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Thomas Kelly (Sinn Féin politician)

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Thomas Kelly
Teachta Dála
In office
January 1933 – 20 April 1942
In office
May 1921 – August 1923
ConstituencyDublin South
In office
December 1918 – May 1921
ConstituencyDublin St Stephen's Green
Lord Mayor of Dublin
In office
1920–1921
Preceded byLaurence O'Neill
Succeeded byLaurence O'Neill
Personal details
Born(1868-09-13)13 September 1868
Dublin, Ireland
Died20 April 1942(1942-04-20) (aged 73)
Dublin, Ireland
Political party
Spouse
Annie Glynn
​
(m. 1894)​
Children6

Thomas Kelly (13 September 1868 – 20 April 1942) was an Irish Sinn Féin and later Fianna Fáil politician. He was a book and picture dealer before entering politics. He was a founder member of Sinn Féin and was elected to Dublin City Council in 1899.[1] Kelly was arrested after the 1916 Easter Rising and sent to prison in England, and after becoming seriously ill, he was released back to Dublin.

He was elected as a Sinn Féin MP for the Dublin St Stephens's Green constituency at the 1918 general election.[2] In January 1919, Sinn Féin MPs refused to recognise the Parliament of the United Kingdom and instead assembled at the Mansion House in Dublin as a revolutionary parliament called Dáil Éireann.[3]

Kelly was unanimously elected as Lord Mayor of Dublin while being held in Wormwood Scrubs prison in England. Due to his imprisonment, he was unable to formally take up the position.[4]

He was re-elected unopposed at the 1921 elections for the Dublin South constituency. He supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty but was too ill to attend the Dáil vote. He served as substitute Minister for Labour from 19 March 1919 to end of October 1919. He was again re-elected at the 1922 general election as a member of Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin but did not take his seat in the Dáil.

He did not join Cumann na nGaedheal along with other pro-Treaty Sinn Féin TDs in 1923, nor did he contest the 1923 general election. In 1930 he joined Fianna Fáil and was elected as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) at the 1933 general election for Dublin South.[5] He remained a TD and councillor until his death in 1942. No by-election was held to fill his seat.

[edit]
  • British Army military intelligence file for Thomas Kelly
    British Army military intelligence file for Thomas Kelly
  • Kelly (bottom right) with members of the First Dáil
    Kelly (bottom right) with members of the First Dáil

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Coleman, Marie. "Kelly, Thomas". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Thomas Kelly". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 10 April 2009.
  3. ^ "An Rolla – Roll call of the first sitting of the First Dáil". Dáil Éireann Historical Debates (in Irish). 21 January 1919. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  4. ^ "Alderman Tom Kelly released from prison in England | Century Ireland". RTÉ.ie.
  5. ^ "Thomas Kelly". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 10 April 2009.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Dublin St Stephen's Green
1918–1922 		Constituency abolished
Oireachtas
New constituency Teachta Dála for Dublin St Stephen's Green
1918–1921 		Constituency abolished
Civic offices
Preceded by Lord Mayor of Dublin
1920–1921 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Vice President of Sinn Féin
1910–1917
With: Jennie Wyse Power (1911–1917) 		Succeeded by
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