Donnchadh Ó Briain (17 November 1897 – 22 September 1981) was an Irish

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...

politician and Conradh na Gaeilge activist. He was elected to

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...

at the 1933 general election. He was born 17 November 1897 in Knockaderry,

County Limerick County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...

, one of two sons and a daughter of David O'Brien, a creamery manager, and Kathleen O'Brien (née Casey). He was educated at Ahalin national school and then at the Redemptorist College at Mount St Alphonsus,

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

city, but was prevented from going to university by bouts of ill health. On leaving school he worked in the creamery managed by his father for a number of years. By 1917, he had become involved in the independence movement as a member of

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...

and later, of the West Limerick brigade of the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...

. He was involved in the republican courts in Limerick and took the anti-treaty side in the

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War (; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United Kingdom but within the British Emp ...

. He was deeply involved in the Conradh na Gaeilge, which he also joined in 1917, having been influenced by Fr Tomás de Bhál. In 1920 Ó Briain was appointed Conradh na Gaeilge organiser for County Limerick, and from 1925 he served in that role for all of

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

province, founding numerous branches of the league. From 1928 to 1932 he served as general secretary of the Conradh na Gaeilge and also intermittently edited ''Fáinne an Lae''. A founder member of

in 1926, he stood unsuccessfully in Limerick at the 1932 general election. He served as a Fianna Fáil

Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( ; ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish language, Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The official Engli ...

(TD) for the

and from 1948 for Limerick West constituencies until 1969 when he retired from politics. He served in the governments of

Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (; ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was an American-born Irish statesman and political leader. He served as the 3rd President of Ire ...

and Seán Lemass as Government Chief Whip.

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