language
Thomas was part of the Gaelic League .This was a non
governmental organisation that promoted the Irish
Language in Ireland and else where .

His love for the Irish language took him to the
Aran Islands for study and it was here that he
first met Padraig Pearse, one of the leaders of the
1916 Easter Rising.
The Aran Islands, apart from its natural habitat as
the ‘real’ home of Irish speakers, was also
frequented by many people who had more than
an ambition for a free and united Ireland. Thomas
met many men on the famous Galway Island who
had the confidence to take actions and he too
acquired a rebel streak for a free Ireland.

10. AN INTERESTING FACT
 In
1908 he joined the Irish Republican
Brotherhood and this was soon after he
composed a famous play ‘When The
Dawn is Come’ a gripping story of seven
Irish Army Captains who took on the
might of the British Crown with great
success.


11. Thomas’s death
 Due to his surrender at the Biscuit factory ,
Thomas he was sadly executed by firing
squad .This was a away of punishment back
then .
 He died on the 3 of May , 1916 and was 38
years of age .

12. Thank you for listening
 Any questions or contributions ???