John Wyse Power

John Wyse Power (1859-1926), was a County Waterford born, journalist, newspaper editor and Irish nationalist. He was founding member of the Gaelic Athletic Association,[1] and served as secretary of the GAA(1884 - 1887), and was instrumental in the setting up of the GAA Dublin County Board and served as its first chairman.[2] He supported various nationalist causes and organisations such as the Land League and Home Rule, he was a fluent Irish speaker and language activist.

John Wyse Power was born at Knockhouse near Waterford City in 1859.

He worked sometime as a Civil Servant before leaving due to his nationalist ethos. He was reported to be a Fenian and member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.

He succeeded Patrick Cahill in summer 1883, as the editor of the Leinster Leader. It was in 1884 that he answered the call of Micheal Cusack and participated in the founding of the GAA and was one of the seven to attend the meeting in Thurles founding the organisation. He resigned as secretary in 1887 following the decision to ban members of the RIC from joining and participating in the GAA.[3]

During his time in the Land League he met his wife Jane (Jennie) O'Toole (a nationalist, feminist and founding member of Sinn Féin) and they married on 5 July 1883, and lived in Naas where the Leinster Leader was published. John and Jennie had four children, their younest son was christened Charles Stewart Wyse Power, named after Parnell.

He moved to Dublin in 1885 to work for the Freeman's Journal, and later he worked for the Daily Irish Independent.

John Wyse Power died in 1926 and is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, in 2009 as part of the GAA 125 celebrations his gravestone was refurbished.

References

  1. ↑ Leader editor a founding member of the GAA Kildare Online (www.kildare.ie).
  2. ↑ "The New Year's Day Issue of the Irish Fireside contents". Freeman's Journal. 1 January 1886. col.3, pg 2. Retrieved 22 September 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required (help)).
  3. ↑ History of the GAA www.ucc.ie
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