Thomas James (‘Tom’) Clarke (1858–1916), son of a British army soldier, was born on the Isle of Wight and educated in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone. Arrested on a Fenian bombing mission to London in 1883, he spent 15 years in prison. After a period in New York, he returned to Ireland in 1907 and helped reinvigorate the IRB, steering it steadily towards insurrection. The first signatory of the 1916 Proclamation of the Republic, he served in the GPO during Easter week, and was executed 3 May 1916.
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Thomas Clarke's biography is taken from the book 1916 Portraits and Lives published by the Royal Irish Academy. 100 prints of the 42 portraits and 3 scenes from the book, signed and numbered by the artist David Rooney, are available to order while quantities last. The original portraits from the book have been acquired for the State Collection by the OPW and will be on exhibit in 2016 at Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin. Read more 1916 biographies.
