John Hooper (Irish politician)

John Hooper
Member of Parliament
In office
December 1885 – June 1889
ConstituencySouth East Cork
Personal details
Born1846 (1846)
Millstreet, County Cork, Ireland
Died23 November 1897(1897-11-23) (aged 50–51)
Dublin, Ireland
Political partyIrish Parliamentary Party
Spouse
Mary Jane Buckley
​
(m. 1870)​
Children10, including Patrick and William

John Hooper (1846 – 23 November 1897) was an Irish nationalist journalist, politician and MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party represented South-East Cork from 1885 to 1889.

He began his career on the Cork Herald, and later joined the staff of the Freeman's Journal, serving as its Parliamentary correspondent for a considerable time. He entered parliament in 1885 under the auspices of Charles Stewart Parnell. He was a member of Cork City Council from 1883 to 1890.[1]

In December 1887, he was imprisoned in Tullamore prison, along with Timothy Daniel Sullivan for publishing reports of suppressed branches of the Irish National League.[2] He remained in parliament until he retired from politics in 1889.[3] At the time of his death he was editor of Dublin's Evening Telegraph.

He is mentioned in James Joyce's Ulysses when a matrimonial gift of a stuffed owl given by "Alderman Hooper" is described along with a number of items sitting on a mantelpiece.[4]

Two of his sons, William and Richard won International soccer caps[clarification needed] for Ireland. Another of his sons, John, was the first Director of Statistics in the Irish Free State.[5] His eldest son Patrick Hooper, edited the Freeman's Journal. and served as a senator.[1] Hooper is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.

  1. ^ a b Larkin, Felix M. "Hooper, John". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  2. ^ Mandeville, Mary. "A narrative of my husband's treatment at Tullamore, as stated by him to me on his return". (Geary, Lawrence M., ed.) Cork Hist. & Arch. Jn. xciii, no.252 (1988), pp 93-103. "Mary Mandeville, "A narrative of my husband's treatment at Tullamore, as stated by him to me on his return"". Archived from the original on 14 August 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  3. ^ Fitzpatrick, William J. History of the Dublin Catholic Cemeteries, Dublin:1900, ch. XIX.
  4. ^ Ulysses, Chap. 6
  5. ^ "Historical Perspective". cso.ie. Archived from the original on 7 March 2005.