Contents

Frank Fahy (politician)

Fahy in 1933

Michael Hayes

Patrick Hogan

Galway South

Galway East

Galway

Galway South

Francis Patrick Fahy

12 July 1953(1953-07-12) (aged 73)
Phibsborough, Dublin, Ireland

Deans Grange Cemetery, Dublin, Ireland

Fianna Fáil

Mungret College

University College Galway

Francis Patrick Fahy (23 May 1879 – 12 July 1953) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Ceann ComhairleofDáil Éireann from 1932 to 1951. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1919 to his death in 1953.^[1]

He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for 35 years, first for Sinn Féin and later as a member of Fianna Fáil, before becoming Ceann Comhairle (chairman) for over 19 years.^[2]

Early life and revolutionary period[edit]

Fahy was born on 23 May 1879 in the townland of Glanatallin, Kilchreest, County Galway,^[3] the eldest of 6 children born to John Fahy and Maria Jones. His father taught at the local National School. After an early education at his father's school in Kilchreest, he attended Mungret CollegeinCounty Limerick. He later studied at University College Galway. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and a H.Dip. in Education, and a Diploma in Science. From 1906 to 1921 he taught Latin, Irish and Science at Castleknock College (St Vincent's College), Dublin. Fahy qualified as a barrister in 1927 at King's Inns, Dublin and also taught at the Christian Brothers school in Tralee. He was at one time General Secretary of the Conradh na Gaeilge. He married Anna BartonofTralee, a metal artist and member of the Cumann na mBan in 1908. They had no children.^[2]

As Company Captain of C Company, 1 Battalion, Dublin Brigade, Irish Volunteers, Fahy commanded the contingent that occupied the Four Courts during the 1916 rising. Arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison, he spent terms in several British jails. Released in the general amnesty of June 1917, he was active in the reorganisation of the Volunteer movement, addressing public meetings throughout the country.^[2] Fahy later applied to the Irish government for a service pension under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934 and was awarded 5 and 1/6 years service in 1937 at Grade D for his service with the Irish Volunteers from 23 April 1916 to June 1917.^[4]

Political career[edit]

Fahy was first elected at the 1918 general election as a Sinn Féin Member of Parliament (MP) for Galway South, but as the party was pledged to abstentionism he did not take his seat in the British House of Commons and joined the revolutionary First Dáil. He was re-elected as TD for Galwayin1921 general election and having sided with the anti-treaty forces following the Anglo-Irish Treaty, he did not take his seat in either the 3rd Dáil or the 4th Dáil. He joined Fianna Fáil when the party was founded in 1926, and along with the 42 other Fianna Fáil TDs he took his seat in the 5th Dáil on 12 August 1927,^[5] three days before the Dáil tied 71 votes to 71 on a motion of no confidenceinW. T. Cosgrave's Cumann na nGaedheal government (a tie broken by the Ceann Comhairle).^[6] After the government won two by-elections later that month, it dissolved the Dáil, leading to a fresh election.

After the September 1927 election, Cosgrave was able to form a minority government with the support of the Farmers' Party and some independent TDs. However, in the 1932 general election, Fianna Fáil won just under half of the seats and formed a government with the support of the Labour Party. The first business was of the 7th Dáil was the election of the Ceann Comhairle, and on 9 March 1932 Fahy was nominated for the position by Seán T. O'Kelly, winning the vote by a margin of 78 to 71.^[7]

He held the post until Fianna Fáil lost the 1951 election, and at the start of the 14th Dáil he did not offer himself for re-election as Ceann Comhairle. He was succeeded by the Labour TD Patrick Hogan.^[8] His 19 years in the chair remains the longest of any Ceann Comhairle, with the only other person to exceed 10 years as Ceann Comhairle being his successor, Patrick Hogan.^[9]

The 1932 election was the last which Fahy contested; as Ceann Comhairle, he was automatically re-elected at the next seven elections. When his Galway constituency was divided for the 1937 general election, he was returned unopposed for the new Galway East, and similarly in 1948 for the new Galway South constituency.^[10]

Fahy died on 12 July 1953,^[11] and is buried at Deans Grange Cemetery, Dublin. The Galway South by-election held after his death was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Robert Lahiffe.^[12]

• 
  Captain Frank Fahy, Irish Volunteers (1915-1918); Dublin Castle Records, CO 904/193-216
• 
  Frank Fahy; Easter Rising Records. WO 35/206-207

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• "Fahy, Francis Patrick" . Thom's Irish Who's Who . Dublin: Alexander Thom and Son Ltd. 1923. p. 76  – via Wikisource.
• "Frank Fahy". Kilmainham Gaol.

Member of Parliament for Galway South
1918–1922

Constituency abolished

Teachta Dála for Galway South
1918–1921

Constituency abolished

Ceann ComhairleofDáil Éireann
1932–1951

Deputy
(Party)

Deputy
(Party)

Deputy
(Party)

Deputy
(Party)

Deputy
(Party)

Deputy
(Party)

1921

Liam Mellows
(SF)

Bryan Cusack
(SF)

Frank Fahy
(SF)

Joseph Whelehan
(SF)

Pádraic Ó Máille
(SF)

George Nicolls
(SF)

Patrick Hogan
(SF)

7 seats
1921–1923

1922

Thomas O'Connell
(Lab)

Bryan Cusack
(AT-SF)

Frank Fahy
(AT-SF)

Joseph Whelehan
(PT-SF)

Pádraic Ó Máille
(PT-SF)

George Nicolls
(PT-SF)

Patrick Hogan
(PT-SF)

1923

Barney Mellows
(Rep)

Frank Fahy
(Rep)

Louis O'Dea
(Rep)

Pádraic Ó Máille
(CnaG)

George Nicolls
(CnaG)

Patrick Hogan
(CnaG)

Seán Broderick
(CnaG)

James Cosgrave
(Ind)

1927 (Jun)

Gilbert Lynch
(Lab)

Thomas Powell
(FF)

Frank Fahy^[a]
(FF)

Seán Tubridy
(FF)

Mark Killilea Snr
(FF)

Martin McDonogh
(CnaG)

William Duffy
(NL)

1927 (Sep)

Stephen Jordan
(FF)

Joseph Mongan
(CnaG)

1932

Patrick Beegan
(FF)

Gerald Bartley
(FF)

Fred McDonogh
(CnaG)

1933

Mark Killilea Snr
(FF)

Séamus Keely
(FF)

Martin McDonogh
(CnaG)

Eamon Corbett
(FF)

Martin Neilan
(FF)

1937

Constituency abolished. See Galway East and Galway West

Deputy
(Party)

1937

Frank Fahy
(FF)

Mark Killilea Snr
(FF)

Patrick Beegan
(FF)

Seán Broderick
(FG)

1938

1943

Michael Donnellan
(CnaT)

1944

1948

Constituency abolished. See Galway North and Galway South

Deputy
(Party)

Deputy
(Party)

Deputy
(Party)

Deputy
(Party)

1961

Michael F. Kitt
(FF)

Anthony Millar
(FF)

Michael Carty
(FF)

Michael Donnellan
(CnaT)

Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins
(FG)

John Donnellan
(FG)

1965

1969

Constituency abolished. See Galway North-East and Clare–South Galway

Deputy
(Party)

Deputy
(Party)

Deputy
(Party)

1977

Johnny Callanan
(FF)

Thomas Hussey
(FF)

Mark Killilea Jnr
(FF)

John Donnellan
(FG)

1981

Michael P. Kitt
(FF)

Paul Connaughton Snr
(FG)

3 seats
1981–1997

1982 (Feb)

Noel Treacy
(FF)

1982 (Nov)

1987

1989

1992

1997

Ulick Burke
(FG)

2002

Joe Callanan
(FF)

Paddy McHugh
(Ind)

2007

Michael P. Kitt
(FF)

Ulick Burke
(FG)

2011

Colm Keaveney
(Lab)

Ciarán Cannon
(FG)

Paul Connaughton Jnr
(FG)

2016

Seán Canney
(Ind)

Anne Rabbitte
(FF)

3 seats
since 2016

2020

1948

Frank Fahy^[a]
(FF)

Patrick Beegan
(FF)

Robert Lahiffe
(FF)

1951

Patrick Cawley
(FG)

Robert Lahiffe
(FF)

1954

Brendan Glynn
(FG)

1957

Michael Carty
(FF)

Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins
(FG)

Anthony Millar
(FF)

1961

Constituency abolished. See Galway East and Galway West