Seán Moylan (19 November 1889 – 16 November 1957) was a senior officer 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 ...

and later a

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. He served as Minister for Agriculture from May 1957 to November 1957, Minister for Education from 1951 to 1954, Minister for Lands from 1943 to 1948, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance from February 1943 to June 1943 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce from 1937 to 1943. He became a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

from May 1957 to November 1957, after being nominated by the Taoiseach. He was also elected as a

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) from 1921 to 1923 and from 1932 to 1957.

Biography

Moylan was born in

Kilmallock Kilmallock () is a town in south County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, near the border with County Cork, 30 km south of Limerick city. There is a Dominican Priory in the town and King John's Castle (Kilmallock), King's Castle (or K ...

, County Limerick, in 1889. He was educated locally and was from a strong republican background which saw him join the Gaelic League and the

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...

(GAA). He trained as a carpenter's apprentice and worked in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. In 1914, Moylan joined the Kilmallock division of the Irish Volunteers but left in 1914, when his apprenticeship finished and he moved to set up a business in

Newmarket, County Cork Newmarket, historically known as Aghatrasna (), is a town in the barony of Duhallow, County Cork, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated at the junction of the R576 road (Ireland), R576 and R578 road (Ireland), R578 regional roads. Newma ...

. There he joined the local division of the Volunteers again. Following reorganisation after the 1916

Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...

, Moylan was appointed Captain of the Newmarket division. During the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...

he was Commandant of the Cork No.2 Battalion of the

and led the Active Service Unit in the north of County Cork during 1920. On 5 March 1921 Moylan led an ambush of a British convoy at Clonbanin (see Clonbanin ambush) in which Colonel Commandant Hanway Robert Cumming and other British troops were killed. He had risen to the rank of Officer Commanding the Cork No.2 Brigade when he was captured and interned in Spike Island in May 1921. Moylan was elected to Dáil Éireann, while in prison, as a

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 ...

TD to the Second Dáil. He was released in August 1921 to attend the Dáil. Moylan opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty and left the Dáil with the other Anti-Treaty deputies following its ratification. Moylan fought on the Republican 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 ...

. The north and west Cork area proved to be some of the last areas to fall to the pro-Treaty forces. He was Director of Operations of the Anti-Treaty forces and a member of the IRA Executive, holding the rank of commandant-general. In 1926, Moylan originally opposed the setting up of

but joined the new party later that year. He was elected a Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North at the 1932 general election. He was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary in 1937. He was appointed to the Cabinet in 1943 as Minister for Lands. Moylan remained in this office until 1948 when the party went into opposition. He served as Minister for Education from 1951 until 1954, when Fianna Fáil lost power again. Moylan lost his Dáil seat at the 1957 general election, but was nominated by the Taoiseach to

Seanad Éireann Seanad Éireann ( ; ; "Senate of Ireland") is the senate of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (defined as the house of representatives). It is commonly called the Seanad or ...

as a senator later that year. He was later appointed to the cabinet as Minister for Agriculture, making him the first senator to be appointed a government minister. Seán Moylan died suddenly on 16 November 1957. He was buried in Kiskeam, County Cork. Speaking at an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of his death, Brian Lenihan Jnr suggested that Moylan was "one of the most outstanding military leaders in the War of Independence".

In popular culture

Moylan is mentioned in the Irish folk ballad " The Galtee Mountain Boy", along with Dinny Lacey, Dan Breen, and Seán Hogan. The song, written by Patsy Halloran, recalls some of the travels of a " Flying column" from Tipperary as they fought during the Irish War of Independence, and later against the pro-Treaty side during the Irish Civil War.

References

Gallery

File:Piece 207-132; John Moylan (1922).pdf, page=7, British Army military intelligence file for John Moylan File:Seán Mac Eoin and Seán Moylan, c. June 1922.jpg , Seán Mac Eoin and Seán Moylan in 1922

External links