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Seán Brosnan

Seán Brosnan (21 December 1916 – 18 April 1979) was an Irish barrister and Fianna Fáil politician. He served for 10 years in the Oireachtas, as a Teachta Dála (TD) and as a senator.^[1]

Brosnan was a native of Dingle, County Kerry. He was a prominent Gaelic footballer and won 3 All-Ireland medals with Kerry.^[2] In 1939, he was captain of the team but could not play in the final due to influenza.

In 1933, he won an All-Ireland Minor Football Championship with Kerry. He won senior Kerry County Championship medals with Dingle GAA in 1938 and 1941. He left Dingle in the autumn of 1939.^[3]

At the 1969 general election, Brosnan was elected to the 19th Dáil as a TD for Cork North-East. It was his second attempt – he had been defeated in 1965 – and he lost his seat at the 1973 general election. He was then elected to the 13th Seanad Éireann on the Administrative Panel, but he regained his Dáil seat in a by-election in November 1974 after the death of his Fianna Fáil colleague Liam Ahern.^[4]

Brosnan was re-elected at the 1977 general election to the 21st Dáil, and also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). MEPs were at that time appointed by national parliaments rather than being elected, and Brosnan was one of a 10-member delegation from the Oireachtas until the first direct elections in 1979.

After his death in 1979, the resulting by-election on 7 November was won for Fine GaelbyMyra Barry.^[4]