Thomas Davis and Ireland: A Biographical Study Book

"Thomas Davis (1814-1845) was a leading figure in the áYoung Ireland' movement of the 1840s. With Charles Gavan Duffy and John Blake Dillon, he created the influential weekly newspaper Nation in an effort to support Daniel O'Connell's campaign to repeal the Act of Union. A man of great political and literary promise, he died at only thirty-one; his early death left many questions unanswered about his thoughts and aspirations. His first biography, written by his friend and collaborator Duffy, was published in 1890, and is an invaluable source for Davis's life and his part in the Irish nationalist struggle. Duffy's work was as well a eulogy, presenting Davis in so favorable a light that he seems at times unreal. To provide a more thorough, objective portrait of Davis, historian Helen F. Mulvey here presents a scholarly examination of Davis's life and thoughts." Throughout this narrative, Mulvey covers the principal events of Davis's life and work, discusses his role in the evolution of Irish nationalism, and reveals his importance to generations of nationalists. Mulvey pays particular attention to his motivations, ideas, interests, friendships, and inconsistencies. A man of many talents, Davis might have become a lawyer, an historian of Ireland, a writer of historical fiction, or a champion of various public causes political or social. He was a man of moderation, however, flexible and intelligent about ends and means. His gifts for friendship, his grace of manner drew people to him and marked him out as a natural leader. Even his political opponents admired him.