Richard Mulcahy

Richard Mulcahy
Mulcahy in the early 1920s
Leader of the Opposition
In office
9 June 1944 – 18 February 1948
PresidentSeán T. O'Kelly
TaoiseachÉamon de Valera
Preceded byW. T. Cosgrave
Succeeded byÉamon de Valera
Leader of Fine Gael
In office
2 June 1944 – 21 March 1959
Preceded byW. T. Cosgrave
Succeeded byJames Dillon
President of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
In office
14 August 1922 – 19 May 1924
Preceded byMichael Collins
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Ministries
Minister for Education
In office
2 June 1954 – 20 March 1957
TaoiseachJohn A. Costello
Preceded bySeán Moylan
Succeeded byJack Lynch
In office
18 February 1948 – 13 June 1951
TaoiseachJohn A. Costello
Preceded byThomas Derrig
Succeeded bySeán Moylan
Minister for the Gaeltacht
In office
2 June 1956 – 24 October 1956
TaoiseachJohn A. Costello
Preceded byNew office
Succeeded byPatrick Lindsay
Minister for Local Government and Public Health
In office
23 June 1927 – 9 March 1932
PresidentW. T. Cosgrave
Preceded bySéamus Burke
Succeeded bySeán T. O'Kelly
Minister for Defence
In office
10 January 1922 – 19 March 1924
PresidentW. T. Cosgrave
Preceded byCathal Brugha
Succeeded byW. T. Cosgrave (acting)
In office
22 January 1919 – 1 April 1919
PresidentW. T. Cosgrave
Preceded byNew office
Succeeded byCathal Brugha
Constituencies represented
Teachta Dála
In office
February 1948 – October 1961
ConstituencyTipperary South
In office
May 1944 – February 1948
ConstituencyTipperary
In office
June 1938 – June 1943
ConstituencyDublin North-East
In office
August 1923 – July 1937
ConstituencyDublin North
In office
May 1921 – August 1923
ConstituencyDublin North-West
In office
December 1918 – June 1922
ConstituencyDublin Clontarf
Senator
In office
8 September 1943 – 30 May 1944
ConstituencyLabour Panel
In office
27 April 1938 – 17 June 1938
ConstituencyAdministrative Panel
Personal details
Born(1886-05-10)10 May 1886
Waterford, Ireland
Died16 December 1971(1971-12-16) (aged 85)
Dublin, Ireland
Resting placeLittleton, County Tipperary, Ireland
Political partyFine Gael
Spouse
(m. 1920⁠–⁠1971)
Children6, including Neillí
Alma materUniversity College Dublin
Military service
AllegianceIrish Free State
Branch/service
Years of service1913–1924
RankGeneral
Chief of Staff
Battles/wars
Military intelligence file for Richard Mulcahy
Military intelligence file for Richard Mulcahy

Richard James Mulcahy (10 May 1886 – 16 December 1971) was an Irish Fine Gael politician and army general who served as Minister for Education from 1948 to 1951 and 1954 to 1957, Minister for the Gaeltacht from June 1956 to October 1956, Leader of the Opposition from 1944 to 1948, Leader of Fine Gael from 1944 to 1959, Minister for Local Government and Public Health from 1927 to 1932 and Minister for Defence from January to April 1919 and 1922 to 1924. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1918 to 1938 and from 1943 to 1961 and a Senator from March 1938 to June 1938 and 1943 to 1944. He served in the cabinets of W. T. Cosgrave and John A. Costello.

He was an army general who fought in the 1916 Easter Rising, served as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence and became commander-in-chief of the National Army in the Irish Civil War after the death of Michael Collins.