Sinn Fein is Gaelic for "We ourselves or Ourselves Alone"
P. A. McHugh was a firebrand in Irish politics. He, as the publisher of the Sligo Champion was against Sinn Fein when it first started. He was in jail for as he put it, printing the truth about the land laws in North Leitrim. Bernard McTiernan, son of Owen McTiernan from Sheskin was his chief lieutenant at the Sligo Champion newspaper.
He opposed Charles P. Dolan in his reelection campaign with all the political fevor in 1908. Fist fights at the political rallys were common.
Captain McTernan who won the Kilmactraney division elections c. 1898 was described by the Sligo Champion as a "castle hack". The Sligo Champion was described as a leading source of mischief in Sligo and surrounding Counties. Later on McHugh was found bankrupt and the court took possession of his home and office. This was serious as it prevented him from sitting in the House of Commons. During this time his manager Bernard McTernan published the newspaper for several months under the new title, The Sligo Nationalist.
Charles Dolan was the successor to P.
A. McHugh for North Leitrim.
New info on PA's unmarked grave. https://www.leitrimobserver.ie/news/home/893992/gofundme-campaign-to-honour-patriot-and-scholar-pa-mchugh.html
There is more on the exploits of this early Leatrim hero, P. A. McHugh.
Last updated Jan 1, 2000