Sean MacBride

What is the Nobel Peace Prize?

The Nobel Peace Prize is an award that is awarded to people who have shown humanitarian efforts and peace movements along with a wide range of fields like advocacy of human rights, mediation of international conflicts and arms control.

Where did it originate from?

On the 27^th of November, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest amount of his fortune to a series of prizes which he called the Nobel Prizes. In one part of the will, Nobel described one part of the prizes was to be dedicated to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses".

Who is Sean Mac Bride?

Sean Mac Bride was born on the 26^th of January, 1904 in Paris. His first language was French and he remained in Paris until after his father’s execution in 1916.

He went to school at Mount St. Benedict’s, Gorey, County Wexford in Ireland. He joined the Irish Volunteers in 1919 when he was 15 and he was an active member during the Irish War of Independence. He opposed the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty and was imprisoned by the Irish Free State during the Civil War. In 1924 he went to study law at University College Dublin and resumed his IRA (Irish Republican Army) activities. On his 21^st birthday, 1925, he married Kid Bulfin. He worked as a journalist in London and Paris before returning to Dublin in 1927, where he became Director of Intelligence for the IRA. In 1936, Sean Mac Bride became the Chief of Staff but was replaced a while later. In 1937, he was called to the Bar Council of Ireland (professional association for barristers practicing law in the Republic of Ireland). He resigned from the IRA later that year when the Constitution of Ireland was enacted.

CLANN NA POBLACHTA

In 1946, Mac Bride founded the republican/socialist party Clann na Poblachta. In 1947, he won a seat in Dail Eireann. At the 1948 election, Clann na Poblachta won only 10 seats so the party joined with 4 other party’s to form the First Inter-Party Government. Mac Bride was appointed as the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1948 and was still in that post when the Council of Europe was drafting the European Convention on Human Rights and is credited with being a key force in the acceptance in this convention because he was the President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In 1951, Clann na Poblachta was reduced to just 2 seats. Mac Bride kept his seat and was re-elected in 1954. In 1961, he retired from politics and continued practicing as a barrister.

Sean Mac Bride died in Dublin on the 15^th of January, 1988, 11 days before his 84^th birthday.

When and why did he receive his price?

Sean Mac Bride received his prize in 1974. Throughout the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, Sean Mac Bride worked tirelessly for human rights. He was part of the group of lawyers who founded JUSTICE (the UK-based human rights and law reform organisation) and was also an active member of many international organisations concerned with human rights. In 1973 he was elected by the General Assembly to the post if High Commissioner for Namibia. In 1977, he was appointed president of the International Commission for the Study of Communication Problems set up by UNESCO. In 1980 he was appointed Chairman of UNESCO. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as a man who "mobilised the conscience of the world in the fight against injustice".

Why did Sean Mac Bride become involved in his work?

I couldn’t find any information on the internet as to why Sean Mac Bride started his work so I have written why I think he started his work:

I think Sean Mac Bride started his work as his father was involved in the Irish Transvaal Brigade which meant he was fighting in wars and then he was also fighting in wars and he would have seen many people who weren’t living in good conditions and then when he became a barrister he would of also dealt with many cases where the most common of human rights were neglected. I think that this is why he chose to start the work he did.