Born in 1884 in Leitrim, MacDiarmada emigrated to Glasgow in 1900, and from there to Belfast in 1902. A member of the Gaelic League, he was acquainted with Bulmer Hobson. He joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1906 while still in Belfast, later transferring to Dublin in 1908 where he assumed managerial responsibility for the IRB newspaper Irish Freedom in 1910.
Although MacDiarmada was afflicted with polio in 1912, he was appointed as a member of the provisional committee of Irish Volunteers from 1913, and was subsequently drafted onto the military committee of the IRB in 1915. During the Rising MacDiarmada served in the GPO. He was executed on 12 May 1916.
Founding member of Cumann na mBan, in this video Min Ryan describes meeting Seán MacDiarmada for the first time in 1905-1906 and also her final meeting with him in his Kilmainham cell.
Video courtesy of RTÉ.
Rugadh Mac Diarmada i Liatroim i 1884, chuaigh sé ar imirce go Glaschú i 1900, agus as sin chuaigh sé go Béal Feirste i 1902. Bhí sé ina bhall de Chonradh na Gaeilge, agus bhí aithne aige ar Bulmer Hobson. Chuaigh sé isteach i mBráithreachas Phoblacht na hÉireann i 1906 agus bhí sé fós i mBéal Feirste ag an am, agus chuaigh sé go Baile Átha Cliath i 1908 áit ar ghlac sé freagracht as bainistiú nuachtán IRB Irish Freedom i 1910.
Cé gur buaileadh Mac Diarmada síos le póilió i 1912, ceapadh é mar bhall de choiste sealadach Óglaigh na hÉireann ó 1913, agus cuireadh é ina dhiaidh sin ar choiste míleata an IRB i 1915. Bhí Mac Diarmada ag troid in Ard-Oifig an Phoist le linn an Éirí Amach. Cuireadh chun báis é an 12 Bealtaine 1916.
San fhíseán seo, déanann Min Ryan, ball bunaithe Chumann na mBan, cur síos ar an gcéad lá ar bhuail sí le Seán Mac Diarmada i 1905-1906 agus ar an lá a bhfaca sí den uair dheireanach é ina chillín i gCill Mhaighneann.
Físeán a bhuíochas le RTÉ.
