Alasdair Mac Cába, Pro-Treaty Nationalist, Is Born in Ballymote, Co. Sligo

Alasdair Mac Cába, pro-Treaty nationalist, politician, and founder of the Educational Building Society (EBS), is born in Ballymote, Co. Sligo.

A committed nationalist, Mac Cába supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, aligning himself with the emerging Free State. In addition to his political contributions during the turbulent early years of Irish independence, he played a vital role in promoting home ownership and financial self-sufficiency for Irish citizens. In 1935, he founded the Educational Building Society to help Irish teachers and working families access affordable mortgages—an institution that would grow into one of the country’s most important mutual financial organizations. Mac Cába’s legacy combines political engagement with lasting social and economic impact.