Michael Tierney | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Seanad Éireann | |
| In office 27 April 1938 – 18 August 1944 | |
| Constituency | National University |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office September 1927 – February 1932 | |
| Constituency | National University |
| In office March 1925 – June 1927 | |
| Constituency | Mayo North |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1894-09-30)30 September 1894 Castleblakeney,County Galway, Ireland |
| Died | 10 May 1975(1975-05-10) (aged 80) Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Other political affiliations | |
| Spouse | Eibhlín MacNeill |
| Children | 7 |
| Relatives | Eoin MacNeill (father-in-law) |
| Education | St Joseph's College, Ballinasloe |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
Michael Tierney (30 September 1894 – 10 May 1975) was Professor of Greek atUniversity College Dublin (UCD) from 1923 to 1947 and President of UCD between 1947 and 1964, and was also aCumann na nGaedheal (and laterFine Gael) politician.[1]
Tierney was born in 1894 in thetownland of Esker, nearCastleblakeney,County Galway, the son of Michael Tierney, a farmer, and Bridget Finn.[2][3][4][5] He attendedSt Joseph's College,Ballinasloe,[6] and entered UCD in October 1911. He graduated in 1914 with a first-class honours degree in Ancient Classics. Two years later he was awarded his MA degree, and he worked as an assistant lecturer in Greek from 1918 to 1919 and 1920 to 1922. In 1917 he won aNational University of Ireland (NUI) travelling studentship in Classics and used it to study in theSorbonne,British School at Athens and Berlin from 1919 to 1921. He was appointed to the Chair of Greek in 1922.[7]
Tierney was elected aCumann na nGaedhealTeachta Dála (TD) forMayo North in aby-election in 1925 and for theNUI constituency in 1927, a seat he held until 1932.[8][9]
Tierney came tocorporatism through a study of Catholic social thought, and through an analysis of continental systems of corporatism, particularly those of Portugal and Austria. He was an early member of the Army Comrades Association (later known as theBlueshirts) and, along withErnest Blythe, encouragedEoin O'Duffy to become the leader. Tierney suggested the name "Fine Gael" for a merger between his party, theCentre Party and the Blueshirts.[10]
He was a member ofSeanad Éireann from 1938 to 1944.[1] He was the prime mover behind the transfer of UCD to its present site atBelfield.
On 28 June 1923, he married Eibhlín MacNeill, daughter ofEoin MacNeill; they had five sons and two daughters.[2][11] He wrote a biography of his father-in-law,Eoin MacNeill: scholar and man of action (1980).
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of theUniversity College Dublin 1947–1964 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
