Leader of Sinn Féin joined opposing sides with De Valera leading the Anti-Treaty faction, while Griffith joined the Pro-Treaty faction, which later became Cumann na nGaedheal. De Valera’ successor John J. O'Kelly was one of four leaders who served for brief periods of time as Sinn Féin’s party membership declined in favour of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. In 1937, Margaret Buckley became the first female President of Sinn Féin. During her thirteen years as leader, she vastly improved the relations between the IRA and the party. She was succeeded by Paddy McLogan and Tomás Ó Dubhghaill who both helped rebuild party support in
William Bulfin Cross", and shortly afterwards he was both proprietor and editor of that paper. The sketches he wrote were published in "The Southern Cross" and also, due to his friendship with Arthur Griffith, in the "United Irishman" and "Sinn Féin". Eventually they reached the "New York Daily News". They were published in book form in 1907 by Gill. In 1902 he wrote "Rambles In Eirinn", a well-regarded account of his travels around Ireland by bicycle on his return to his homeland. He became ill during a visit to the United States fundraising with The O'Rahilly for Arthur Griffith's newspaper "Sinn Fein".