Edmund Dwyer Gray (Irish politician)

Infobox Person
name = Edmund Dwyer Gray


caption = Memorial portrait as published in the Weekly Freeman shortly after Gray's death
birth_date = birth date|1845|12|29
birth_place = Dublin, Ireland
death_date = death date and age|1888|3|27|1845|12|29
death_place = Dublin, Ireland
title = Lord Mayor of Dublin
term = 1880
nationality = Irish
party = Home Rule League
parents = Sir John Gray, Anna Dwyer
children = Edmund Dwyer-Gray
religion = Protestantism, Catholicism (see text)
resting_place = Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin

Edmund Dwyer Gray (December 29, 1845 – March 27, 1888) was an Irish newspaper proprietor, politician and MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was also Lord Mayor and later "High Sheriff" of DublinBoylan, John (1998) "Dictionary of Irish Biography" p.153, 3rd.ed. ISBN 0-7171-2507-6] and became a strong supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell.

Early life and family

Gray was born on December 29, 1845 in Dublin, the second son of Sir John Gray and his wife Anna Dwyer. After receiving his education, he joined his father in managing the "Freeman's Journal", the oldest nationalist newspaper in Ireland. When his father died in 1875, Gray took over proprietorship of the "Journal", and his family's other newspaper properties such as the "Belfast Morning News" and the Dublin "Evening Telegraph".G. B. Smith, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/11332 ‘Gray, Edmund Dwyer (1845–1888)’] , rev. Alan O'Day, "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2006, accessed 7 May 2008.]

In 1868, Gray saved five people from drowning in a wrecked schooner at Killiney Bay, an action for which he received the Tayleur Fund Gold Medal for bravery from the Royal Humane Society. By coincidence, the rescue was witnessed by his future wife, Caroline Agnes, who he would meet shortly afterwards. [http://www.nli.ie/GetAttachment.aspx?id=2ab47080-60be-4518-a986-5e123997f6dd Edmund Dwyer Gray Album] , "NUACHT Leabharlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann" (National Library of Ireland NEWS), Spring 2005.] Agnes was the daughter of Caroline Chisholm (an English humanitarian renowned for her work in female immigrant welfare in Australia), and although Gray was descended from a Protestant family, he converted to Catholicism to marry her in 1869. The couple had one son, Edmund Dwyer-Gray, who would take over from his father as proprietor of his newspapers and would go on to become Premier of Tasmania.

Political career

From 1875 to 1883, Gray served as a member of the Dublin Corporation, and in 1880 served a term as Lord Mayor of Dublin. Unusually for an Irish nationalist politician, Gray was very much focussed on urban rather than rural affairs, and like his father was heavily involved in public health and water provision for Dublin. He also promoted reform in the municipal health system.

Gray unsuccessfully ran for his father's seat of Kilkenny City at Westminster in the 1875 by-election that followed Sir John Gray's death. He won a later by-election in 1877, becoming a Member of Parliament representing Tipperary for the Home Rule League. At the 1880 general election, he won the seat of Carlow County. At the 1885 election, as a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, he won representation of both Carlow and the new constituency of Dublin St Stephen's Green, and chose to represent the latter.

He was imprisoned for six weeks in 1882 for remarks made in the "Freeman's Journal" with regard to the composition of the jury in the case of a murder trial. (Gray was actually "High Sheriff of the City of Dublin" at the time of his imprisonment, and – because of the conflict of office – was taken into custody by the city coroner.) [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A05E2DA1430E433A25754C1A96E9C94639FD7CF New York Times - August 17, 1882: "Dublin people excited; The Hon. E. Dwyer Gray imprisoned for contempt"] ] The defendant in the case in question was later hanged.

A heavy drinker and asthma sufferer, Gray died aged 42 after a short illness on March 27, 1888, and was buried at Glasnevin Cemetery.

References