Fr. Lorcan O’Cieran

Author of the political phrase, “Sinn Fein.” 1863-1945.

The death of Fr. Lorcan O’Ciarain P.P., Pettigo occurred in the Shiel Hospital, Ballyshannon. A native of Threemilehouse, Co. Monaghan, he was ordained at Maynooth in 1888. He was a class fellow of Rev. Dr. Mulhern, Bishop of Dromore who was a native of Ederney. Fr. O’Ciarain lived in Magheramena Castle, Fr. O’Ciarain lived in Magheramena Castle, Belleek, former home of the Johnston family, where he had the privilege of stopping the GNR train at the halt on the Castle Estate which he exercised regularly.

He was an erudite student of the Irish language and Irish history and was an authority on Old Irish. He was a friend of President Hyde and numbered among his friends the leading figures of the Irish freedom movement. He attended the first meetings of the executive of the organisation that was later named Sinn Fein. It is believed that it was he actually, who coined the title.

At the early meetings he was in close contact with Arthur Griffiths, Seamus
McManus, Alderman Cole, Edward Martin of Galway and many other leading
lights of the movement. He was also an authority on flowers and trees.