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Call for Carrickfergus-born Sean Lester to be honoured | Call for Carrickfergus-born Sean Lester to be honoured |
(2 days later) | |
A Carrickfergus-born diplomat who opposed the Nazis in the 1930s should be honoured, according to a historian and author. | A Carrickfergus-born diplomat who opposed the Nazis in the 1930s should be honoured, according to a historian and author. |
Dr Paul McNamara said Sean Lester, who was the last secretary general of the League of Nations, has been overlooked and his contribution to history has been forgotten. | Dr Paul McNamara said Sean Lester, who was the last secretary general of the League of Nations, has been overlooked and his contribution to history has been forgotten. |
Mr Lester, who was born in 1888, worked as a journalist in Bangor, County Down, and Portadown, County Armagh, before he began an illustrious diplomatic career first with the Irish government and then the League of Nations. | Mr Lester, who was born in 1888, worked as a journalist in Bangor, County Down, and Portadown, County Armagh, before he began an illustrious diplomatic career first with the Irish government and then the League of Nations. |
He was high commissioner in the Baltic port of Danzig and incurred the wrath of German dictator Adolf Hitler as the Nazis tried to seize power across Europe. | He was high commissioner in the Baltic port of Danzig and incurred the wrath of German dictator Adolf Hitler as the Nazis tried to seize power across Europe. |
Dr McNamara said he would like to see a street named after the diplomat or a postage stamp created to mark Sean Lester's life. | Dr McNamara said he would like to see a street named after the diplomat or a postage stamp created to mark Sean Lester's life. |
Speaking in a BBC Radio Ulster documentary A League of His Own, Dr McNamara said the County Antrim diplomat has been ignored. | Speaking in a BBC Radio Ulster documentary A League of His Own, Dr McNamara said the County Antrim diplomat has been ignored. |
"We have a tendency to celebrate some pretty tenuous links with some great events, and here we have a person who's in the cockpit of diplomacy in one of the big trouble spots of Europe in the 1930s," he said. | "We have a tendency to celebrate some pretty tenuous links with some great events, and here we have a person who's in the cockpit of diplomacy in one of the big trouble spots of Europe in the 1930s," he said. |
Fascinating figure | Fascinating figure |
Mr Lester was a fascinating figure. He was from a unionist background and was a pupil at Methodist College in Belfast. | Mr Lester was a fascinating figure. He was from a unionist background and was a pupil at Methodist College in Belfast. |
At an early age he became interested in Irish nationalism and changed his name from John to Sean. He joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood but later rejected the use of violence. | At an early age he became interested in Irish nationalism and changed his name from John to Sean. He joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood but later rejected the use of violence. |
Mr Lester's only surviving daughter, Patricia Kilroy, was with her father in Danzig in the 1930s and she remembers how tense those times were. | Mr Lester's only surviving daughter, Patricia Kilroy, was with her father in Danzig in the 1930s and she remembers how tense those times were. |
The family telephone was bugged, their letters were read and visitors to the building were photographed and often followed. | The family telephone was bugged, their letters were read and visitors to the building were photographed and often followed. |
Yells in the night | Yells in the night |
They were dangerous times. Patricia Kilroy recalled that "even as a child I noticed sometimes there would be yells in the night". | They were dangerous times. Patricia Kilroy recalled that "even as a child I noticed sometimes there would be yells in the night". |
She added that "anybody anti-Nazi had a difficult time". | She added that "anybody anti-Nazi had a difficult time". |
She thinks her father's work with the League Of Nations has largely been forgotten. | She thinks her father's work with the League Of Nations has largely been forgotten. |
Speaking in her Dublin home, she told the BBC, "a man of peace never gets the accolades that a warrior or a fighter gets". | Speaking in her Dublin home, she told the BBC, "a man of peace never gets the accolades that a warrior or a fighter gets". |
During his time in Danzig, Mr Lester opposed Nazi attempts to limit freedom of speech and he criticised moves by Hitler to silence his political opponents. | During his time in Danzig, Mr Lester opposed Nazi attempts to limit freedom of speech and he criticised moves by Hitler to silence his political opponents. |
The diplomat incurred the wrath of Hitler, who called for Mr Lester to be removed by the League of Nations. | The diplomat incurred the wrath of Hitler, who called for Mr Lester to be removed by the League of Nations. |
His grandson John Gageby says his grandfather showed great courage. | His grandson John Gageby says his grandfather showed great courage. |
"He was in the right place at the right time," he said. He added that he was a good negotiator and "a very good human being". | "He was in the right place at the right time," he said. He added that he was a good negotiator and "a very good human being". |
Mr Lester's granddaughter Lucy Kilroy said the Nazis loathed her grandfather. She told the BBC ,"they absolutely hated him" and said he "was the most despised man in Germany". | Mr Lester's granddaughter Lucy Kilroy said the Nazis loathed her grandfather. She told the BBC ,"they absolutely hated him" and said he "was the most despised man in Germany". |
Sean Lester finally left Danzig and spent the war years in Geneva where he was the last secretary-general of the League of Nations before the United Nations was created in 1945. | Sean Lester finally left Danzig and spent the war years in Geneva where he was the last secretary-general of the League of Nations before the United Nations was created in 1945. |
He retired to Ireland where he spent his final years with his family and he enjoyed many hours fishing, which was his favourite past-time. | He retired to Ireland where he spent his final years with his family and he enjoyed many hours fishing, which was his favourite past-time. |
He was once talked about as a future president of Ireland but rejected any idea of running for office. He recorded in his diary at the time that "a non-political president is rather unlikely ". | He was once talked about as a future president of Ireland but rejected any idea of running for office. He recorded in his diary at the time that "a non-political president is rather unlikely ". |
Earlier this year, historian Dr Eamon Phoenix helped the Ulster History Circle unveil a plaque on Belfast's Ormeau Road, where Sean Lester lived as a schoolboy. | Earlier this year, historian Dr Eamon Phoenix helped the Ulster History Circle unveil a plaque on Belfast's Ormeau Road, where Sean Lester lived as a schoolboy. |
Dr Phoenix thinks Sean Lester should be regarded as a major figure. | Dr Phoenix thinks Sean Lester should be regarded as a major figure. |
He told the BBC: "He is the most famous Ulsterman probably to grace the international stage, even though most people in Carrickfergus, where he was born, or Belfast, where he was reared, would hardly know him.". | He told the BBC: "He is the most famous Ulsterman probably to grace the international stage, even though most people in Carrickfergus, where he was born, or Belfast, where he was reared, would hardly know him.". |
Mr Lester died in 1959 three months shy of his 71st birthday. | Mr Lester died in 1959 three months shy of his 71st birthday. |
A League of his Own was first broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster on Sunday 13 October and is repeated on Thursday 17 October at 19:30. It is available on the iPlayer until 20 October. |
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