Darrell Figgis and the General Election of June 1922

On the night of of June 12th, 1922 Millie Figgis answered the door of her at her and her husband Darrell’s apartment on Kildare Street, Dublin. It was in the led up to the first general election of the new Irish State, which Darrell Figgis was running in as an independent candidate. He was also pro-Treaty, urging other candidates especially non Sinn Fein members, whom he had fallen out with earlier in the year to follow suit. His change of course enraged some republicans, who thought he had betrayed them.

When Millie opened the door a party of three men pushed roughly past her, setting upon her husband…

“Certainly. It has made me, if possible, all the more determined.” was his reply to a reporter, who asked if he intended to proceed with his election campaign after the traumatic incident. All in all the publicity around his bearding, garnered much public support, and played no small part in helping him obtaining over 15,000 votes. He won a seat in the constituency of South County Dublin as an independent candidate.

Darrell Figgis, noted for his vanity, both physical and intellectually, perhaps with good reason too, it was a huge slight on him to have it cut off, but he bore it with good grace and dignity. Even his ‘enemies’ could not believe his composure, after the assault. Within weeks his beard was restored to its original splendor, enough to merit a short report in the Daily Mirror.

Daily Mirror 31 August 1922

Sources

Londonderry Sentinel 15 June 1922

https://www.dib.ie/biography/figgis-darrell-a3078, by William Murphy

Sunday Mirror 18 June 1922

https://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=1230

BMH.WS1770

Daily Mirror 31 August 1922