Frank Gallagher (author)

Frank B. Gallagher (pseudo. David Hogan) (1893 – 1962) was an Irish author and Volunteer.

Biography

A Cork native, initially London correspondent of William O'Brien's Cork Free Press, subsequently its final editor, though himself a separatist, personally admired O'Brien.

The paper suffered closure in 1916 soon after the appointment of Lord Decies as Chief Press Censor for Ireland. Decies warned the press to be careful about what they published. Such warnings had little effect when dealing with such papers as the Cork Free Press. It was suppressed after Gallagher accused the British authorities of lying about the conditions and situation of republican prisoners in the Frongoch internment camp.

Gallagher worked alongside Erskine Childers on the Republican publicity staff and fought alongside Éamon de Valera during the Irish War of Independence. Gallagher and Robert Brennan were the significant contributors to the Irish Bulletin which was produced at this time. He would write several short stories for de Valera under various pseudonyms. Gallagher served long stints in prison due to his IRA involvement and went on many hunger strikes (the shortest lasting three days, the longest 41).

In December 1931 Gallagher was prosecuted by an Irish Free State Military tribunal for Seditious libel for publishing articles alleging Gardaí had mistreated the opponents (i.e. Anti-Treaty republicans) of the Irish Free State government, this was facilitated by Amendment No. 17 of Constitution of the Irish Free State, he was convicted and fined £50.

Prior to the establishment of Fianna Fáil, Gallagher in the 1920s contributed to An Phoblacht the weekly newspaper of the republican movement. He was subsequently de Valera's director of publicity and editor the The Irish Press in 1931 and was appointed deputy director of Radio Éireann in 1936. He would later serve as the director of the Government Information Bureau from 1939–48 and again through 1951-54. Gallagher has composed numerous short stories, biographies and historical pieces.

At the time of his death he was working on a biography of de Valera. Portions of it were published posthumously as The Anglo-Irish Treaty (1965). Gallagher's implacable hostility to the Treaty inevitably colours his analysis; but despite his belief that de Valera was entirely in the right in the ensuing conflict, he makes impressive efforts to be fair to those who negotiated the Treaty, especially Arthur Griffith.