Michael ffrench-O'Carroll facts for kids

Michael ffrench-O'Carroll (born September 15, 1919 – died May 5, 2007) was an Irish politician and a medical doctor. He was a special kind of politician called an Independent Teachta Dála (TD). A TD is like a member of parliament in Ireland. He was also a Senator. A Senator is a member of the upper house of the Irish parliament.

Michael ffrench-O'Carroll served one term in each of these important groups in the 1950s. These groups are part of the Oireachtas, which is the name for Ireland's national parliament.

Early Life and Career

Michael ffrench-O'Carroll was born in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. He studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin, a famous university. After finishing his studies, he became a medical doctor.

In 1944, he married Renee Marie de la Laforcade. He also became interested in politics. He joined a political party called Clann na Poblachta. This was around the same time as another well-known politician, Noël Browne.

Even though he joined the party, Michael ffrench-O'Carroll did not run in the 1948 general election. However, he did become a member of the Dublin City Council in 1950. This meant he helped make decisions for the city of Dublin.

Time in Dáil Éireann

In 1951, Michael ffrench-O'Carroll decided to run for a seat in Dáil Éireann. This is the main part of the Irish parliament. He ran as an independent candidate, meaning he was not part of a major political party at that time.

He was elected in the Dublin South-West area. This area was a "constituency," which is a region that elects its own representatives. He won one of the five available seats. He even beat Michael O'Higgins, who was a TD from the Fine Gael party.

His former party leader, Seán MacBride, was also elected from the same area. Once he became a TD in the 14th Dáil, Michael ffrench-O'Carroll often supported the Fianna Fáil government. Fianna Fáil is another major political party in Ireland.

Moving to the Seanad

In October 1953, Michael ffrench-O'Carroll joined the Fianna Fáil party. He joined along with Noël Browne. He tried to get re-elected as a TD in the 1954 general election, this time as a Fianna Fáil candidate. However, he lost his seat back to Michael O'Higgins.

Even though he lost his Dáil seat, he didn't give up on politics. He then ran in the 1954 Seanad Éireann elections. The Seanad is the upper house of the Irish parliament. He ran as an independent candidate again.

He was elected to the 8th Seanad through the Cultural and Educational Panel. This panel is a group of people who are chosen to represent cultural and educational interests.

Later Life

In the 1957 general election, Michael ffrench-O'Carroll tried again to become a TD for Fianna Fáil in Dublin South-West. But he was not successful. He was also not re-elected to the Seanad.

After his time in parliament, Michael ffrench-O'Carroll became a leader in helping people with certain health challenges. He set up a special center in Cork to help people. He also wrote a book about this topic in 1995. He passed away on May 5, 2007.