Timothy Smiddy facts for kids
Timothy Aloysius Smiddy (born 1875, died 1962) was an important Irish person. He was a smart professor, an expert in money matters (an economist), and a diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in another country. He is famous for being Ireland's very first Ambassador to another country. He worked as Ireland's special representative in the United States from 1924 to 1929.
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Early Life and Education
Timothy Aloysius Smiddy was born on April 30, 1875. His family lived in Kilbarry, which is in County Cork, Ireland. His father, William Smiddy, was a successful merchant. His mother was Honora Mahony.
Timothy went to school at St. Finbarr's College in Cork. After that, he studied at University College Cork. He earned two degrees there, a B.A. in 1905 and an M.A. in 1907. He also studied in other countries, like France and Germany. In 1900, he married Lillian O'Connell, and they had six children together.
Helping Ireland Gain Independence
Timothy Smiddy was a friend of Michael Collins. Michael Collins was a very important leader in Ireland's fight for independence. After the Irish War of Independence, Ireland was working on a peace treaty.
In 1921, Michael Collins asked Smiddy to be his economic adviser. This meant Smiddy gave advice about money and the economy during the important treaty talks. At this time, Michael Collins was the Minister for Finance for the new Irish Republic.
Professor of Economics at UCC
Before becoming a diplomat, Timothy Smiddy was mainly a professor and an economist. An economist is someone who studies how money, goods, and services are made and used.
He taught at University College Cork (UCC) for many years. He was the Professor of Economics and Commerce from 1903 to 1924. This was a very important job at the university. In 1952, the university gave him a special honorary degree for his work.
Ireland's First Ambassador
In 1922, Timothy Smiddy was chosen to represent the Irish Free State in Washington, D.C. The Irish Free State was the new name for Ireland after it gained independence.
In 1924, his role became official. He was named the Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary to the United States. This made him Ireland's first official Ambassador to another country. This was a huge step for Ireland. It showed that Ireland was now an independent country with its own voice on the world stage. It also helped to show that the new Irish Free State was strong and independent from the United Kingdom.
Later Contributions
After his time in the United States, Smiddy continued to serve Ireland. From 1929 to 1930, he was Ireland's High Commissioner in London. This meant he represented Ireland in the United Kingdom.
He also worked on important government groups. He was part of the Tariff Commission from 1930 to 1933. Later, he led the Commission on Agriculture from 1939 to 1945. He also worked for the Department of Local Government and Public Health. He was even a Director of the Irish Central Bank.
Smiddy also advised the Irish government on economic matters. He helped to create a universal child allowance. This was a payment given to families to help with the costs of raising children. Timothy Smiddy passed away in 1962.
