Principles of Freedom

by Terence Joseph MacSwiney

Terence Joseph MacSwiney (1879-1920) was educated as an accountant and also was a playwright, poet, and writer of pamphlets on Irish history. He was one of the founders of the Cork Brigade of the Irish Volunteers in 1913, and was President of the Cork branch of Sinn Fein. He founded a newspaper, Fianna Fail, in 1914, but it was suppressed after only 11 issues. In the 1918 general election, MacSwiney was returned unopposed to the first Dail Eireann as Sinn Fein representative for Mid Cork, succeeding the Nationalist M. P. D. D. Sheehan. In 1920, he was elected Lord Mayor of Cork. He was arrested in Dublin for possession of seditious articles and documents, and also possession of a cipher key. He was summarily tried by court martial sentenced to two years imprisonment in Brixton Prison. In prison, he immediately started a hunger strike and died on 25th October, 1920. A collection of his writings, entitled Principles of Freedom, was published posthumously in 1921. It was based upon articles MacSwiney contributed to Irish Freedom during 1911-1912.

Genres: Philosophy, Ireland

140 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

Reviews

[Chris Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this, but it's somewhat dry and academic in spots. Still, what a wonderful call to action! Despite the work being published over 100 years ago, it contains many, many passages that ring true in today's world.

[So Hakim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another public domain book, this time from 1921. Part-manifesto, part-philosophy, the book was written by T.J. MacSwiney, Irish mayor from Cork during Irish War of Independence.

While can be considered incendiary, the book is more about communicating humanistic-nationalist cause among Irish citizens. Indeed MacSwiney himself can be considered freedom fighter, he died in British prison doing hunger strike. Only that he never shot a bullet: his effort was through newspaper articles.

The book is basically a call of solidarity against oppresors. The biggest part is about why -- and how -- a group of people (the Irish) deserve independence out of foreign menace (England). The interesting thing is that his ideas are universal: one may be tempted to call this as "general manual for fighting independence", and it would be quite accurate.

It is said that, in India, Gandhi and Nehru had read MacSwiney's book and got inspired. I don't know if that's true -- I'm not historian -- but there's a little bit of them in here.

I personally see it as general remarks on freedom in context of Anglo-Irish struggle. May not be for everyone.

[Bick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book inspired Ghandi and Ho Chi Minh, and I'd like to think was written by a relative. In clear prose (albeit a bit dry) it talks about many of the political troubles we face today, and how to deal with them. If we all read this, maybe we could get somewhere...