Joseph T. Lawless family papers: Discover the People

Born in Virginia in 1866, the son of immigrants from County Galway, Ireland, Joseph Thomas Lawless, either generated or received each of the papers. Lawless, a Catholic, would serve the Commonwealth of Virginia as a state senator and (for four consecutive terms) as secretary-of-state. A lawyer by training, he maintained a law practice in the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Between 1909 and 1914, he sat as judge of Virginia’s first judicial circuit.

Lawless was devoted to Ireland, and, thus, he participated, at a senior level, in several important Irish-American organizations. Rising to the position of vice-president general, he was active in the New York-based American Irish Historical Society (established in 1897). He also became a consequential figure in the Friends of Irish Freedom (FOIF), founded during the Irish Race Convention that convened in New York in 1916. Among other activities, FOIF organized speaking tours of America by such Irish nationalists as Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington and Nora Connolly.

• See also Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography edited by Lyon Gariner Tyler (Volume IV, 170-180)

Daniel Cohalan was born in New York to Irish immigrated parents.Cohalan was educated at Manhattan College in 1885. He later received a master’s degree, was admitted to the bar, and became a justice of the supreme court of New York in 1911.In 1916 he was a key organizer of FOIF and the Irish Race convention. Daniel Cohalan’s clash with De Valera was a significant factor in the later rift between the FOIF and Valera. Cohalan and FOIF backed the Irish Free State and Cohalan even visited Ireland in 1923. He returned to NY, had a family and died in Nov 1946.

• See also the Papers of Daniel F. Cohalan (American Irish Historical Society)

Born in Virginia to Irish parents. Received his law degree at Washington & Lee University. Lawyer for many years, even showed cases before the supreme court. In 1919, he was president of the local FOIF chapter and hosted De Valera in his trip to America. During this time he also spoke before a committee on foreign relations against the league of nations article 10, binding Ireland to England. Later appointed secretary for American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic (AARIR). Supporter of the Irish Republic. He was not Catholic and this proved an important detail in his activities.

Born Tracton, Ireland. Lynch was educated in Dublin and became a clerk and bookkeeper. Eventually emigrated to the US (1896) and became a citizen. He became involved in many Irish supporting groups in NY. Returned to Ireland in 1908 and became heavily involved in the 1916 Easter Rising. He was arrested and deported back to the US (1918). He later became the national secretary of The Friends of Irish Freedom. He Resigned in 1920 due to a dispute with De Valera. Supported Anglo-Irish treaty. Returned to Ireland in 1932 for the anniversary of the uprising. Became Vice-President of the American Irish Historical Society. Eventually died in Tracton

Born Kilkenny, Ireland. Hackett was an author and literary critic. He was educated at Clongowes Wood College in County Kildare. After later coming to the US he became a literary editor and then critic for various papers including the Post and The New Republic. During this period he became an author and published novels on nationalism and later a historical work on Henry the VIII.

Born in Kilkenny, Ireland and came to the US in 1895. Became manager of publishing by Baker & Taylor company 1907-`09. Later Director of Yale University Press soon after it was founded. Founder of the Brick Row Book Shop in New York.