Sir Anthony Charles Esmonde, 15th Baronet (18 January 1899 – 17 March 1981) was an Irish

Fine Gael Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann. The party had a member ...

politician, medical doctor and farmer.

Early and personal life

He was born on 18 January 1899, at Ashlett House,

Church Stretton Church Stretton is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, south of Shrewsbury and north of Ludlow. The population in 2011 was 4,671.

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

, the youngest son among the three sons and three daughters of John Joseph Esmonde and his first wife, Rose (née Magennis). He was educated in Germany, at

Clongowes Wood College Clongowes Wood College SJ is a Catholic voluntary boarding school for boys near Clane, County Kildare, Ireland, founded by the Jesuits in 1814. It features prominently in James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel '' A Portrait of the Artist ...

, and at the

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a not-for-profit medical professional and educational institution, which is also known as RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. It was established in 1784 as the national body ...

. After qualifying in 1921 he served as surgeon-lieutenant in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

from 1921 to 1925. Thereafter he practised medicine successively in Nenagh,

County Tipperary County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...

, and Gorey,

County Wexford County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...

Politics

Esmomde first stood for

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 ...

as a

candidate for the Tipperary constituency at the 1943 general election but was unsuccessful. He did not stand again until the 1951 general election, when he was returned to the

14th Dáil The 14th Dáil was elected at the 1951 Irish general election, 1951 general election on 30 May 1951 and met on 13 June 1951. The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature), of Republic of Ireland, Ire ...

for the

Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...

constituency. His brother Sir John Lymbrick Esmonde was previously a TD for Wexford and retired in 1951. He was re-elected at five successive elections until he retired from the Dáil at the 1973 general election. He served as a member of the first Irish delegation as

Members of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Comm ...

from January to March 1973.

Family

His eldest brother was

Sir John Esmonde, 14th Baronet Sir John Lymbrick Esmonde, 14th Baronet (15 December 1893 – 6 July 1958) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) in the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1915 to 1918 and later as a Teachta Dála (TD) i ...

, and his second elder brother,

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

Geoffrey Esmonde (1897–1916), was killed in action in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

serving with the 4th

Tyneside Irish Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in Northern England. The population of Tyneside as published in the 2011 census was 774,891, making it the eighth most-populous urban area in the United Kingdom. Tyneside is made up ...

of the

Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution and ...

. His half-brother

Eugene Esmonde Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde, (1 March 1909 – 12 February 1942) was a distinguished Irish pilot in the Fleet Air Arm who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarde ...

was awarded a

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

posthumously in 1942 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. His son Sir John Esmonde, 16th Baronet was a Fine Gael TD for Wexford from 1973 to 1977. He married his second cousin Eithne Moira Grattan Esmonde in 1927, the youngest child of

Sir Thomas Esmonde, 11th Baronet Sir Thomas Henry Grattan Esmonde, 11th Baronet, (21 September 1862 – 15 September 1935) was an Irish Irish Home Rule movement, Home Rule Irish nationalism, nationalist politician and author. Politics Esmonde represented the Irish Parliament ...

; they had three sons and three daughters. He died 17 March 1981 in a Wexford nursing home after a short illness.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Esmonde, Anthony, 15th Baronet 1899 births 1981 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of Ireland Irish diplomats 20th-century Irish farmers Fine Gael TDs Members of the 14th Dáil Members of the 15th Dáil Members of the 16th Dáil Members of the 17th Dáil Members of the 18th Dáil Politicians from County Wexford Members of the 19th Dáil

Anthony Anthony, also spelled Antony, is a masculine given name derived from the '' Antonii'', a '' gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descenda ...

Fine Gael MEPs MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 1973 People educated at Clongowes Wood College Alumni of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Early and personal life

Politics

Family

See also

References

External links