1870-1922. Irish Sinn Fein politician, author
of the spy novel The Riddle of the Sands
1903. He was executed as a Republican
terrorist. Before turning to Irish politics,
Childers was a clerk in the House of Commons
in London. In 1921 he was elected to the
Irish Parliament as a supporter of the Sinn
Fein leader de Valera, and took up arms
against the Irish Free State 1922. Shortly
afterwards he was captured, court-martialled,
and shot by the Irish Free State government
of William T Cosgrave.