Terence MacSwiney was not just a rebel hero - he made a huge contribution to the cultural life of Cork

Before he died on hunger strike, Terence MacSwiney had a made a huge contribution to the cultural life of his native Cork, writes Marjorie Brennan

TERENCE MacSwiney is a key political figure in Irish history, his death by hunger strike when he was Lord Mayor of Cork bringing the struggle for independence to the international stage. However, it is MacSwiney’s cultural legacy that is being celebrated as part of a new exhibition at the Crawford Gallery in Cork.

Conflicting Visions in a Turbulent Age, 1900-1916 features poignant personal items belonging to MacSwiney, loaned from the MacSwiney Brugha collection, including a notebook, a crucifix and signed books gifted to him by the revolutionary O’Donovan Rossa.