P. J. Ruttledge
Patrick Joseph Ruttledge (1 January 1892 – 8 May 1952) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Local Government and Public Health from 1939 to 1941, Minister for Justice from 1933 to 1939, Minister for Lands and Fisheries from 1932 to 1933 and Vice President of Sinn Féin from 1923 to 1926. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1921 to 1951.[1]
P. J. Ruttledge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister for Local Government and Public Health | |
| In office 8 September 1939 – 14 August 1941 | |
| President | Éamon de Valera |
| Preceded by | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Succeeded by | Seán MacEntee |
| Minister for Justice | |
| In office 8 February 1933 – 8 September 1939 | |
| President | Éamon de Valera |
| Preceded by | James Geoghegan |
| Succeeded by | Gerald Boland |
| Minister for Lands and Fisheries | |
| In office 9 March 1932 – 8 February 1933 | |
| President | Éamon de Valera |
| Preceded by | Fionán Lynch |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Connolly |
| Vice President of Sinn Féin | |
| In office 11 July 1923 – 16 May 1926 | |
| Leader | Éamon de Valera |
| Preceded by | Arthur Griffith |
| Succeeded by | John Madden |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office May 1921 – August 1923 | |
| Constituency | Mayo North and West |
| In office August 1923 – May 1951 | |
| Constituency | Mayo North |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Patrick Joseph Ruttledge 1 January 1892 Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Died | 8 May 1952 (aged 60) Galway, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
| Spouse(s) | Helena Ruttledge (m. 1920; d. 1951) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  |
| Branch/service | Anti-Treaty IRA |
| Battles/wars | Irish War of Independence Irish Civil War |
Born in Ballina, County Mayo, in 1892. He was educated at St Muredach's College there and later St. Enda's School, Rathfarnham, Dublin, run by Patrick Pearse. After studying at Trinity College, Dublin, he qualified as a solicitor in 1918 and built up a practice in his home town.[2]
During the Irish War of Independence he was active in the Irish Republican Army. He was a close friend of Sean MacDermott, with whom he lived for some time.[2] He also took part in local politics, becoming chair of Ballina Urban Council from 1919 to 1932 and chair of Mayo County Council from 1922 to 1926.
He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1921 as a Sinn Féin TD for Mayo North and West.[3] He opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 and joined the Republican forces and was seriously injured during the Civil War.[2] He was re-elected to the Dáil again in 1923 for Mayo North and in a further ten elections until 1951. In 1926, Ruttledge was a founder-member of Fianna Fáil.
He joined the cabinet of Éamon de Valera in 1932, serving as Minister for Lands and Fisheries, Minister for Justice and Minister for Local Government and Public Health, resigning in 1941 for the officially stated reason of "ill health". However, it is speculated by some historians that his actual motivation for the resignation was that he morally objected to the execution of IRA members by the Fianna Fáil government.[4] During Ruttledge's tenure as Minister for Justice, he had executed 3 men for IRA activity but commuted the death sentences of 8 other men. His successor, Gerald Boland, was much more severe, executing 14 men (although commuted 12). Boland's tally of 14 executions was the most by any Minister of Justice in the history of the Irish state.[5] Ruttledge continued to work as TD for over a decade after his resignation despite his "ill health".
Ruttledge died in 1952 while still a member of the Dáil. He was described by the Irish Times as 'a gentle, kind and upright man'. He married Helena and they had one son Ronan who died young and three daughters. A horsebreeder, he was a member of the Turf Club and won the Irish Derby with Mondragon in 1939.[2]
References
- "Patrick Ruttledge". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- "Obituary: Mr P. J. Ruttledge, T. D.", Irish Times, 9 May 1952.
- "Patrick J. Ruttledge". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- Ó Beacháin, Donnacha (12 November 2010). Destiny of the Soldiers – Fianna Fáil, Irish Republicanism and the IRA, 1926–1973: The History of Ireland’s Largest and Most Successful Political Party. Gill Books.
- O'Donnell, Ian (9 November 2017). Justice, Mercy, and Caprice: Clemency and the Death Penalty in Ireland. OUP Oxford. p. 146. ISBN 9780198798477.
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Sinn Féin Teachta Dála for Mayo North and West 1921–1923 |
Succeeded by Ruttledge joins Anti-Treaty faction of Sinn Féin |
| Preceded by Ruttledge was Sinn Féin prior to Treaty split |
Sinn Féin (Anti-Treaty) Teachta Dála for Mayo North and West 1921–1923 |
Succeeded by Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Sinn Féin Teachta Dála for Mayo North 1923–1926 |
Succeeded by Ruttledge joins Fianna Fáil as founder-member |
| Preceded by Ruttledge was previously a member of Sinn Féin |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Mayo North 1926–1952 |
Succeeded by Phelim Calleary |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Fionán Lynch |
Minister for Lands and Fisheries 1932–1933 |
Succeeded by Joseph Connolly |
| Preceded by James Geoghegan |
Minister for Justice 1933–1939 |
Succeeded by Gerald Boland |
| Preceded by Seán T. O'Kelly |
Minister for Local Government and Public Health 1939–1941 |
Succeeded by Seán MacEntee |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Michael O'Flanagan |
Vice President of Sinn Féin 1923–1926 With: Kathleen Lynn |
Succeeded by Mary MacSwiney and John Madden |
