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Francis (Frank) Cahill (Proinsias Ó Cathail; c.1882 – 19 October 1957) was an Irish nationalist, teacher and politician. Prominently associated with the Gaelic League, The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and the Irish-Ireland movement. A teacher by profession Frank taught for 50 years in St Laurence O'Toole C.B.S Seville place,Dublin.

A close friend of Arthur Griffith and Sean O'Casey as well as the leaders of the Easter rising Tom Clarke and Seán Mac Diarmada Frank was dedicated to the cause of Irish freedom and Gaelic revival.

In 1901 he founded the St. Laurence O'Toole Gaelic Athletic Club and would go on in 1910 to form the St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band and drama group with Sean O'Casey.

In 1928 he led the way in setting up Primary Schools' GAA to promote Gaelic culture (now called Cumann na mBunscol)

Having been an Aldermann (Sinn Féin) for the Dublin corporation for several years he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North constituency at the 1923 general election. He resigned his seat on 30 October 1924 along with several other members of the Dáil to form the National Party.In 1925 he was nominated for the Seanad.

Early life and Teaching
Born in Seville Place, Dublin in 1882 he was to become involved with the Gaelic League and Gaelic culture through sport, politics, music and drama.

Cahill began Teaching in the St Laurence O'Toole CBS aged 15 and was to go on teaching for 50 years. He remained on in the school after teaching working in the school stationary shop.

St. Laurence O'Toole Gaelic football Club
In 1901 the O'Tooles Gaelic football club was formed in the parochial school Gaelic League class in the Seville place district of Dublin. Frank like the other founders were active Gaelic Leaguers and football lovers. Having formed as a Football club O'Tooles first won fame as a hurling team winning their first competition in 1905. In 1909 they played in the senior football league for the first time.

There was also a circle of the I.R.B attached to the club with a great many members being active from the earliest days

The Club was connected to two of the most historic episodes in Irish history. On Easter Sunday, April 23rd 1916 for the first time since their foundation a game that was scheduled against Parnell's in the DSFL didn't go ahead due to the number of those taking part in the Easter Rising. Indeed it was said that few clubs could boast of turning out such a number of fighting men from 1916 to 1922. Four Years later in 1920 the club were to feature again in a dramatic situation; O'Toole players whilst playing for Dublin in a challenge game against tipperary were fired upon in what became known as Bloody Sunday. A number of supporters were from the Parish and a number swam back to Seville place along the Canal to escape the panic in Croke Parc.

St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band
In 1910 a meeting was organised by the St. Laurence O'Toole Gaelic Club in the CBS school. Frank Cahill was the main mover in forming the band. Amongst those present at the meeting were Irish republicans Pádraig Pearse, Thomas Clarke, Sean McDermott, Arthur Griffith, Douglas Hyde (later to become the first President of Ireland), and the Irish playwright Seán O'Casey. The band clashed with police at a rally during the Dublin Lock-out of 1913, when leading a group of protesters to Liberty Hall and during the Irish War of Independence the band headquarters were attacked on several occasions by the army. The band ceased any political affiliation after the Irish Civil War, which ended in 1923.

Frank himself was known to play both the fiddle and tin whistle at IRB and Gaelic League meet ups.

St. Laurence O'Toole Drama Club
The Drama club was co founded with Sean O'Casey whom Frank had brought into the club having previously been a member of the Drumcondra Gaelic league Branch. Although two years his younger Frank was a mentor to O'Casey and the two were to become close friends often walking the streets of Dublin for hours on end. It was Frank who convinced O'Casey that he could write a great play and often defended him against the younger members of the Club convincing him not to give up.

In Subsequent years they were to have a falling out initially due to a play written by O'Casey - The Frost in the Flowers which satarised Frank when having refused a better teaching post offered to him and then later over differing politics during the Civil war..

Friendship with Sean O'Casey
In 1906 Frank introduced Sean O'Casey into the club having been a member of the Drumcondra Gaelic league branch. O'Casey was better suited to a working class League association and become close friends with Frank. They shared similar interests in the early years Irish nationalism and love for Gaelic culture.

In the years following the rising O'Casey spent the next five years writing plays. One of them, The Frost in the Flower, was commissioned by the Saint Laurence O'Toole Club in (1918/1920).

Nationalist Politics
A close friend and co worker of Arthur Griffith from the small beginning of Sinn Fein, Frank became involved in national politics and republicanism. Among his friends were Tom Clarke and Sean MacDiarmada and was a constant visitor to the offices of "Irish Freedom" in findlater place. It is believed that had it not been for a lame leg(he walked with a cane) Frank would have joined his friends in the Easter rising of 1916.

For more than half a century Frank was in the foreground of every step forward in the Irish-Ireland movement and was a member of the Parish Gaelic League branch from which sprung the St Laurence O'Toole club.

A Sinn Fein Alderman in the Dublin corporation for several years he represented those in the North Dock and North City wards. In the 1920' as an Aldermann, Frank was instrumental in the development of Fairview Park Originally a tidal mud flat which was used for land fill in the early 1900s. Frank ensured the park was developed and that Gaelic pitches were established.

He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North constituency at the 1923 general election.He resigned his seat on 30 October 1924 along with several other members who broke away to form the National party under Joseph McGrath. The group resigned due to the handling of the Irish Army munity and the slow progress being made in establishing the Treaty parties policies. The subsequent by-election on 11 March 1925 was won by Patrick Leonard of Cumann na nGaedheal..

In 1925 he was nominated for Seanad Éireann as a Pro-Cumann na nGaedheal candidate but was unsuccefull.

Cahill was also heavily involved in the "uplift of labour" in Dublin port being in regular contact with James Connolly,seamus McGowan and Pat Farrell of the "Irish Workers" paper. Throughout his life Frank was involved in the community.

The GAA
The idea of founding a Primary Schools' League to promote Gaelic culture was formalised at 100 Seville Place in St Laurence O’Toole’s parish around Easter 1928. Informal inter-school competition had been going on for many years previously. Teachers who had discussed the idea over tea, chat and tin-whistle playing in the home of Frank Cahill.

A delegation was led to GAA headquarters by Frank to promote Gaelic culture.

Upon His retirement from teaching a testimonial was held in Croke park between Meath and Louth in honor of Frank's achievements within GAA and the promotion of the National sport. Upon his death a memorial committee was setup and a Primary schools cup competition was named after him - The Frank Cahill Cup.

Death
Frank passed away on the 19th October 1957, He was affectionately known as the "father of the parish" and the man responsible for making the parish one of the most Gaelic in the country.

A few years after his death a plaque and statue of our lady of Lourdes was erected on the Church of St Laurence O'Toole.