George C. Bennett
Encyclopedia
George C. Westropp Bennett (1877 – 20 June 1963) was an Anglo-Irish
Catholic Cumann na nGaedheal and Fine Gael
politician. He was born in Ballymurphy, his father's estate in County Limerick
in 1877. He was the second son of Captain Thomas Westropp Bennett, a British Army officer and a scion of an old Limerick family of Protestant Irish Gentry. His elder brother Thomas Westropp Bennett
had a very successful career as a Senator and Cathaoirleach
of the Irish Free State
Senate as well as serving in the Board of the Irish Agricultural Organisational Society (IAOS) for many years with Sir Horace Plunkett.
George C. Bennett spent several years farming in Canada before returning to Limerick. He became a Magistrate, County Councillor and Vice Chairman of the local Hospital Committee and was involved in many other charitable projects which brought him a considerable local following. A noted farmer, agricultural expert he was elected to Dáil Éireann
as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála
(TD) at the June 1927 general election for the Limerick constituency
. He later joined Fine Gael
.
. Throughout his time in the Dáil he was renowned as a strong defender of the Agricultural interest and was very popular with his constituents. After a redrawing of the boundaries of the Limerick constituency he was not re-elected in the 1948 general election
but the Inter Party Government Taoiseach
John A. Costello
nominated him to the Seanad
where he sat until 1951 in recognition of his service to Ireland. A noted agricultural and financial expert, he inherited an estate called Rathaney from an uncle George Bennett and owing to his financial independence gave all of his parliamentary salary to funding his constituents. A noted member of Fine Gael, he died in June 1963 after a political lifetime spent in the service of the people of Limerick and the wider Irish State. He never married, though had a wide and catholic circle of friends throughout Ireland and the UK. He was rated as "an excellent shot" and was an enthusiastic huntsman and breeder of pedigree dogs; the famous Milltown Irish Red Setters are a legacy of his.
His obituary in The Irish Times
in 1963 said that he had been "a popular public representative".In an interview in 2008 Liam Cosgrave, the former Taoiseach of Ireland, who George Bennett well said that " in 60 years he never heard a bad word said against Bennett who was held in universally high regard"
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
Catholic Cumann na nGaedheal and Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
politician. He was born in Ballymurphy, his father's estate in County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
in 1877. He was the second son of Captain Thomas Westropp Bennett, a British Army officer and a scion of an old Limerick family of Protestant Irish Gentry. His elder brother Thomas Westropp Bennett
Thomas Westropp Bennett
Thomas Westropp Bennett was an Anglo-Irish Catholic politician in the Irish Free State.Born on his father's estate in Ballymurphy, County Limerick he was the eldest son of Captain Thomas Westropp Bennett, a gentleman-farmer, Crimean War veteran and retired Captain in the 39th regiment of the...
had a very successful career as a Senator and Cathaoirleach
Cathaoirleach
Cathaoirleach is the title of the chairman of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach is Senator Paddy Burke...
of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
Senate as well as serving in the Board of the Irish Agricultural Organisational Society (IAOS) for many years with Sir Horace Plunkett.
George C. Bennett spent several years farming in Canada before returning to Limerick. He became a Magistrate, County Councillor and Vice Chairman of the local Hospital Committee and was involved in many other charitable projects which brought him a considerable local following. A noted farmer, agricultural expert he was elected to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) at the June 1927 general election for the Limerick constituency
Limerick (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Limerick is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
. He later joined Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
.
. Throughout his time in the Dáil he was renowned as a strong defender of the Agricultural interest and was very popular with his constituents. After a redrawing of the boundaries of the Limerick constituency he was not re-elected in the 1948 general election
Irish general election, 1948
The Irish general election of 1948 was held on 4 February 1948. The 147 newly elected members of the 13th Dáil assembled on 18 February when the First Inter-Party government in the history of the Irish state was appointed....
but the Inter Party Government Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
John A. Costello
John A. Costello
John Aloysius Costello , a successful barrister, was one of the main legal advisors to the government of the Irish Free State after independence, Attorney General of Ireland from 1926–1932 and Taoiseach from 1948–1951 and 1954–1957....
nominated him to the Seanad
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
where he sat until 1951 in recognition of his service to Ireland. A noted agricultural and financial expert, he inherited an estate called Rathaney from an uncle George Bennett and owing to his financial independence gave all of his parliamentary salary to funding his constituents. A noted member of Fine Gael, he died in June 1963 after a political lifetime spent in the service of the people of Limerick and the wider Irish State. He never married, though had a wide and catholic circle of friends throughout Ireland and the UK. He was rated as "an excellent shot" and was an enthusiastic huntsman and breeder of pedigree dogs; the famous Milltown Irish Red Setters are a legacy of his.
His obituary in The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
in 1963 said that he had been "a popular public representative".In an interview in 2008 Liam Cosgrave, the former Taoiseach of Ireland, who George Bennett well said that " in 60 years he never heard a bad word said against Bennett who was held in universally high regard"
Sources
- Based on facts from the Irish Free State Parliamentary Companion 1932.