Figgis, Darrell, 1882-1925

Darrell Figgis (1882–1925) was an early twentieth-century Irish writer and political activist whose life and writing were closely bound up with the Irish independence movement. Two of his works are held in this collection: A Chronicle of Jails and The Irish Constitution. The former draws on his own experience of imprisonment, recording what he saw and felt while detained; documentary in style, it combines personal observation with testimony to the times. The latter discusses the question of the Irish constitution, reflecting the author's concern with political institutions and the issue of self-government. Though different in subject, the two books together reveal his attention to Ireland's political situation and legal order. Public information on his education, specific posts, and literary standing is limited, so his writing orientation and intellectual concerns can for now be understood chiefly through these works.