Hugo Flinn
Encyclopedia
Hugo Victor Flinn was an Irish
Fianna Fáil
politician.
Hugo Flinn was born in Kinsale
, County Cork
in 1880. He was educated locally in Cork
before his family moved to England
where Hugo qualified as an electrical engineer and worked with the Liverpool
Electricity Supply Board. He returned to Cork in the 1920s and set up a radio business.
Flinn was recruited into the Fianna Fáil
party upon his return to Ireland and won a seat in the 6th Dáil at the September 1927 general election
in Cork Borough
. He retained his seat at each subsequent election until his death in 1943. After Fianna Fáil's election victory in 1932 Flinn was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary
to the Minister for Finance Seán MacEntee
. He remained in this department until 1939 when he also became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government.
Flinn became Fuel Controller during World War II
and was a strong supporter of Todd Andrews
and the Turf Development Board, which later became Bord na Móna
. Hugo was widely considered an able and articulate Parliamentary Secretary and it is said that he was denied Ministerial office as he had no background in either the War of Independence
and the Civil War
. Up until his death he was conducting a lively discussion in the Irish Independent
letters pages advocating the abolition of income tax.
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...
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.
Hugo Flinn was born in Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1880. He was educated locally in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
before his family moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where Hugo qualified as an electrical engineer and worked with the Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
Electricity Supply Board. He returned to Cork in the 1920s and set up a radio business.
Flinn was recruited into the 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...
party upon his return to Ireland and won a seat in the 6th Dáil at the September 1927 general election
Irish general election, 1927 (September)
The Irish general election of September 1927 was held on 15 September 1927. The newly elected members of the 6th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 11 October when the new President of the Executive Council and Executive Council of the Irish Free State were appointed.-Campaign:The second general...
in Cork Borough
Cork Borough (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Cork Borough was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1921 to 1969...
. He retained his seat at each subsequent election until his death in 1943. After Fianna Fáil's election victory in 1932 Flinn was appointed as 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....
to the Minister for Finance Seán MacEntee
Seán MacEntee
Seán MacEntee was an Irish politician. In a career that spanned over forty years as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála, MacEntee was one of the most important figures in post-independence Ireland. He served in the governments of Éamon de Valera and Seán Lemass in a range of ministerial positions,...
. He remained in this department until 1939 when he also became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government.
Flinn became Fuel Controller during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was a strong supporter of Todd Andrews
Todd Andrews
Christopher Stephen "Todd" Andrews was an Irish political activist and public servant. He participated in the Irish War of Independence and Civil War as a political and military activist in the Irish Republican movement. Todd Andrews never ran for election and was never a government minister...
and the Turf Development Board, which later became Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna , abbreviated BNM, is a semi-state company in Ireland, created in 1946 by the Turf Development Act 1946. The company is responsible for the mechanised harvesting of peat, primarily in the Midlands of Ireland...
. Hugo was widely considered an able and articulate Parliamentary Secretary and it is said that he was denied Ministerial office as he had no background in either the 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 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....
. Up until his death he was conducting a lively discussion in the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
letters pages advocating the abolition of income tax.
External links
- Hugo Flinn's electoral history (ElectionsIreland.org)