Sean MacBride (1904-1988), who began his career with forerunners of the Irish Republican Army, later earned fame as a diplomat who worked 70 years for peace. His efforts focused on working toward a united Ireland, nuclear disarmament, and human rights.

Sean MacBride was born in Paris to Irish exile parents on January 26, 1904. His father was Major John MacBride, who fought against the British in South Africa's Boer War of 1899-1902, struggling to free the country from British colonialism. MacBride grew up among his parents' intellectual friends until returning to Ireland in 1916, shortly after his father was executed by the British. Both were leaders of the 1916 Easter Uprising in Dublin, a week-long battle sparked on Easter Monday, in which Irish rebels hoped to defeat British troops to establish home rule for Ireland.

MacBride's mother was Maud Gonne, the daughter of a British army colonel. Gonne was a "beautiful Irish actress...