Michael Comyn facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Michael Comyn (born June 6, 1871 – died October 6, 1952) was an important Irish lawyer and politician. He served as a Senator for the Fianna Fáil party and later became a judge. Before his legal career, he also worked in the British Civil Service and was interested in geology and mining.

Comyn was known for his strong will. He once said about a court case he won: “it was his last case, and he won it.” This was very different from his first case as a young lawyer, which he admitted “was a bad case and I did it badly.”

Contents

• Early Life and Education
• Becoming a Lawyer
  • Helping Republican Prisoners
    • The Case of Clifford and O’Sullivan
• During the Civil War
  • Defending Erskine Childers
• Political Career
• Images for kids

Early Life and Education

Michael Comyn was born in 1871 in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland. He was the oldest son in a family of seven children. His father, James Comyn, was a farmer and a leader in the local Land League, a group that helped farmers.

In 1879, Michael’s family was forced to leave their home. They moved to another area in County Clare. Michael went to local schools, including one known for helping students pass civil service exams.

Becoming a Lawyer

When Michael was 19, he took an exam to become an excise officer, which is a type of government worker. Out of 2,500 people, only 50 were chosen, and he was one of them! He started working in Dublin and then in England.

While working, he also studied law at University College Dublin and King’s Inns. Even when he was transferred far away and couldn’t attend all his classes, he kept going. He even won a special award, the Victoria Prize, which helped him finish his studies.

In 1898, Michael Comyn officially became a lawyer in Ireland. He quickly became very successful and was made a King’s Counsel in 1914. This meant he was a top lawyer.

Helping Republican Prisoners

Michael Comyn was very active in Irish nationalist politics, which aimed for Ireland’s independence. During the 1916 Easter Rising, he was in the USA. When he returned, he started defending Irish republican prisoners in court. He even argued some cases in the highest court in Britain, the House of Lords.

The Case of Clifford and O’Sullivan

One of his most famous cases was Re. Clifford and O’Sullivan in 1921. He represented 42 men who were sentenced to death by a military court for having weapons. Michael Comyn and his brother worked hard to find a way to save them.

He used an old legal method called “Prohibition” to challenge the military court’s power. The case went all the way to the House of Lords in London. Michael Comyn used clever tactics, like delaying the case and reviewing old laws, to buy time.

The good news is that none of the 42 men were executed! It is believed that King George V himself learned about the case and made sure the death sentences were not carried out. After the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed, these men were set free. Michael Comyn later said that King George V’s actions helped bring peace.

It’s important to know that no republican prisoner Michael Comyn defended during this time was ever executed. He also helped other people, like the suffragette Georgina Frost, who fought for women’s right to vote.

During the Civil War

During the Irish War of Independence, Michael Comyn defended Irish republican prisoners. He continued this work during the Irish Civil War. He also helped in investigations into the deaths of important figures like Cathal Brugha and Harry Boland.

Defending Erskine Childers

One very difficult case for Comyn was defending Erskine Childers. Childers was a writer and politician who supported the anti-treaty side during the Civil War. He was captured by the Irish Free State government for having a small gun.

Childers asked his friend Michael Comyn to defend him. The trial was held in private, and Childers was found guilty. Comyn tried to appeal the decision in a higher court. However, before the appeal could be heard, Childers was executed on November 24, 1922.

This deeply affected Michael Comyn. He said it was “a complete negation of justice” to execute someone while their case was still being decided by the courts.

After the Civil War, Michael Comyn became a key legal advisor to Éamon de Valera and the Fianna Fáil party. He helped them set up the party and start The Irish Press newspaper.

Political Career

In 1926, Michael Comyn was one of the people who helped start the Fianna Fáil party. In 1928, he was elected as a Senator to the Free State Seanad. He served as a Senator from 1928 to 1936 and was the vice-chairman of the Seanad from 1934 to 1936.

He was known as a strong debater and a hard-working lawmaker. In 1936, he left his role as a Senator because he was appointed as a judge on the Eastern Circuit Court.

Michael Comyn passed away in 1952 at the age of 81.

Images for kids

• Comyn in 1933