Seán McCool
Seán McCool | |
|---|---|
| Seán Mac Cumhaill | |
| Chief of Staff of the IRA | |
| In office February 1942 – 14 August 1942 | |
| Preceded by | Seán Harrington |
| Succeeded by | Eoin McNamee |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 1 May 1949 (aged 48) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Anti-Treaty IRA |
| Battles/wars | Irish Civil War |
Seán McCool (Irish: Seán Mac Cumhaill) (died 1 May 1949) was a prominent Irish Republican and a former chief of staff of the Irish Republican Army. Imprisoned on numerous occasions, both North and South of the border, he embarked on a number of hunger strikes in order to secure his release. During the 1930s, McCool was one of the few socialists to remain in the IRA after the Republican Congress's decision to split. He stood as a candidate for the Irish Republican party Clann na Poblachta before leaving them as a result of their decision to go into government with Fine Gael.
McCool was described by Peadar O'Donnell as "...deeply read but very much the IRA man". He was also prominent within the GAA in his native County Donegal and the current home ground of the Donegal GAA, MacCumhaill Park, is named in his honour.