  denis mccullough (24 january 1883 â 11 september 1968) was a prominent irish nationalist political activist in the early 20th century. ==early career â irb activist== born in belfast, ireland, mccullough was a separatist nationalist from an early age. when he was 17, his father had him inducted into the irish republican brotherhood (irb) at the side door of a pub by a man who seemed to view the ritual as an unpleasant distraction to a night of drinking.f.s.l. lyons. ireland since the famine, fontana publishing, 1973; oclc 800472120, 2 volumes (880 pages), p. 315 the event disillusioned mccullough with the irb, and he took it upon himself to revitalise the organization, with assistance from, among others, bulmer hobson and seÃ¡n mac diarmada. the trio founded the dungannon clubs as a non-sectarian, republican, separatist organization, which was later absorbed into sinn fÃ©in, for recruitment. they worked to remove "armchair republicans" from positions of power. their cause prospered with the return of veteran fenian tom clarke to ireland in 1907.  ==president of irb and easter rising== mccullough was elected to fill the vacant seat of the president of the irb late in 1915, a position he held during the easter rising of 1916, though he took no active role in the rising itself. he was not a member of the military committee that was responsible for its planning. it is likely that the other members of the three man irb executive, clarke and macdermott (the treasurer and secretary) supported his nomination as president because, as he was isolated in belfast, he would be in no position to interfere with their plans. nevertheless, during holy week he got word of what was afoot and travelled to dublin to question clarke and macdermott, who avoided him as long as they could. eventually they informed him of their plans, which he came to support.f. x. martin. the scholar revolutionary: eoin macneill, 1867-1945, and the making of the new ireland. irish university press (new edition; june 1973) by f.x martin and f.j. byrne, p. 106; isbn 0716505770/isbn 978-0716505778 although mccullough was an officer of the irish volunteers, in charge of 200 men in belfast, it was decided that belfast would not take part in the rising, given that the dominance of the ulster volunteers in the northeast could lead to sectarian civil war.robert lynch, the northern ira and the early years of partition, pp 13-14 mccullough led volunteers in his area to dungannon, county tyrone, from where they would link up with liam mellows in connacht. although the volunteer's chief of staff eoin macneill issued a countermanding order, cancelling orders for the rising, mccullough took 150 volunteers and cumman na mban by train from belfast to dungannon, whe
1883_births 1968_deaths Cumann_na_nGaedheal_politicians Members_of_the_4th_DA!il Members_of_the_Irish_Republican_Brotherhood People_from_Belfast TeachtaA_DA!la