‘A most public spirited and unselfish man’1: the career and contribution of Colonel Maurice Moore, 1854-1939

Despite his lengthy and varied career, Maurice Moore has faded from history. His has not been a life story repeatedly retold like those of prominent figures during the Irish Revolution or indeed like his older brother, George, the distinguished novelist.2 Though included in the Dictionary of Irish Biography and frequently referred to in the context of the Irish Volunteers, Moore’s activities and interests have not received an in-depth appraisal.3 The present account, which is based on his personal papers, aims to rectify this and to rescue him from relative obscurity. By professional training a soldier, Moore was decorated for his service and rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel of the Connaught Rangers. Yet he was an unconventional army officer. As described in section 1 below, Moore was highly critical of British methods to undermine Boer resolve during the Second South African War; this generated significant public controversy. The efforts by the Boers to achieve independence and the establishment of the Union of South Africa as a dominion in 1910 left a lasting impression on Moore and influenced his thinking on Irish self-government. His familiarity with the country and Jan Smuts were central to Moore’s appointment by Dáil Éireann as secret envoy to South Africa in April