William Thomas Cosgrave (1880)
Cosgrave was the first prime minister of the Irish Free State, which was created following a 1921 treaty with Britain. Serving from 1922 to 1932, he was able to maintain a democratic government despite several crises and the tensions related to the Irish struggle for sovereignty. Cosgrave was elected to British Parliament in 1918 but protested British rule by refusing to take his seat. Two years earlier, his role in the Easter Rising of 1916 earned him a death sentence. How did he avoid it? More…
Follow Us