Eamon Bulfin

Who was Eamon Bulfin?

Eamon Bulfin was an Argentine-born Irish republican. He was the son of writer William Bulfin of Birr, King's County. William Bulfin emigrated to Argentina at the age of 20 and was a writer and journalist who became the editor/proprietor of The Southern Cross.

Eamon Bulfin was a pupil at Patrick Pearse's school, St. Enda's, and subsequently studied at University College, Dublin where he became captain of the Irish Volunteer Company. As one of Pearse's favorite pupils, he assisted with teaching duties after he graduated. He was recruited to the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1913 and along with some fellow St Enda's students created home-made bombs in the school's basement in preparation for the Easter Rising.

In the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin, he raised one of the Irish flags over the General Post Office. Following the failure of the insurrection, he was condemned to death but, because of his Argentinian nationality, was instead deported to Buenos Aires. Prior to his deportation, he was interned in Frongoch prison in Wales along with the other Irish rebels.

He was appointed by the President of the new Republic, Éamon de Valera, as Irish Representative to Argentina. De Valera described Bulfin's job as to “inaugurate direct trade between Ireland and the Argentine Republic… to co-ordinate Irish opinion in the Argentine, and to bring it into the Irish demand for a republic.” While carrying out these duties, Bulfin maintained a close line of communication with Michael Collins back in Ireland.