James Lysaght Finegan or Finigan (1844–8 September 1900) was an Irish barrister, soldier, merchant and politician. He was educated by the

Congregation of Christian Brothers The Congregation of Christian Brothers (; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice, Edmund Rice. Their first school opened in Waterford, Ireland in 1802. At the time of its ...

and described as an " Anti-clericalist", and with his family engaged in the tea trade, while supporting the

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

cause. In 1867 a nationalist called Michael Breslin was forced to leave Ireland, and only avoided arrest thanks to documents given to him by Finegan certifying him as a tea trader.''The Life Story of an Old Rebel''; John Denvir
/ref> Finegan later served in the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...

during the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

, leaving in 1871 at the conclusion of the war. In the 1879 by-election in

Ennis Ennis ( , meaning 'island' or 'river meadow') is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in Cou ...

he was proposed as an alternative candidate to that of the

Home Rule League The Home Rule League (1873–1882), sometimes called the Home Rule Party, was an Irish political party which campaigned for home rule for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, until it was replaced by the Irish Parliam ...

Charles Stewart Parnell Charles Stewart Parnell (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom from 1875 to 1891, Leader of the Home Rule Leag ...

; he won by only six votes,Parnell in Perspective
/ref> out of 247 electors. His service in parliament was brief; he

resigned Resignation is the formal act of relinquishing or vacating one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or ...

in 1882.

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* 1900 deaths 19th-century Irish people Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Clare constituencies (1801–1922) Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion UK MPs 1874–1880 UK MPs 1880–1885 Irish expatriates in France Barristers from Northern Ireland Military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War Irish soldiers in the French Army 1844 births {{Ireland-UK-MP-stub