O'Brien, William (1852–1928)

Irish journalist and nationalist, born in Mallow, County Cork. In 1880 O'Brien established the journal United Ireland to popularize the aims of Charles Stewart Parnell and the Land League. He was a leader of the Plan of Campaign (1886–91), a nationalist proposal to address tenant eviction and distress, and in 1898 he founded the United Irish League. O'Brien took the anti-Parnellite side in the split in the Irish Parliamentary Party, following Parnell's citation in the O'Shea divorce case. A leader of the tenant side in the Dunraven Land Conference (1902–03), he directed his influence towards the conciliation policy which looked for the union of Irishmen of all creeds and classes.

O'Brien was repeatedly imprisoned under the Crimes Act in connection with the National League and Tenants' Defence League 1887–91. In the Westminster Parliament he represented South Tyrone 1885–86, Northeast Cork 1887–92, Cork City and Northeast Cork 1892, and Cork City 1910–18, when he and his friends stood aside in favour of Sinn Fein.