Conn Ward facts for kids

Conn Ward (born Francis Constantine Ward on February 12, 1891) was an important Irish politician and a medical doctor. He was a member of the Fianna Fáil political party. He lived until December 15, 1966.

Early Life and Education

Conn Ward was born in County Monaghan, Ireland, on February 12, 1891. His father, Patrick Ward, was a farmer, and his mother was Elizabeth Ruddin. He went to school at the Patrician Brothers' schools in Carrickmacross.

Later, he studied medicine at University College Dublin (UCD). While at UCD, he helped start the Irish Volunteers. This group was formed in Dublin on November 25, 1913.

He became a doctor in 1914. He worked as a medical officer in Scotstown, County Monaghan, from 1915 to 1919. Then he worked in Dundalk, County Louth, from 1919 to 1920.

Fighting for Independence

Conn Ward was a key figure during Ireland's fight for independence. He joined the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He fought with them in his home county during the Irish War of Independence.

He also fought on the Republican side in the Irish Civil War. This was because he did not agree with the Anglo-Irish Treaty. By July 1921, he was a senior officer in the IRA, holding the rank of colonel-commandant.

Starting a Political Career

Conn Ward was one of the people who helped create the Fianna Fáil political party. He first tried to become a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish parliament (Dáil Éireann), in June 1927. He was not elected that time.

However, he was successfully elected in September 1927 for the Monaghan area. He was re-elected in every election after that until he retired in 1948.

After Fianna Fáil won the 1932 election, he was given an important role. He became the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health. This meant he was a junior minister. He kept this role throughout the 1930s and into the 1940s.

Improving Public Health

As Parliamentary Secretary, Conn Ward worked under ministers like Seán T. O'Kelly and Seán MacEntee. He was given more and more responsibility for health and public assistance.

In the 1930s, he focused on improving Ireland's hospital system. He used money from the hospitals sweepstakes to build new hospitals. He helped build twenty-four county and district hospitals. He also built fourteen special hospitals.

He set up a group to advise on hospitals. He also brought different friendly societies together into one national health insurance group. During this time, he was almost like the main Minister for Health for Ireland.

Retirement from Politics

Conn Ward retired from politics in 1948. After leaving the Dáil, he went back to working as a medical doctor. He passed away in Dublin on December 15, 1966. He was survived by his wife, Sheila, and their six children.