   cathal brugha (; born charles william st. john burgess) (18 july 1874 â 7 july 1922) was an irish revolutionary and politician, active in the easter rising, irish war of independence, and the irish civil war and was the first ceann comhairle (chairman) of dÃ¡il Ãireann. ==background== brugha was born in dublin of mixed roman catholic and protestant parentage. his father, thomas, was a cabinet maker and antique dealer who had been disinherited by his family for marrying a catholic. he was the tenth of fourteen children and was educated at the jesuit belvedere college, but was forced to leave at the age of sixteen due to the failure of his father's business. he went on to set up a church candle manufacturing firm with two brothers, anthony and vincent lalor, and took on the role of travelling salesman. ==political activity== in 1899 brugha joined the gaelic league and changed his name from charles burgess to cathal brugha. he met his future wife, kathleen kingston, at an irish class in birr, county offaly and they married in 1912. they had six children, five girls and one boy. brugha became actively involved in the irish republican brotherhood (irb) an
1874_births 1922_deaths Brugha_family Burials_at_Glasnevin_Cemetery Early_Sinn_FA(c)in_politicians Heads_of_Irish_provisional_governments Irish_Republican_Army_(1917a22)_members Irish_Republican_Army_(1922a69)_members Members_of_the_1st_DA!il Members_of_the_2nd_DA!il Members_of_the_3rd_DA!il Members_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom_for_Irish_constituencies_(1801a1922) Ministers_for_Defence_(Ireland) People_educated_at_Belvedere_College People_of_the_Irish_Civil_War Politicians_from_County_Dublin Presiding_officers_of_DA!il_Aireann TeachtaA_DA!la UK_MPs_1918a22