Joseph Brennan (Clann na Poblachta)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Patrick Brennan (10 September 1889 – 4 May 1968) was an Irish
Clann na Poblachta
politician and medical practitioner.
He was born in 1889 in Fitchburg
, Massachusetts
, U.S.
. He was the son of Patrick Brennan and Julia O'Connor who married in Boston
in 1888. He moved back from the US to his mother's native Knocknagoshel
, County Kerry
at around the age of six years. His father had received communication from his brothers in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
regarding the Gold Rush and decided to join them in Australia and made his fortune with his brothers in the drapery
business. The Brennan Building still stands today in Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie. On his father's return to Ireland in either 1908 or 1912 he brought an estate called Delbrook Park in Dublin.
He was educated at Blackrock College
and Rockwell College
. He qualified as a doctor in 1917. He married Anne Elizabeth Bulloch in Edinburgh
, Scotland in 1914. He entered the British Army
in 1917 as a Medical officer
serving in Egypt
and Turkey
.
He returned to Ireland around 1918 and became a General practitioner
in Blackrock, County Dublin
. He also became Coroner
for South County Dublin. Brennan was also involved in the Republican
movement sometime in 1918. He was Head of Medical Services during the Irish Civil War
. During the civil war, a group of insurgents that included Brennan had occupied part of the Gresham Hotel in O'Connell Street
and were holding out against the Free State
forces. Their position became untenable and the group decided to surrender. The surrender was underway but Cathal Brugha
refused to surrender himself came out brandishing a revolver and was shot by the Free State troops. Brennan attended his wounds but Brugha died two days later.
He was Vice President of the Irish Christian Front which held its inaugural meeting at the Mansion House, Dublin
on 22 August 1936. The Irish Independent invited the formation of a committee to make a decision to support pro-Franco citizens of Spain in their war effort. Support was also given by the Catholic Church.
Brennan was a founding member of Clann na Poblachta
. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann
at the 1948 general election
as a Clann na Poblachta Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown
constituency. He stood as a Labour Party
candidate at the 1951 general election
but was not re-elected. He also stood unsuccessfully as a Labour Party candidate at the 1954 general election
.
He presided over the International Congress of Catholic Doctors which took place at University College Dublin
in 1954. He was President of the Irish Bridge Union in 1955. He was elected as the first President of the Medico Legal Society of Ireland in 1956.
He is buried at Deans Grange Cemetery
in Dublin.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Clann na Poblachta
Clann na Poblachta
Clann na Poblachta , abbreviated CnaP, was an Irish republican and social democratic political party founded by former Irish Republican Army Chief of Staff Seán MacBride in 1946.-Foundation:...
politician and medical practitioner.
He was born in 1889 in Fitchburg
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Fitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.- History :...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was the son of Patrick Brennan and Julia O'Connor who married in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1888. He moved back from the US to his mother's native Knocknagoshel
Knocknagoshel
Knocknagoshel, officially Knocknagashel , is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. According to the 2006 census, the population of the village was 760.-History:...
, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
at around the age of six years. His father had received communication from his brothers in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
regarding the Gold Rush and decided to join them in Australia and made his fortune with his brothers in the drapery
Drapery
Drapery is a general word referring to cloths or textiles . It may refer to cloth used for decorative purposes – such as around windows – or to the trade of retailing cloth, originally mostly for clothing, formerly conducted by drapers.In art history, drapery refers to any cloth or...
business. The Brennan Building still stands today in Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie. On his father's return to Ireland in either 1908 or 1912 he brought an estate called Delbrook Park in Dublin.
He was educated at Blackrock College
Blackrock College
Blackrock College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys aged 14–18, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded by French missionaries in 1860, to act as a school and civil service training centre. Set in of grounds, it has an illustrious...
and Rockwell College
Rockwell College
Rockwell College, founded in 1864, is a private Catholic secondary school near Cashel, South Tipperary in Ireland. It offers day as well as full boarding. Rockwell is run by the Holy Ghost Fathers.-Politics:...
. He qualified as a doctor in 1917. He married Anne Elizabeth Bulloch in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland in 1914. He entered the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1917 as a Medical officer
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
serving in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
He returned to Ireland around 1918 and became a General practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
in Blackrock, 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...
. He also became Coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
for South County Dublin. Brennan was also involved in the 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...
movement sometime in 1918. He was Head of Medical Services during 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....
. During the civil war, a group of insurgents that included Brennan had occupied part of the Gresham Hotel in O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...
and were holding out against the 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...
forces. Their position became untenable and the group decided to surrender. The surrender was underway but Cathal Brugha
Cathal Brugha
Cathal Brugha was an Irish revolutionary and politician, active in the Easter Rising, Irish War of Independence, and the Irish Civil War and was the first Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann.-Background:...
refused to surrender himself came out brandishing a revolver and was shot by the Free State troops. Brennan attended his wounds but Brugha died two days later.
He was Vice President of the Irish Christian Front which held its inaugural meeting at the Mansion House, Dublin
Mansion House, Dublin
The Mansion House on Dawson Street, Dublin, is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin since 1715.-Features:The Mansion House's most famous features include the "Round Room", where the First Dáil assembled on 21 January 1919 to proclaim the Irish Declaration of Independence...
on 22 August 1936. The Irish Independent invited the formation of a committee to make a decision to support pro-Franco citizens of Spain in their war effort. Support was also given by the Catholic Church.
Brennan was a founding member of Clann na Poblachta
Clann na Poblachta
Clann na Poblachta , abbreviated CnaP, was an Irish republican and social democratic political party founded by former Irish Republican Army Chief of Staff Seán MacBride in 1946.-Foundation:...
. 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 1948 general election
Irish general election, 1948
The Irish general election of 1948 was held on 4 February 1948. The 147 newly elected members of the 13th Dáil assembled on 18 February when the First Inter-Party government in the history of the Irish state was appointed....
as a Clann na Poblachta Teachta Dála
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...
(TD) for the Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown
Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1948 to 1977...
constituency. He stood as a 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...
candidate at the 1951 general election
Irish general election, 1951
The Irish general election of 1951 was held on 30 May 1951. The newly elected members of the 14th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 13 June when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
but was not re-elected. He also stood unsuccessfully as a Labour Party candidate at the 1954 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....
.
He presided over the International Congress of Catholic Doctors which took place at 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...
in 1954. He was President of the Irish Bridge Union in 1955. He was elected as the first President of the Medico Legal Society of Ireland in 1956.
He is buried at Deans Grange Cemetery
Deans Grange Cemetery
Deans Grange Cemetery, or more commonly known today as Deansgrange Cemetery, is situated in the suburban area of Deansgrange in the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown part of the former County Dublin, Ireland. Since it first opened in 1865, over 150,000 people have been buried there...
in Dublin.
External links
- Kevin O'Connor 2006, The descendants of the O'Connors of Carrigafoyle stemming from the Datheenachs line O'Connor History Ltd, pages 60–67,110-115. ISBN 0-9552990-0-4. 978-0-9552990-0-1
- Padraic O'Farrell. 1997, Who's Who in the Irish War of Independence and Civil War 1916-1923, The Lilliput Press, Dublin.
- Obituary, Dr Joe Brennan. Journal of the Irish Medical Association, Volume 61. June 1968. No.372
- The Medico-Legal Society of Ireland. History, Formation of the Society
- Irish-Nationalism.net.showthread.php/2997-The-Irish Christian Front
- Irish Bridge Union, Golden Jubilee 1955-2005.