author
T. P. (Thomas Power) O'Connor
1848–1929
A lively Irish journalist turned parliamentarian, he spent nearly half a century in the House of Commons while championing Irish causes and shaping popular journalism in London. Known to readers simply as T. P., he mixed political influence with a reporter’s eye for character and drama.
1 Audiobook
Sketches in the House: The Story of a Memorable Session (1893)
by T. P. (Thomas Power) O'Connor
About the author
Born in Athlone in 1848, Thomas Power O'Connor began his career in journalism in Dublin before moving to London in 1870. There he worked for major newspapers including the Daily Telegraph and built a reputation as a sharp, energetic writer with a gift for political commentary.
O'Connor became one of the best-known Irish nationalist voices at Westminster. He was elected to Parliament in 1880 and went on to serve continuously for almost fifty years, first for Galway and then for the Scotland division of Liverpool. His long career made him a remarkable link between journalism and politics, and he was widely associated with the cause of Irish self-government.
He also remained deeply involved in the press, founding and editing newspapers and magazines and writing books and memoirs. By the time of his death in London in 1929, he was remembered not only as a politician but as one of the most recognizable figures in British and Irish public life.