Micheál Ó Móráin
Encyclopedia
Micheál Ó Móráin was an Irish
Fianna Fáil
politician, who served in a wide number of Cabinet minister
from 1957 until 1970, most notably as Minister for Justice and Minister for the Gaeltacht.
Ó Móráin was born in County Mayo
, hailing from a strong Republican
family and family members had fought in the Irish War of Independence
and in the Irish Civil War
on the pro-Treaty
side. A solicitor by profession, Ó Móráin was first elected to Dáil Éireann
for the Mayo South
constituency on his second attempt at the 1938 general election
. He remained on the backbenches for a number of years until he was appointed to the cabinet
by Éamon de Valera
in 1957 as Minister for the Gaeltacht
. He was a native Irish speaker
. He was appointed Minister for Lands by Taoiseach
Seán Lemass
, in 1959 and was re-appointed to the Gaeltacht
portfolio in 1961. He remained in these two Departments until 1968.
Ó Móráin was a very outspoken deputy. He habitually referred to a constituency opponent in the Dáil chamber as "The Maggot Durkan". He also branded the then Labour Party
as "left wing queers from Trinity College
and Teilifís Éireann
". On at least one occasion he appeared at a State function, visibly worse from drink, and proceeded to harangue the various dignitaries, in particular the British Ambassador
.
Ó Móráin was appointed Minister for Justice by Taoiseach Jack Lynch
in 1968. It is in this role that he is most remembered. Ó Móráin continually suffered from ill health, which was accentuated by his alcoholism. In 1970, while in hospital, Lynch came to see him and asked for his resignation as a result of the outbreak of the Arms Crisis
. Lynch had received information that a number of Ministers were allegedly complicit in the importation of arms for use in Northern Ireland
. Some hours later the other Ministers in question, Neil Blaney
and Charles Haughey
were asked to resign but refused to do so and were thus sacked. Recent evidence, from papers released under the thirty year rule, suggest that the Minister for Defence
Jim Gibbons
, was also named on the documentation given to Lynch, but his resignation was not asked for.
Ó Móráin later spoke of his experiences at this time. He claimed that the whole business of the Arms Trial was badly handled. He claimed that it was he who had unearthed the whole business of the arms, through undercover Garda Síochána
who were working for him in Northern Ireland and that he told Lynch the identity of the person involved. He also claimed that Blaney and Haughey were not implicated with the arms in question and that the wrong people had been sacked. Ó Móráin lost his Dáil seat at the 1973 general election
and retired from politics.
Ó Móráin died in Castlebar
, County Mayo, on 6 May 1983.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
politician, who served in a wide number of Cabinet minister
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
from 1957 until 1970, most notably as Minister for Justice and Minister for the Gaeltacht.
Ó Móráin was born in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo 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 village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, hailing from a strong Republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
family and family members had fought in the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
and in the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
on the pro-Treaty
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
side. A solicitor by profession, Ó Móráin was first 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...
for the Mayo South
Mayo South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Mayo South was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1923 to 1969...
constituency on his second attempt at the 1938 general election
Irish general election, 1938
The Irish general election of 1938 was held on 17 June 1938. The 138 newly elected members of the 10th Dáil assembled on 30 June when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
. He remained on the backbenches for a number of years until he was appointed to the cabinet
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
by Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
in 1957 as Minister for the Gaeltacht
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is a senior minister at the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is Frances Fitzgerald, TD.-Overview:...
. He was a native Irish speaker
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
. He was appointed Minister for Lands by 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...
Seán Lemass
Seán Lemass
Seán Francis Lemass was one of the most prominent Irish politicians of the 20th century. He served as Taoiseach from 1959 until 1966....
, in 1959 and was re-appointed to the Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
portfolio in 1961. He remained in these two Departments until 1968.
Ó Móráin was a very outspoken deputy. He habitually referred to a constituency opponent in the Dáil chamber as "The Maggot Durkan". He also branded the then Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
as "left wing queers from Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
and Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
". On at least one occasion he appeared at a State function, visibly worse from drink, and proceeded to harangue the various dignitaries, in particular the British Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
.
Ó Móráin was appointed Minister for Justice by Taoiseach Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
in 1968. It is in this role that he is most remembered. Ó Móráin continually suffered from ill health, which was accentuated by his alcoholism. In 1970, while in hospital, Lynch came to see him and asked for his resignation as a result of the outbreak of the Arms Crisis
Arms Crisis
The Arms Crisis or Arms Trial was a political scandal in the Republic of Ireland in 1970, when two cabinet ministers — Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney — were sacked for allegedly attempting to illegally import arms for the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland.-Background:The...
. Lynch had received information that a number of Ministers were allegedly complicit in the importation of arms for use in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Some hours later the other Ministers in question, Neil Blaney
Neil Blaney
Neil Terence Columba Blaney was a senior Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1948 as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála representing Donegal East. Blaney served as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs , Minister for Local Government and Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries...
and Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
were asked to resign but refused to do so and were thus sacked. Recent evidence, from papers released under the thirty year rule, suggest that the Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
Jim Gibbons
Jim Gibbons (Irish politician)
James "Jim" Gibbons was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was first elected in 1957 as a Teachta Dála for Carlow–Kilkenny. He held his seat until 1982...
, was also named on the documentation given to Lynch, but his resignation was not asked for.
Ó Móráin later spoke of his experiences at this time. He claimed that the whole business of the Arms Trial was badly handled. He claimed that it was he who had unearthed the whole business of the arms, through undercover Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
who were working for him in Northern Ireland and that he told Lynch the identity of the person involved. He also claimed that Blaney and Haughey were not implicated with the arms in question and that the wrong people had been sacked. Ó Móráin lost his Dáil seat at the 1973 general election
Irish general election, 1973
The Irish general election of 1973 was held on 28 February 1973. The newly elected 144 members of the 20th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 4 March when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
and retired from politics.
Ó Móráin died in Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
, County Mayo, on 6 May 1983.