62-847: The 5th government of Ireland (18 February 1948 – 13 June 1951), commonly known as the First inter-party government , was formed after the 1948 general election held to the 13th Dáil on 4 February. It was an Irish government of Fine Gael , the Labour Party , Clann na Poblachta , Clann na Talmhan and the National Labour Party —and one TD who was an independent , James Dillon (who had resigned from Fine Gael after opposing Ireland's neutrality in World War II ). The parties had many different aims and viewpoints, but opposition to Fianna Fáil overcame difficulties in forming
124-641: A papal dispensation to do so. A chemist and public analyst, she was forty-three when they married. She lost her first child and was unable to have any more. One of Mary Kate and Phyllis's brothers was the Fianna Fáil Minister James Ryan , while another sister, Josephine Ryan , was married to the Fine Gael leader General Richard Mulcahy . Note that the boundaries of Dublin North from 1981–2016 share no common territory with
186-660: A close friend of O'Kelly) led to all party agreement, on the opposition Fine Gael 's suggestion, that the office go to Douglas Hyde , a Protestant, as an appreciation for his contribution to Irish society. An Irish language enthusiast, Hyde had founded the Conradh na Gaeilge , known in English as the Gaelic League, a cultural organisation promoting the preservation of the Irish language , music, dancing and traditions. O'Kelly
248-687: A controversial reputation over his key role in attempts to publicly humiliate the then Governor-General of the Irish Free State , James McNeill . Stunts such as withdrawing the Irish Army's band from playing at diplomatic functions which the Governor-General attended, or in one notorious case the sight of O'Kelly and Defense Minister Frank Aiken storming out of a diplomatic function at the French Legation when McNeill,
310-584: A full head of state. Prior to 18 April 1949, King George VI was Ireland's head of state as the last King of Ireland . O'Kelly was reelected on 25 June 1952, this time unopposed. During his second term, he visited many nations in Europe and addressed the United States Congress in 1959. He retired at the end of his second term in 1959, to be replaced by his old mentor and former Taoiseach , Éamon de Valera. O'Kelly did not refer any Bills to
372-661: A government; Éamon de Valera had led a series of single-party Fianna Fáil governments since 1932. The cabinet was made up of representatives of all parties, and ministers were given a great degree of independence. Some key events during the lifetime of the government include the declaration of the Republic of Ireland in 1948 and the crisis surrounding the Mother and Child Scheme in 1951. It lasted for 1,212 days. Fianna Fáil had been in office continuously since 1932, with Éamon de Valera as head of government (titled as President of
434-458: A lot, and often, yet his behaviour remained dignified and above reproach and he never caused any scandal. The author, Monsignor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta , reported that President O'Kelly kept barrels of draught Guinness stout on tap in Áras an Uachtaráin . O'Kelly was a short man with a tall second wife. When attending a football match once in Croke Park , he was on the field to throw in
496-513: A period of distrust between Ireland and the United States, following World War II . Both Ireland and America had been neutral countries when the war began, but the US joined the conflict in 1941. But Ireland continued to remain neutral, which annoyed American politicians during the war, and afterwards. The invitation to President O'Kelly to address Congress meant that Ireland had been forgiven by
558-739: A political structure free from Britain. After the Easter Rising in 1916, O'Kelly was gaoled, released, and re-arrested. He was sent to Reading Gaol, and then escaped from detention in HM Prison Eastwood Park in Britain , and returned to Ireland. "Sinn Fein became a cloak for Volunteer meetings" Sinn Féin won a landslide victory. O'Kelly was elected a Sinn Féin Member of Parliament (MP) for Dublin College Green , in
620-789: A rising in Dublin by the IRB. It was during the Easter Rising that O'Kelly met Mary Ryan. She was arrested on 18 May 1916, with her sister Nell for unspecified offences to be incarcerated in Mountjoy Prison . Historians have argued that she may have been confused with her sister, Min Ryan. Kit, as Mary Ryan was known, was Professor of French at University College Dublin . She shared her house with her sisters at 19 Ranelagh Road, Dublin, which O'Kelly visited. They were married in 1918. O'Kelly
682-414: A shared dislike of Fianna Fáil and de Valera overcame all other difficulties to knock Fianna Fáil from power for the first time in 16 years. As the largest party in the coalition, it was a foregone conclusion that Fine Gael would provide the nominee for Taoiseach . However, republicans such as Seán MacBride refused to serve under Fine Gael leader, Richard Mulcahy , the man who had been the commander of
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#1732773132181744-604: A significant role in building up support for the new party before the June 1927 general election . In 1932, when de Valera, having won that year's general election , was appointed President of the Executive Council (Prime Minister of the Irish Free State), O'Kelly was appointed as vice-president of the Executive Council (deputy prime minister). He was also named Minister for Local Government. O'Kelly earned
806-623: A small dual-monarchist, capitalist party, immediately at its inception in 1905, as one of its founders. He became a joint-honorary secretary of the movement from 1908, remaining in the post until 1925. In 1906, he was elected to Dublin Corporation , and retained the seat for the Inns Quay Ward until 1924. One acolyte campaigner was Thomas Kelly , who joined him in pressing the government for improved municipal drainage schemes for Dublin's slums . Like Father Michael O'Flanagan , O'Kelly
868-562: Is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery , Dublin. In 1918, O'Kelly married Mary Kate, known as Kit, the daughter of John Ryan, a farmer of Tomcoole, near Taghmon , County Wexford . Kit was an assistant professor of modern languages at the National University. They remained married until her death in 1934, aged 55. They had no children. In 1936, O'Kelly married his late wife's younger sister, Phyllis Ryan , after gaining
930-674: The 13th Dáil was held on Wednesday, 4 February following the dissolution of the 12th Dáil on 12 January 1948 by the President Seán T. O'Kelly on the request of Taoiseach Éamon de Valera . The general election took place in 40 constituencies throughout Ireland for 147 seats in Dáil Éireann , the house of representatives of the Oireachtas . A revision of Dáil constituencies under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947 had increased
992-751: The 1918 general election . In his role as Secretary, O'Kelly was tasked with preparing the Sinn Féin Executive Council for the Dáil Éireann Constituent Assembly, which had been agreed at the party Ard Fheis in October 1918. Along with other Sinn Féin MPs, he refused to take his seat in the UK House of Commons in London . Instead, they set up an Irish Parliament, called Dáil Éireann, in Dublin. O'Kelly served as Ceann Comhairle (chairperson) of
1054-623: The British Commonwealth and the declaration of the Republic of Ireland , which came into effect on 18 April 1949 under The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 . The general election of 1948 was called by the Taoiseach Éamon de Valera , in the hope of stopping the rise of a new party, Clann na Poblachta . In 1947 the rapid rise of Clann na Poblachta threatened the position of Fianna Fáil . The government of Éamon de Valera introduced
1116-561: The Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947 which increased the size of the Dáil from 138 to 147 and increased the number of three-seat constituencies from fifteen to twenty-two. The result was described by historian Tim Pat Coogan as "a blatant attempt at gerrymander which no Six County Unionist could have bettered." Other issues were raised on the campaign that the parties had not foreseen. Fianna Fáil had enjoyed an uninterrupted sixteen years of dominance in government. Many people believed that
1178-668: The First Dáil . O'Kelly published the Democratic Programme, which he himself had edited. It appealed to a wider mission statement for independence and separatism, which was not sanctioned by the electorate. In fact, it was a skeleton document borrowed on the back of Pearse's martyrdom, written in the late leader's style, from the Labour leader Thomas Johnson . O'Kelly's approach to US President Woodrow Wilson to visit Dublin in 1919 on his way to Versailles , France ,
1240-532: The Irish Free State in the early 1920s during the Irish Civil War . Accordingly, Mulcahy bowed out in favour of former Attorney General John A. Costello . Costello found himself as leader of a disparate group of young and old politicians, republicans and Free Staters, conservatives and socialists. The government survived for three years, however, through the skill of Costello as Taoiseach and
1302-421: The Labour Party became Tánaiste and Minister for Social Welfare. On paper, this new coalition government looked weak and seemed unlikely to last. It consisted of a patchwork collection of political parties. There were young and old politicians, republicans and Free Staters, conservatives and socialists. The government's survival depended on a united dislike of Fianna Fáil, the skill of Costello as Taoiseach and
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#17327731321811364-474: The National Army during the civil war . Since the other parties would have been 17 seats short of a majority (and indeed, would have been 11 seats behind Fianna Fáil) without MacBride, Mulcahy stepped aside in favour of John A. Costello , a relatively unknown politician and former Attorney General . Mulcahy, who remained leader of Fine Gael, became Minister for Education. William Norton , the leader of
1426-492: The Paris Peace Conference . While this request to Clemenceau was sincere, it naively ignored the fact that France and Britain had been allied for the previous four years. O'Kelly was followed to Paris as envoy by the eminently better-qualified George Gavan Duffy , who was from a titled family of barristers and diplomats. In 1920, O'Kelly relocated to Italy , where he met with Pope Benedict XV , briefing
1488-891: The Parliamentary Secretaries on the nomination of the Taoiseach. The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 was enacted on 21 December 1948. It repealed the Executive Authority (External Relations) Act 1936 , removing any remaining external function of the British monarchy in Ireland. It also declared that the description of the state was the Republic of Ireland . The Act came into operation on Easter Monday , 18 April 1949. 1948 Irish general election Éamon de Valera Fianna Fáil John A. Costello Fine Gael The 1948 Irish general election to
1550-650: The Supreme Court , under Article 26 of the Constitution of Ireland while he was in office. He convened a meeting of the Council of State in 1947, to consider whether Part III of the Health Bill, 1947 – which provided the basis for the Mother and Child Scheme – should be referred, but he decided against doing so. He dissolved the Dáil on four occasions (in 1948, 1951, 1954 and 1957). On each occasion,
1612-434: The Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1932 to 1937 and as Tánaiste from 1937 to 1945), Minister for Local Government and Public Health from 1932 to 1939, Minister for Finance from 1939 to 1945 and Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 1919 to 1921. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1918 to 1945. O'Kelly was born in inner-city Dublin , although his exact place of birth is disputed. Baptised as John, he
1674-522: The Executive Council of the Irish Free State until 1937, and from then as Taoiseach ). However, after the 1948 general election , the party was six seats short of a majority. At first, it seemed that de Valera would attempt to form a minority government . Negotiations for confidence and supply with the National Labour Party failed when National Labour insisted on a formal coalition; at that time, Fianna Fáil would not enter coalitions with other parties. Nevertheless, it initially appeared that Fianna Fáil
1736-660: The Fianna Fáil choice to become President of Ireland , the office which had replaced the governor-generalship in the new Constitution of Ireland . Again, the justification for de Valera nominating one of his senior ministers for the presidency was rumours that someone in the cabinet was, either deliberately or accidentally, letting information slip to the Catholic Church through the Knights of Columbanus . It came as anger and surprise to de Valera to find out that O'Kelly
1798-595: The First Inter-Party Government was defeated in a snap Dáil vote on a financial measure due to the absence of a number of Government TDs. O'Kelly was advised by the Secretary to the President , Michael McDunphy , that had Costello requested a dissolution, he could have refused it–thus forcing Costello to resign. However, Costello considered that the vote failed by accident (due to a mistake by
1860-469: The Government were proposed by the Taoiseach and approved by the Dáil. They were appointed by the president on the same day. Following the death of Timothy J. Murphy . Following the death of Timothy J. Murphy. Cabinet reshuffle. Following the resignation of Noël Browne on 11 April 1951 due to controversy surrounding the Mother and Child Scheme . On 24 February 1948, the Government appointed
1922-534: The Oireachtas." This debate was carried out when only five Deputies were present in the Dáil. O'Kelly was the Fianna Fáil candidate for President of Ireland in 1945 . He defeated two other candidates. However, he came up just short of a majority on the first count. O'Kelly's most famous faux pas occurred during a state visit to the Vatican City , when in a breach with the standard protocol , he told
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1984-539: The Republic (from August 1921 to January 1922). As with de Valera, he opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty , signed by representatives of the British and Irish governments in December 1921. When de Valera resigned as President of the Republic on 6 January 1922, O'Kelly returned from Paris to Dublin, to try to negotiate a compromise, whereby de Valera could return to the presidency. A furious de Valera turned down
2046-464: The Taoiseach who advised him to do so (de Valera in the first and third cases, and John A. Costello in the other two) had not been formally defeated in a Dáil vote in a manner showing a loss of support by a majority of TDs. Therefore, under Article 13.2.3° of the Constitution, O'Kelly had no discretion to refuse to act on their advice to dissolve. A more complex case occurred however in 1949, when
2108-457: The ball. A member of the crowd shouted, "Cut the grass, we can't see the President!" On his retirement as President of Ireland in 1959, he was described as a "model President" by the normally hostile Irish Times newspaper. Though controversial, the diminutive O'Kelly was widely seen as genuine and honest, albeit tactless. He died on 23 November 1966, at the age of 84, fifty years after the Easter Rising that first brought him to prominence. He
2170-415: The ballot box. Allegations that de Valera and Seán Lemass were involved in bribery and corruption raised questions about certain public officials. Despite these issues, Fianna Fáil still expected to retain power. This prospect seemed very likely; however, an unlikely coalition was soon to be formed. Fianna Fáil dropped 8 seats but remained the largest party. Clann na Poblachta secured ten seats instead of
2232-406: The dissolution. The 13th Dáil met at Leinster House on 18 February to nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president and to approve the appointment of a new government of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach. John A. Costello was appointed leading the first inter-party government , a five-party minority coalition. This election was the last one before Ireland's withdrawal from
2294-401: The guest of honour, had arrived, damaged O'Kelly's reputation and image, particularly when the campaign backfired. McNeill published his correspondence on the issue with de Valera, making de Valera appear foolish, before resigning and leaving de Valera with the task of choosing a new Governor-General, an embarrassing situation for a politician who had tried his best to avoid any association with
2356-457: The independence of various ministers. The 13th Dáil first met on 18 February 1948. In the debate on the nomination of Taoiseach , Fianna Fáil leader and outgoing Taoiseach Éamon de Valera and John A. Costello of Fine Gael were both proposed. The nomination of de Valera was defeated by 70 to 75, while the nomination of Costello was approved by 75 to 68. Costello was appointed as Taoiseach by President Seán T. O'Kelly . The Ministers of
2418-550: The independence of various ministers. The coalition lasted over three years from February 1948 to May 1951. The election was followed by an election to the 6th Seanad . Se%C3%A1n T. O%27Kelly Seán Thomas O'Kelly ( Irish : Seán Tomás Ó Ceallaigh ; 25 August 1882 – 23 November 1966), originally John T. O'Kelly , was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the second president of Ireland from June 1945 to June 1959. He also served as deputy prime minister of Ireland from 1932 to 1945 (titled as Vice-President of
2480-600: The larger power. O'Kelly was known to be a devout Catholic. He made a point of ensuring that his first state visit, following the declaration of the Republic of Ireland in 1949, was to the Vatican City to meet Pope Pius XII . This visit created controversy when the famously talkative O'Kelly inadvertently revealed the Pope's private views on communism. O'Kelly was a member of the Knights of Saint Columbanus . Éamon de Valera worried about O'Kelly's drinking habits, which were much commented on during his career. O'Kelly drank
2542-434: The media of Pope Pius XII 's personal opinions on communism. The resulting row strained the relationships between Pope Pius XII and Joseph Stalin . During his term, he signed the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 , which established the Republic of Ireland on 18 April 1949 as an independent republic outside the British Commonwealth . As a result, O'Kelly became the first President of Ireland to be internationally recognised as
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2604-505: The moment when "a devoted son" of Ireland was excluded from the movement; but O'Kelly may have saved his life. During the Rising he was gazetted Staff Captain by PH Pearse. He was in and out of the GPO , and was requested to set up as "Civil Administrator of the Government of the Republic" with four others. The project never proceeded, as perhaps no attempt was made to anticipate preparations for
2666-461: The nineteen they would have received proportional to their vote. The other parties remained roughly the same, with Fine Gael only gaining an extra seat. The election left de Valera six seats short of a majority in the 147-seat Dáil. Fianna Fáil had long refused to enter a formal coalition with another party, instead preferring confidence and supply agreements with other parties when it was short of an outright majority. This time, however, de Valera
2728-495: The number of seats by 9 since the previous election. The election resulted in Fianna Fáil leaving government for the first time in 16 years and the formation of the first coalition government in Ireland. The constituency of Carlow–Kilkenny voted on 8 February after the death during the campaign of Fine Gael candidate Eamonn Coogan TD. Another Fine Gael deputy in the same constituency, James Hughes , had died shortly before
2790-552: The offer and ordered O'Kelly to return to Paris. During the Irish Civil War, O'Kelly was in jail until December 1923. Afterwards, he spent the next two years as a Sinn Féin envoy to the United States . In 1926, when de Valera left Sinn Féin to establish Fianna Fáil , O'Kelly returned to Ireland and was appointed a vice-president of the new republican party. In March 1927, he became editor of The Nation and played
2852-426: The office. To the surprise of many, O'Kelly was not among the names considered for the office. It is not known for certain, but suspicion rests on O'Kelly's membership of a Catholic fraternal organisation, the Knights of Columbanus , which de Valera suspected had a source in the cabinet. O'Kelly matched the bill, perhaps through indiscretions rather than deliberate actions. However, O'Kelly was not made Governor-General,
2914-411: The party had become stale and there was a strong desire for change. Although World War II had ended three years earlier, rationing continued, and massive inflation plagued the economy. A prolonged teachers' strike during the lifetime of the previous Dáil damaged the government due to its inability to settle the dispute. Bad weather added to the woes of the farmers, and poor harvests resulted in anger at
2976-410: The party whips), and opted to reintroduce the measure the following morning, rather than seek a dissolution. With all TDs present this time, the vote carried. McDunphy later changed his mind and in the files on the event concluded that O'Kelly could not have refused a dissolution because the loss had merely been a technical loss, not an actual decision by the Dáil to vote against the government. O'Kelly
3038-507: The pontiff on the political situation in Ireland. At the same time, O'Kelly met with the future dictator of Italy, Benito Mussolini , who helped the Irishman and other Sinn Féin emissaries to source weapons for use by the IRA. O'Kelly was a close associate of Éamon de Valera , who served variously as President of Dáil Éireann (Prime Minister from April 1919 to August 1921) and President of
3100-476: The post instead going to the former Fianna Fáil TD, Domhnall Ua Buachalla from County Kildare , who would be the last Governor-General of the Irish Free State. With the enactment of a new constitution in 1937, O'Kelly remained de Valera's second-in-command, with the new title of Tánaiste . In 1938, again O'Kelly's position in cabinet became a focus for speculation, as rumours swept Leinster House (the seat of Parliament) that de Valera intended making O'Kelly
3162-402: The second-largest party in the Dáil, it was a foregone conclusion that Fine Gael would head such a coalition. In the normal course of events, Fine Gael leader Richard Mulcahy would have been the prospective coalition's nominee for Taoiseach. However, Clann na Poblachta leader Seán MacBride refused to serve under Mulcahy because of his role in carrying out 77 executions under the government of
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#17327731321813224-537: Was a member of the Catholic fraternal organisation. De Valera had on a number of occasions ordered O'Kelly to resign from the Knights, only to find that he would rejoin later. However, the apparent entry of the popular Lord Mayor of Dublin , Alfie Byrne , into the presidential race (in fact he eventually failed to get nominated) and the belief that neither O'Kelly nor any other politician could beat Byrne (ironically
3286-514: Was appointed Minister for Finance in 1941. He secured the passing of The Central Bank Act in 1942. On 17 July 1942, at the fifth and final stage of the Dáil debate on the "Central Banking Bill", he argued that the owner of the credit issued by the Central Bank of Ireland , "will be under the control of the Oireachtas and will be governed by the authority given by the people to the Houses of
3348-524: Was appointed manager of An Claidheamh Soluis , which included amongst its editors the revolutionary leaders of Sinn Féin . He went to work almost immediately for Arthur Griffith , at the Gaelic League on the organization's administration papers. He came to Griffith's notice the previous years joining the Irish Republican Brotherhood as a member of the esoteric Bartholomew Teeling Circle from 1901. O'Kelly joined Sinn Féin , then
3410-680: Was at O'Connell School , a Christian Brothers school in North Richmond Street (1894–1898). O'Kelly joined the National Library of Ireland in 1898 as a junior assistant to T. W. Lyster, remaining there until 1902, and becoming a subscriber to the Celtic Literary Society. The same year, he joined the Gaelic League , becoming a member of the governing body in 1910 and general secretary in 1915. He
3472-476: Was at the heart of the party operation. He was one of a handful of men who might have known of the "All-Ireland" Volunteer HQ at Athenry , County Galway , according to Liam Ó Briain involved in marshalling the rebellion in the western hills from Limerick across the Shannon . He was also responsible for springing Bulmer Hobson from the custody of the IRB. Thereafter Hobson's mysterious "disappearance" became
3534-522: Was chosen to make an Irish language address to the Pope Pius X , in 1908. Both men were bilingual party members promoting Irish culture. O'Kelly was one of the establishing members of the Irish Volunteers in 1913. In August 1914, he agitated to suppress the landing of arms at Kilcoole, County Wicklow . In March 1915, O'Kelly went to New York City , to inform Clan Na Gael of the plans for
3596-416: Was roundly rejected. Wilson was already withdrawing from the Self-Determination League, making his critics label O'Kelly as 'pompous.' Despite the US Senate resolution in June, the President would not break his commitment to the Big Four for unanimity. He also served as the Irish Republic 's envoy, demanding recognition of the Republic and its admittance to the post- World War I peace treaty negotiations at
3658-408: Was the eldest son of Samuel O'Kelly, a boot and shoemaker of Berkley Road, by his marriage to Catherine O'Dea, and had three sisters and four brothers, two of whom were educated by Patrick Pearse at St Enda's School . O'Kelly's first school was the Sisters of Charity , in Mountjoy Street (1886–1890), then the Christian Brothers School in St Mary's Place (1890–1894). His senior school education
3720-400: Was the first President of Ireland to visit the United States of America, when from 16 to 31 March 1959, he was the guest of President Dwight Eisenhower . He was invited to address both houses of Congress . This was important to Ireland as it showed that the republic and its head of state were recognised by the United States. Historian J. J. Lee has stated that the visit signified an end to
3782-436: Was the only party that could realistically form a government. Even though it was short of a majority, Fianna Fáil was by far the largest party in the Dáil, with 37 more seats than the next-largest party, Fine Gael . However, the other parties realised that between them, they only had only one seat fewer than Fianna Fáil, and if they worked together, they could form a government with the support of at least seven independents. As
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#17327731321813844-424: Was unable to reach an agreement with National Labour and the Independents to form a government. It seemed unlikely that the other political parties could unite to oust Fianna Fáil. Between them, they only had one seat fewer than Fianna Fáil. If they could get the support of at least seven independents, they would be able to form a government. On paper, such a motley coalition appeared politically unrealistic. However,
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