John Donnellan
Encyclopedia
John F. Donnellan is a former Irish
politician and sportsperson. He served as a Fine Gael
Teachta Dála
(TD) for Dáil Éireann
for twenty-five years. He played Gaelic football
with his local club Dunmore McHales
and with the Galway
senior inter-county team in the 1960s.
and Irish politics. His father, Mick Donnellan, had won an All-Ireland
medal with Galway
in 1925 before later becoming a Teachta Dála
for the Clann na Talmhan
political party. In later years John Donnellan would follow in his father’s footsteps in both of these pursuits. John's son, Michael
, would also go on to play football for Galway, winning All-Ireland medals in 1998 and 2001.
with the Dunmore McHales
club in the north of County Galway
. He enjoyed much success with the club, beginning in 1961 when he won a senior county championship for the first time. In 1962 Donnellan won a county league medal before claiming a second county championship title in 1963. This last win was later converted into a Connacht
club football championship. In 1966 Donnellan’s club completed the double of county league and county championship victories. He completed a great run of success by capturing back-to-back county championship and Connacht club titles in 1968 and 1969.
title with the Galway junior team in 1958 and he quickly joined the senior side. Two years later in 1960 Donnellan won his first Connacht
title, however, Galway were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. Three years later in 1963 he captured a second provincial title, however, on this occasion Dublin
defeated the men from the west in the All-Ireland final. In 1964 Donnellan was appointed captain of the Galway team. That year he won a third Connacht title before leading his team out in the All-Ireland final against Kerry
. Galway were victorious on that day by five points and Donnellan captured his first All-Ireland
medal. His moment of triumph was short-lived as, shortly after hoisting the Sam Maguire Cup
, he learnt that his father, Michael Donnellan, had died in the Hogan Stand shortly before the start of the second-half.
In 1965 Donnellan added a fourth provincial medal to his collection. In the subsequent All-Ireland final against Kerry
he was sent off but Galway were still victorious giving Donnellan a second consecutive All-Ireland medal. The following year he won a fifth Connacht Championship title before qualifying for a fourth All-Ireland final appearance in-a-row. Galway had a six-point win over Meath
giving Donnellan a third All-Ireland medal in-a-row and cementing that Galway team as one of the greatest of all-time. In 1967 he won Railway Cup medal with Connacht
before winning a sixth and final provincial medal in 1968. Donnellan retired from inter-county football shortly after.
, first at the Departments of Transport
and Posts and Telegraphs
, and then at the Department of Health
. He retired from politics at the 1989 general election
, after contesting eight general elections for various constituencies in County Galway
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
politician and sportsperson. He served as a 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...
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) for 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...
for twenty-five years. He played Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with his local club Dunmore McHales
Dunmore McHales
Dunmore MacHales is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Dunmore, County Galway, Ireland. The club is a member of Galway GAA. Teams at underage level and Senior play in the Galway League and Championships....
and with the Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
senior inter-county team in the 1960s.
Early & private life
John Donnellan was born in Dunmore, County Galway in 1937. He was born into a house that had strong interests in both Gaelic gamesGaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
and Irish politics. His father, Mick Donnellan, had won an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
medal with Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
in 1925 before later becoming a 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...
for the Clann na Talmhan
Clann na Talmhan
Clann na Talmhan , abbreviated CnaT, was an Irish agrarian political party active between 1939 and 1965.- Formation and Growth :Clann na Talmhan was founded on 29 June 1939 in Athenry, County Galway, in the wake of the breakdown of unification talks between the Irish Farmers Federation and...
political party. In later years John Donnellan would follow in his father’s footsteps in both of these pursuits. John's son, Michael
Michael Donnellan (GAA player)
Michael Donnellan is a former inter-county Gaelic footballer for Galway. He is the son of former politician and footballer, John Donnellan and grandson of politician and footballer Michael Donnellan. All them have captained the Galway football team in their careers...
, would also go on to play football for Galway, winning All-Ireland medals in 1998 and 2001.
Club
Donnellan played his club footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with the Dunmore McHales
Dunmore McHales
Dunmore MacHales is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Dunmore, County Galway, Ireland. The club is a member of Galway GAA. Teams at underage level and Senior play in the Galway League and Championships....
club in the north of County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
. He enjoyed much success with the club, beginning in 1961 when he won a senior county championship for the first time. In 1962 Donnellan won a county league medal before claiming a second county championship title in 1963. This last win was later converted into a Connacht
Connacht Senior Club Football Championship
The Connacht Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between the seventy-two senior football clubs in Connacht, with one qualifying from each of the five respective county championships...
club football championship. In 1966 Donnellan’s club completed the double of county league and county championship victories. He completed a great run of success by capturing back-to-back county championship and Connacht club titles in 1968 and 1969.
Inter-county
Donnellan’s career as an inter-county footballer began in the late 1950s. He won an All-IrelandAll-Ireland Junior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Junior Football Championship is a Gaelic Athletic Association competition for junior gaelic football inter-county teams in Ireland. The definition of what constitutes a junior player differs from county to county. In some, the junior team is the second team after the senior team...
title with the Galway junior team in 1958 and he quickly joined the senior side. Two years later in 1960 Donnellan won his first Connacht
Connacht Senior Football Championship
The Bank of Ireland Connacht Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition for the senior county teams of Connacht GAA. A series of games are played during the summer months and the final is played in July....
title, however, Galway were later defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. Three years later in 1963 he captured a second provincial title, however, on this occasion Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
defeated the men from the west in the All-Ireland final. In 1964 Donnellan was appointed captain of the Galway team. That year he won a third Connacht title before leading his team out in the All-Ireland final against Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
. Galway were victorious on that day by five points and Donnellan captured his first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
medal. His moment of triumph was short-lived as, shortly after hoisting the Sam Maguire Cup
Sam Maguire Cup
The Sam Maguire Cup, often called The Sam , is the name of the cup that is awarded to winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
, he learnt that his father, Michael Donnellan, had died in the Hogan Stand shortly before the start of the second-half.
In 1965 Donnellan added a fourth provincial medal to his collection. In the subsequent All-Ireland final against Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
he was sent off but Galway were still victorious giving Donnellan a second consecutive All-Ireland medal. The following year he won a fifth Connacht Championship title before qualifying for a fourth All-Ireland final appearance in-a-row. Galway had a six-point win over Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
giving Donnellan a third All-Ireland medal in-a-row and cementing that Galway team as one of the greatest of all-time. In 1967 he won Railway Cup medal with Connacht
Connacht GAA
The Connacht Council are a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Connacht.-Constituent counties:*Galway*Leitrim*Mayo*Roscommon*Sligo-Special counties:...
before winning a sixth and final provincial medal in 1968. Donnellan retired from inter-county football shortly after.
Political career
Donnellan's father Michael died suddenly in September 1964, and in the resulting by-election in December John was elected to the 17th Dáil as TD for Galway East. From 1982 to 1987 Donellan was served as a Minister of StateMinister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
, first at the Departments of Transport
Department of Transport (Ireland)
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure. The Department is led by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who is assisted by two Ministers of State...
and Posts and Telegraphs
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (Ireland)
The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs was a senior post in the government of the Irish Free State and the Republic of Ireland from 1924 to 1984, when the post and the department was abolished....
, and then at the Department of Health
Minister for Health and Children (Ireland)
The Minister for Health is the senior minister at the Department of Health in the Government of Ireland and is responsible for health care in the Republic of Ireland and related services.The current Minister for Health is James Reilly, TD...
. He retired from politics at the 1989 general election
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
, after contesting eight general elections for various constituencies in County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
.