'Old Bags' - A climbing senator

 John Philip Bagwell, (‘Jack’) (1874–1946), railway executive and politician, was born 11 August 1874, only son of the historian Richard Bagwell, of Marlfield, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, and Harriet Bagwell (née Newton) of Co. Carlow. He was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Oxford.

Wikipedia (2010)

Bagwell in 1922 (Wikipedia)

After Oxford, he joined the Midland Railway (England), where he served as an assistant superintendent of line (1905–9). He then returned to Ireland and served as superintendent of passenger services (1910–11) and general manager of the Great Northern Railway (1911–26).

Le Brévant and Aiguille de la Gliere were his first Alpine forays with the guide Joseph Devouassey, when he was about 19 years old (1892).  His interest in climbing may have been inspired by his familiarity with the Comeragh Mountains of which, it was later claimed, he knew every inch.

In 1899, with the same mountain guide, he traveled to Western Canada and climbed Cheops and Eagle Peak in the Selkirks.

In 1922 he was one of W. T. Cosgrave's nominees to the senate, where he courageously served till its abolition in 1936, being reelected in November 1928 and November 1934 and it was that year that he returned to Alpine climbing (Aig du Moine; Aig des Petit Charmoz).

The following year (1923), because of his position as Senator in the Free State Government there was an arson attack on his home at Marlfield and he was kidnapped by anti-treaty forces in Howth and was incarcerated in a house in rural Co Meath.  After making his excape, he later claimed,  that it was his fitness that allowed him to race across the countryside before getting a lift by car back to safety in Dublin. The Press Association said: President Cosgrave paid a visit to Senator Bagwell at the Kildare street Club, Dublin, last evening and said that Mr. Bagwell appeared to be nothing the worse for his adventure and it added that Senator Bagwell crossed from Ireland last night, and will rest in the South of England.

This seems not to have affected his climbing for in that year he made a number of Alpine ascents, including Mt Blanc (Aigs de l'M, Petit Charmoz, Grand Charmoz, La Floriaz). The folowing three seasons saw him revisiting the Alps where he climbed numerous routes with the guides Camille and Benoit Couttet, including Mt Blanc for a second time.

In 1926 he was elected a member of the Alpine Club being proposed by W.T Kirkpatrick who was a friend.  Another friend was FS Smythe who stayed with him at Marlfield and walked with him over his favourite Comeragh Mountains.. His climbing record after that remains to be discovered.