Tomás Ó Deirg

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Tomás Ó Deirg (English: Thomas Derrig; November 26, 1897 – November 19, 1956) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician.

Ó Deirg was born on November 26, 1897, in County Mayo. He was educated locally and at University College, Galway. During his time in college he organised a corps of the Irish Volunteers. After the 1916 Easter Rising he was arrested and imprisoned. After his release he graduated from college and became headmaster in a technical college in Mayo. During the War of Independence Ó Deirg was interned at the Curragh. While there he was elected Sinn Féin MP for Mayo.

Ó Deirg took the republican side after the Irish Civil War. He was later captured by the Irish Free State army. In 1927 he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD. In Éamon de Valera's first government in 1932 Ó Deirg was appointed Minister for Education. Between 1939 and 1943 he served as Minister for Lands. He was re-appointed to Education in 1943 until 1948. Between 1951 and 1954 he became Minister for Lands again.

Tomás Ó Deirg died on November 19, 1956 in Dublin, seven days before his 59th birthday.

[edit] Political career

Political offices
Preceded by John M. O'Sullivan	Minister for Education 1932–1939	Succeeded by Seán T. O'Kelly
Preceded by Oscar Traynor	Minister for Posts & Telegraphs 1939	Succeeded by Patrick Little
Preceded by Gerald Boland	Minister for Lands 1939–1943	Succeeded by Seán Moylan
Preceded by Éamon de Valera	Minister for Education 1940–1948	Succeeded by Richard Mulcahy
Preceded by Joseph Blowick	Minister for Lands 1951–1954	Succeeded by Joseph Blowick