Patrick Augustine Sheehan was an Irish Catholic priest, author and political activist. He was usually known as Canon Sheehan after his 1903 appointment as a canon of the diocese of Cloyne, or more fully as Canon Sheehan of Doneraile, after the town of Doneraile where he wrote almost all of his major works and served as parish priest.
Birthplace plaques, now the William O'Brien Street, Mallow, Co Cork
Sheehan, at the time of his ordination, 1875
Canon Sheehan's house in Doneraile, as it was in his lifetime
The All-for-Ireland League (AFIL) was an Irish, Munster-based political party (1909–1918). Founded by William O'Brien MP, it generated a new national movement to achieve agreement between the different parties concerned on the historically difficult aim of Home Rule for the whole of Ireland. The AFIL established itself as a separate non-sectarian party in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, binding a group of independent nationalists MPs to pursue a broader concept of Irish nationalism, a consensus of political brotherhood and reconciliation among all Irishmen, primarily to win Unionist consent to an All-Ireland parliamentary settlement.
All-for-Ireland League group portrait of five of its Independent Members of Parliament, in the "Cork Free Press" 30 July 1910. These are: Patrick Guiney (North Cork), James Gilhooly (West Cork), Maurice Healy (North-east Cork), D. D. Sheehan (Mid Cork) and Eugene Crean (South-east Cork). The other MPs elected in January 1910 were: William O'Brien (Cork city), John O'Donnell (South Mayo) and Timothy Michael Healy (North Louth). Elected in December 1910 was
William O'Brien addressing the "Baton Convention" with Dillon, Redmond and Devlin looking on indifferently.
Announcement of the League's Inaugural Meeting 31 March 1910
League's membership card endorsed: All for Ireland here are we, All for Ireland's liberty; To right, to raise, to set her free, Our Native Land for ever. T.D.S.