Patrick Little
Encyclopedia
Patrick J. "P. J." Little (17 June 1884 – 16 May 1963) was an Irish
Fianna Fáil
politician. A founder-member of the party, he served in a number of Cabinet positions, most notably as the country's longest-serving Minister for Posts and Telegraphs
.
, County Dublin
, Little was the son of Philip Francis Little
and Mary Jane Holdright. Both his parents were Canadian natives, while his father had served as the first Premier of Newfoundland before settling in Ireland. Here he became involved in the home rule
movement.
Little was educated at the exclusive Clongowes Wood College
before later attending University College Dublin
. Here he studied law and qualified as a solicitor in 1914.
in 1916 he had formed, together with Stephen O'Mara, the Irish National League, who while being opposed to the Irish Parliamentary Party
and supportive of abstentionism, were wary of the militarism of the Irish Volunteers
. In 1918 the Volunteers, the Irish National League, and Count Plunkett's followers, the Liberty Clubs agreed to merge under the Sinn Féin
banner with Éamon de Valera
as President to fight the 1918 Westminster Election on an abstentionist
platform.
Little contested the constituency of Dublin Rathmines
but lost to the Unionist Maurice Dockrell, the only Unionist elected outside of Trinity College, Dublin
in what was to become the Irish Free State
. He remained in the background of the Sinn Féin
party for the next number of years. He opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty
and fought with the Four Courts Garrison during the Civil War
.
Following his release from jail he became the first editor of An Phoblacht
in 1925.
shortly after its foundation in 1926. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann
at the June 1927 general election for the constituency of Waterford
. He represented the constituency until 1954.
Little was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary
, the equivalent of the present Minister of State in 1933. Little was appointed Minister for Posts and Telegraphs in 1939 and remained in this office until 1948. Accordingly he was responsible for much of the censorship that was introduced by the government during The Emergency. He was not re-appointed to the Cabinet in 1951. In 1952, following the death of Bridget Redmond, Fianna Fáil won the resulting by-election and held three seats out of three in the constituency. This would have been unsustainable in the next general election
so Little announced his intention to retire from politics.
TD
Ciarán Cuffe
.
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. A founder-member of the party, he served in a number of Cabinet positions, most notably as the country's longest-serving Minister for 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....
.
Early life
Born in DundrumDundrum, Dublin
Dundrum , originally a town in its own right, is now a suburb of Dublin in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Ireland.The area is located in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and Dublin 16.-History:...
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, Little was the son of Philip Francis Little
Philip Francis Little
Philip Francis Little was the first Premier of Newfoundland Colony between 1855 and 1858. He was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Little studied law there with Charles Young and was admitted to the bar in 1844. He came to Newfoundland in 1846 and articled in law. He got involved in...
and Mary Jane Holdright. Both his parents were Canadian natives, while his father had served as the first Premier of Newfoundland before settling in Ireland. Here he became involved in the home rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
movement.
Little was educated at the exclusive Clongowes Wood College
Clongowes Wood College
Clongowes Wood College is a voluntary secondary boarding school for boys, located near Clane in County Kildare, Ireland. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1814, it is one of Ireland's oldest Catholic schools, and featured prominently in James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel A Portrait of the...
before later attending University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
. Here he studied law and qualified as a solicitor in 1914.
Revolutionary years
Little was engaged in the independence struggle from an early stage. Following the Easter RisingEaster Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
in 1916 he had formed, together with Stephen O'Mara, the Irish National League, who while being opposed to the Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
and supportive of abstentionism, were wary of the militarism of the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
. In 1918 the Volunteers, the Irish National League, and Count Plunkett's followers, the Liberty Clubs agreed to merge under the Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
banner with 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...
as President to fight the 1918 Westminster Election on an abstentionist
Abstentionism
Abstentionism is standing for election to a deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business. Abstentionism differs from an election boycott in that abstentionists participate in the election itself...
platform.
Little contested the constituency of Dublin Rathmines
Dublin Rathmines (UK Parliament constituency)
Dublin Rathmines, a division of County Dublin based on the suburb of Rathmines, was a former British Parliament constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1922.Before the 1918 general election the area...
but lost to the Unionist Maurice Dockrell, the only Unionist elected outside of Trinity College, Dublin
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...
in what was to become 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...
. He remained in the background of the Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
party for the next number of years. He opposed the Anglo-Irish 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...
and fought with the Four Courts Garrison during the 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....
.
Following his release from jail he became the first editor of An Phoblacht
An Phoblacht
An Phoblacht is the official newspaper of Sinn Féin in Ireland. It is published once a month, and according to its website sells an average of up to 15,000 copies every month and was the first Irish paper to provide an edition online and currently having in excess of 100,000 website hits per...
in 1925.
Political career
Little joined Fianna FáilFianna 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...
shortly after its foundation in 1926. He 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...
at the June 1927 general election for the constituency of Waterford
Waterford (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Waterford is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
. He represented the constituency until 1954.
Little was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary
Minister 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....
, the equivalent of the present Minister of State in 1933. Little was appointed Minister for Posts and Telegraphs in 1939 and remained in this office until 1948. Accordingly he was responsible for much of the censorship that was introduced by the government during The Emergency. He was not re-appointed to the Cabinet in 1951. In 1952, following the death of Bridget Redmond, Fianna Fáil won the resulting by-election and held three seats out of three in the constituency. This would have been unsustainable in the next general election
Irish general election, 1954
The Irish general election of 1954 was held on 18 May 1954. The newly elected members of the 15th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 2 June when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
so Little announced his intention to retire from politics.
Retirement
He was the first chairman of the Arts Council from 1951 until 1956. Patrick Little died in May 1963. He is a great-uncle of former Green PartyGreen Party (Ireland)
The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
TD
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...
Ciarán Cuffe
Ciarán Cuffe
Ciarán Cuffe is an Irish Green Party politician, an architect and a lecturer in planning. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister of State for Horticulture; Sustainable Travel; and Planning and Heritage from 2010 to 2011.-Background:Born...
.