Sean Hurley
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Sean Hurley (1897-1961) was an Irish Sinologist who spent the years 1905 to 1915 in China and the first Irish man to obtain a Chinese passport.
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[edit] Early years
Sean Hurley was born in 1897 in Durrus, West Cork.
[edit] China
He started to travel in his teens then in 1905 he started with the British Customs Service in Shanghai and travelled around China until 1915. He was one of the few westerners to venture into the Sino-Russian war zone. He learned Chinese and helped to train activists loyal to Sun Yat-sen seeking radical change to the then corrupt regime. Sun Yat-sen came to power in 1912 and honoured Sean Hurley with gifts and a Chinese Passport.
[edit] Return to Ireland
He returned to Ireland in 1915 and was a close friend of Michael Collins. He opened two photographic studios in Dublin and later produced a film 'Land of her Fathers' involving many Abbey actors. It was described at the time as the most ambitious Irish film made to date. He was later involved in establishing Aer Lingus and what was to become the IDA. He died in 1961.
[edit] Reference
- Irish Times, Hugh Oram, Irishman's Diary, 20 August 2005
