The Noted and the Notorious: two past pupils of Midleton College

Among the countless past pupils of Midleton College, two can be marked out as those who had the greatest impact on history, whether for better or for worse: Isaac Butt (1813-1879) and Reginald Dyer (1864-1926).  The former founded the Home Rule Association, and, if he did not coin the term “Home Rule”, was the first to use it as an effective political slogan.

He was born in Co. Donegal, son of a Church of Ireland rector; he went to university at Trinity College Dublin, and founded the Dublin University Magazine; he was appointed professor of political economy (1836-41) and called to the Irish bar in 1838.  He became known for his opposition to Daniel O’Connell and his campaign to Repeal the Union.  While essentially a conservative – and lifelong member of the Irish Conservative Party – disillusionment at the British government’s failure to act during the Great Famine of the 1840’s led him to drift away from Unionism and being an Orangeman, and instead adopt a political philosophy of Federalism, with an Irish Parliament subordinate to Westminster, but he never favoured outright independence.

In 1848, Butt undertook the defence of the Fenians, and from 1865-69 he was their principal defence council, yet remained fearful of the consequences of a successful Fenian revolt.  He founded the Home Government Association in 1870, renamed the Home Rule League three years later.  In 1874, his party won more than half the Irish seats at Westminster, but such a mandate did not encourage him to follow a radical agenda, with his personal life, (with legendary womanising, and chaotic finances causing him a number of stays in debtor’s prison), remaining more eventful than his political life.

Nationalist MPs were frustrated by his gentlemanly approach to passing bills and his disapproval of filibustering and obstructionist tactics.  While committed to his cause, his moderacy caused an ebbing away of his influence by Parnell a year later.

The other past pupil in Midleton College to have been a major historical figure was the infamous Reginald Dyer, who perpetrated the Amritsar Massacre in 1919, ultimately leading to Mohandas K. Gandhi’s conversion to the cause of full Indian independence.

Dyer was born in 1864, In Murree, in British India, or what is today Pakistan.  He was born in the shadow of the Sepoy Mutiny, with the resulting atmosphere of segregation and fear having a lasting impact on his life.  In 1885 he entered Sandhurst and was commissioned in the West Surrey Regiment.  He served in the Third Burmese War (1886-87) before transferring to the Indian Army, initially joining the 39th Bengal Infantry.

The background to the Amritsar Massacre was an atmosphere of fear among the Punjab’s white population, with rumours of mutiny and death threats to Europeans, resulting in the deportation of alleged agitators by Sir Michael O’Dwyer, Governor of Punjab.  Riots ensued, and the assault of a missionary, Miss Marcella Sherwood, incensed Dyer, with his ordering anyone who wished to proceed along the street where the incident occurred to crawl on all fours.  Following the deaths of five Britons in riots, he banned public meetings; when one was arranged for April (1919) he made no effort to cancel it, but set out to make an example.  He marched 90 soldiers into the enclosure are of Jallianwalla Bagh, and ordered them to fire into the unarmed crowd.  The resulting death toll in conservatively estimated at 379, all civilians.

In Britain, the Hunter Committee investigated the massacre, and condemned Dyer’s action, and he was removed from active service.  While the support such institutions as the “Morning Post” and House of Lords gave Dyer has been seen as an accurate interpretation of public opinion, it should be remembered that the British Labour Party, Winston Churchill and Herbert Asquith all condemned his actions.

Thus has Midleton College produced such vastly different historical figures.  One, whose moderation and restraint led to his downfall and the ultimate rise of Charles Stewart Parnell, a political giant of the 19th century.  The other, whose immoderateness and lack of restraint led to his downfall and the ultimate rise of Mohandas K. Gandhi, a political giant of the 20th century.
                                        -Osal Kelly
                                           (Form IV)