William Quirke facts for kids

William Quirke (born around 1896 – died 5 March 1955) was an important Irish politician. He was a member of the Fianna Fáil party. He also played a big role in the fight for Irish independence in County Tipperary.

Early Life and Independence Struggle

William Quirke was born in Clonmel, a town in Ireland. He went to school at Rockwell College in County Tipperary.

During the Irish War of Independence, William Quirke was an Intelligence Officer for the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The IRA was a group fighting for Ireland's freedom from British rule. He later became a leader for a part of the IRA. He was arrested and held on Spike Island, but he managed to escape.

After the War of Independence, there was a disagreement about a peace agreement called the Anglo-Irish Treaty. William Quirke did not support this treaty. He continued to fight with the Anti-Treaty IRA forces during the Irish Civil War. He even made a strong statement saying that if any of his men were harmed, he would take similar action against people from the other side. Luckily, no one was harmed by the government forces because of this.

In the 1923 election, he tried to become a politician for the Sinn Féin party but did not win.

Life Abroad and Return

After the Civil War ended, William Quirke left Ireland. He traveled to the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He worked many different jobs, like a rancher, a builder, a lumberjack, and a cowboy.

While in Los Angeles, California, he got married to Clare Riordan in January 1928. After they married, they came back to Ireland. William Quirke then joined the new Fianna Fáil political party. In 1931, he was one of seven Fianna Fáil members elected to the Seanad, which was like an upper house of the Irish parliament. He served there for nine years until it was changed in 1936.

Political Career in the Seanad

From 1938 onwards, William Quirke was re-elected to the new Seanad Éireann. In this upper house of parliament, he became the leader for the Fianna Fáil party. He was their main spokesperson. He was also a vice-president of the Fianna Fáil party. When his party was not in power, he acted as the leader of the opposition in the Seanad.

William Quirke was also a farmer. He was a partner in an auctioneering business called Stokes and Quirke. This company had offices in cities like Dublin and London. For a while, he also helped lead the Agricultural Credit Corporation.

In 1934, a group called the Turf Development Board was created. This group helped manage and develop Ireland's peat bogs, which are used for fuel. William Quirke was asked to be one of the first members of this board. This organization later became known as Bord na Móna.

Distillery Investigation

In 1947, a company tried to buy a whiskey distillery in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath. William Quirke's company, Stokes and Quirke, helped them. The people from this company even met with the President, Seán T. O'Kelly.

However, people started to wonder about the company's background. The Minister for Justice, Gerald Boland, ordered an investigation. Some of the people involved were arrested, and others left the country. This situation caused a lot of discussion in the government. An investigation was set up to look into the matter. The report from this investigation did not find any Fianna Fáil politicians guilty of wrongdoing. However, the event still affected how people viewed the government before the 1948 election.

Death

William Quirke passed away on 5 March 1955. He was still a Senator at the time. He died while on a stag hunt.

Many people attended his funeral mass. These included former colleagues from the Old IRA, President O'Kelly, and members of the Fianna Fáil party. He is buried in Deans Grange Cemetery. After his death, a special election was held on 14 May 1956 to fill his seat in the Seanad. Joe Sheridan of the Fine Gael party won this election.