Fionán Lynch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fionán Lynch
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| Judge of the Circuit Court | |
| In office 17 October 1944 – 1 June 1966 |
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| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Douglas Hyde |
| Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann | |
| In office 5 July 1938 – 12 May 1939 |
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| Ceann Comhairle | Frank Fahy |
| Preceded by | Patrick Hogan |
| Succeeded by | Eamonn O'Neill |
| Minister for Lands and Fisheries | |
| In office 1 September 1928 – 9 March 1932 |
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| President | W. T. Cosgrave |
| Preceded by | New office |
| Succeeded by | P. J. Ruttledge |
| Minister for Fisheries | |
| In office 14 December 1922 – 1 September 1928 |
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| President | W. T. Cosgrave |
| Preceded by | Seán Etchingham |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Minister without portfolio | |
| In office 30 August 1922 – 14 December 1922 |
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| President | W. T. Cosgrave |
| Preceded by | New office |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Minister for Education | |
| In office 1 April 1922 – 30 August 1922 |
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| President | Michael Collins |
| Preceded by | New office |
| Succeeded by | Eoin MacNeill |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office July 1937 – October 1944 |
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| Constituency | Kerry South |
| In office August 1923 – July 1937 |
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| Constituency | Kerry |
| In office May 1921 – August 1923 |
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| Constituency | Kerry–Limerick West |
| In office December 1918 – May 1921 |
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| Constituency | Kerry South |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 March 1889 Cahersiveen, County Kerry, Ireland |
| Died | 3 June 1966 (aged 77) Dartry, Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Spouses | Bridget Slattery (m. 1919; d. 1966) |
| Children | 7, including Kevin |
| Education |
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| Alma mater |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Irish Free State |
| Branch/service |
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| Rank | Brigadier-General |
| Battles/wars | |
Fionán Lynch (Irish: Fionán Ó Loingsigh; 17 March 1889 – 3 June 1966) was an important Irish figure. He was a revolutionary, a lawyer, a politician, and later a judge. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish parliament, from 1918 to 1944. He also held several important government jobs, including Minister for Education and Minister for Fisheries. From 1944 to 1959, he worked as a judge in the Circuit Court.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Fionán Lynch was born on 17 March 1889 in Cahersiveen, County Kerry, Ireland. He was one of eleven children. His parents, Finian and Ellie Lynch, were both teachers at the local national school.
Fionán grew up speaking both Irish and English. He first went to his parents' school. Later, he attended St Brendan's College, Killarney, and then Rockwell College in County Tipperary. In 1907, he finished his studies at Blackrock College in Dublin. He had hoped to study medicine, but his father died that year, and he couldn't afford it.
Instead, at 18, he went to Swansea, Wales, and taught at a parish school. He returned to Ireland in 1909 to train as a teacher at St Patrick's College, Dublin. He became a primary school teacher in 1911 and started teaching in Dublin in 1912.
Joining the Revolution
The Munster Hotel: A Meeting Place
While training to be a teacher, Fionán became good friends with Gearóid O'Sullivan. When they both got teaching jobs in Dublin, they decided to live at the Munster Hotel. This hotel was run by Fionán's aunt.
The Munster Hotel became a secret meeting place for Irish revolutionaries. Michael Collins, a cousin of Gearóid O'Sullivan, stayed there after being released from prison in 1916. It was his main base until 1922. Even when Collins was hiding from the British, he would still visit the hotel. Fionán Lynch said it was probably the most searched house in Dublin in 1920.
Gaelic League and Irish Volunteers
Fionán was very keen on promoting the Irish language. While in Wales, he started a branch of the Gaelic League. When he returned to Dublin, he joined a very active branch of the League with his friends. They taught Irish to both adults and children.
Fionán also studied at University College Dublin, earning a degree in Celtic studies in 1913. He got a diploma in education in 1914.
In November 1913, Fionán and his friends joined the Irish Volunteers. This was a group formed to protect Ireland's rights. Fionán quickly became a leader, training other volunteers. He was later promoted to captain of his company.
Soon after, his friend Seán Mac Diarmada asked him to join the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). This was a secret group working for Irish independence. Fionán took an oath and joined the IRB in 1915.
The British police started watching Fionán because of his activities. In 1916, his school was told that his political work was not allowed for a teacher. Fionán was told to stop his involvement with the Volunteers or lose his job. He secretly continued his work, organizing training sessions for other volunteers.
The 1916 Easter Rising
Fionán Lynch played an active role in the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916. He fought with the Four Courts garrison, led by Commandant Edward Daly.
On Easter Monday, Fionán took command of his company. They quickly occupied buildings in North King Street, set up barricades, and arranged for food supplies. There was intense fighting in this area, especially along North King Street. Fionán's last fight was on Saturday afternoon, just before the order to surrender.
Fionán and his tired men retreated to the Four Courts, where they received the order to surrender. He later praised his men's bravery. A British General, Sir John Maxwell, described the fighting in North King Street as "by far the worst fighting that occurred in the whole of Dublin."
After surrendering, Fionán was sent to Kilmainham Gaol. On 4 May 1916, he was sentenced to death, but his sentence was immediately changed to 10 years in prison. He was held in different prisons, including Portland Jail and Lewis Prison. He was released in June 1917 as part of a general amnesty for Irish prisoners.
After the Rising: 1917–1918
When Fionán was released, he could not get his teaching job back. He became an organizer for the Irish Volunteers, working in different parts of Ireland. He spoke about the importance of Ireland becoming a republic.
In July 1917, he helped in the election campaign for Éamon de Valera in East Clare. De Valera won, which was a big victory for Sinn Féin.
On 11 August 1917, Fionán spoke at a memorial event in County Kerry. He was arrested two days later, along with Thomas Ashe and Austin Stack, for making political speeches. They were sentenced to two years in prison and treated like regular criminals. They went on a hunger strike to protest. Sadly, Thomas Ashe died in September 1917 after being force-fed. Fionán Lynch was the last person to speak to Ashe before he died.
Fionán was released in November 1917 but was arrested again in May 1918. This time, the reason given was a supposed "German Plot."
First Dáil and War of Independence (1918–1921)
In December 1918, while still in prison, Fionán Lynch was elected as a Member of Parliament for Kerry South. He was a Sinn Féin candidate and won without anyone running against him. He became a member of the 1st Dáil, the first Irish parliament. Many members of this Dáil, including Fionán, were in prison and could not attend its first meeting in January 1919.
In April 1919, Fionán was moved to Strangeways Prison in Manchester, England. He was released in August 1919 after another hunger strike. He helped other political prisoners escape from the prison later.
As a TD for Kerry South, he spent a lot of time in his home county, working for both the parliament and the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Many meetings were held at the home of Thomas Slattery, a strong republican whose daughter, Bridget, Fionán married in November 1919. They had their wedding conducted by Fionán's brother, Father John Lynch.
After September 1919, the Dáil was declared illegal by the British. Its cabinet (the government leaders) met secretly in different places, including Fionán and Bridget's flat in Dublin. They were leading the fight against the British. Fionán was also appointed to the IRA's headquarters staff.
In early 1920, Fionán started an insurance business. He worked part-time as an organizer until he was arrested again in January 1921. He was held in Ballykinlar internment Camp until August 1921, when he was released to attend a Dáil meeting. His business failed because he was in prison.
Second Dáil and the Anglo-Irish Treaty
In the May 1921 elections, Fionán was re-elected as a TD for Kerry–Limerick West.
In October 1921, he was part of the Irish team that went to London to negotiate the Anglo-Irish Treaty with the British government. He served as a joint secretary for the delegation.
Fionán supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty. He believed it was the most practical solution for Ireland at the time. He argued for it during the Dáil debates. The Treaty led to the creation of the Irish Free State.
A temporary government was set up in January 1922 to put the Treaty into action. Fionán was appointed Minister for Education from April to August 1922. He worked with another Minister for Education, Michael Hayes, and they divided the responsibilities. Fionán was in charge of primary education. He also had the task of closing down the education board that had fired him from his teaching job after the Easter Rising.
Irish Civil War (1922–1923)
The Anglo-Irish Treaty had to be approved by the Irish people. The Dáil decided that the general election on 16 June 1922 would serve as this approval. However, there were growing disagreements and clashes between those who supported the Treaty and those who did not.
In April 1922, Fionán attended public meetings with Michael Collins in Kerry to argue for the Treaty. They faced strong opposition from anti-Treaty activists.
The June 1922 election showed strong support for the Treaty. However, disagreements continued, leading to the Irish Civil War. The war officially began when the Four Courts were shelled on 28 June 1922.
During the Civil War, Fionán fought with the Irish National Army, which supported the Treaty. He became a Brigadier-General. In July 1922, he was put in command of a unit of Dublin soldiers in County Kerry. He often visited his home county, but it was dangerous because many people there were against the Treaty. He was ambushed sometimes, and once, a metal cigarette case saved his life when he was shot.
In August 1922, he traveled with Michael Collins as far as Limerick. Collins then went to Cork and was sadly killed in an ambush on 22 August 1922.
On 25 August 1922, Fionán led a large group of soldiers to Kenmare. As they advanced, they came under fire from anti-Treaty forces. Fionán joked that his own people didn't seem to like him very much!
Fionán was re-elected to the 3rd Dáil in the 1922 general election as a pro-Treaty Sinn Féin TD. On 9 September 1922, he was appointed a Minister without Portfolio (a minister without a specific department) because he was still actively serving in the army.
On 14 December 1922, Fionán became Minister for Fisheries in the new Free State Government led by W. T. Cosgrave.
The Civil War ended in 1923. Even after the war, Fionán had an armed guard until 1932 because of ongoing threats to his life.
Later Life and Career
Fionán Lynch continued his political career. He was re-elected in every election as a member of the Cumann na nGaedheal party and later the Fine Gael party. He represented Kerry from 1923 to 1937 and Kerry South from 1937 to 1944.
He served as Minister for Education from April to August 1922, Minister for Fisheries from 1922 to 1928, and Minister for Land and Fisheries from 1928 to 1932.
In 1930, he became a barrister (a type of lawyer) and practiced law. In 1932, his party lost the election to Éamon de Valera's Fianna Fáil.
Despite their political differences during the Treaty debates, Fionán Lynch and Éamon de Valera remained good friends. In 1937, Fionán had a severe heart attack. For the 1938 election, he was too ill to campaign. The parties agreed not to run against him, and he was elected without opposition.
In 1938, he was appointed Leas-Cheann Comhairle (deputy chairperson) of Dáil Éireann. However, due to his illness, he left the post in May 1939. He continued as a TD until 1944.
In October 1944, Fionán retired from politics. His old friend and political rival, Éamon de Valera, appointed him a Judge of the Circuit Court. He served as a judge in Sligo and Donegal. De Valera even attended Fionán's funeral in 1966. Fionán retired from being a judge in 1959.
Family Life
Fionán Lynch married Bridget Slattery on 26 November 1919. They had six boys and one girl. One of their sons, Kevin Lynch, also became a judge and served on the Supreme Court.
Fionán Lynch passed away at his home in Dartry, Dublin, on 3 June 1966, at the age of 77. This was shortly after the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising. He was survived by his wife, five sons, and one daughter. His personal papers are kept at the Kerry County Library archives.
Images for kids
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Lynch (second from the right) during the Irish Civil War
