Laurence Ginnell

Larry Ginnell was one of the most remarkable political figures of the early 20th century, with a list of achievements as impressive as any other Irish of his time. The most militant of figures, he was the most senior republican politician at the time, to whom various leaders turned to for advice and council. He was arrested and jailed on more occasions than any other politician of his era and remains the most jailed politician in Irish or British history. An influential early Land League figure, Ginnell was the creator and orchestrator of the Cattle Driving Campaign, the last agrarian rebellion movement in the country, which changed the cultural and ethnic landscape of Ireland. He was de Valera's confidant and the main figure behind the early political success of Sinn Fein. Larry Ginnell, more than any other politician at the time, lay the foundations for the future Irish republic. -- Publisher description