Patrick Lindsay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister for the Gaeltacht | |
| In office 24 October 1956 – 20 March 1957 | |
| Taoiseach | John A. Costello |
| Preceded by | Richard Mulcahy |
| Succeeded by | Jack Lynch |
| Parliamentary Secretary | |
| 1956 | Gaeltacht |
| 1956 | Education |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office April 1965 – June 1969 | |
| In office May 1954 – October 1961 | |
| Constituency | Mayo North |
| Senator | |
| In office 14 December 1961 – 7 April 1965 | |
| Constituency | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1914-01-18)18 January 1914 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 29 June 1993(1993-06-29) (aged 79) Connemara,County Galway, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | St. Muiredach's College |
| Alma mater | University College Galway |
Patrick James Lindsay (18 January 1914 – 29 June 1993) was an Irish politician and lawyer.[1]
He was born in 1914 in theRotunda Hospital,Dublin, the eldest of three sons and four daughters of Patrick Lindsay, post office worker, and his wife Mary (née Keegan).[2] Before his second birthday, the family returned to their nativeCounty Mayo, settling in the village of Doolough,Kiltane parish,Erris. He received his primary education atGweesalia national school, and attended secondary school at St. Muiredach's College,Ballina. He subsequently attendedUniversity College Galway, where he studied ancient classics, between 1933 and 1937, graduating with an M.A. He was a noted figure in the college – a gifted orator, he served on the committee of the Literary and Debating Society, and took part in the productions of the Drama Society. He was also a member of theBlueshirts movement while in college. He was only just dissuaded by his classics professor at the last moment from embarking with theIrish Brigade underEoin O'Duffy to fight forFranco in theSpanish Civil War.[2]
It was while I was at UCG that the movement known as the Blueshirts came into existence. I’ve said it before and I say it again here, I am an unrepentant Blueshirt.
— Memories[3]
However, while Lindsay declared himself as being "an unrepentant" Blueshirt, in his autobiography he denied that himself or many of the membership saw themselves as actual Fascists. Rather that they viewed themselves as a pseudo-paramilitary wing ofCumann na nGaedheal that was a response to the IRA of the 1930s acting as a pseudo-paramilitary wing of Fianna Fáil, and in fact, that they saw themselves as Democrats upholding free speech.
As for the charge ofFascism- that's total nonsense. Most of us did not know what it is and had we known we would have been totally opposed to it. We felt, indeed we still feel, that our democratic credentials were impeccable. We had defended the State, democratically established in the past against the all that could be thrown against it during thecivil war and we are not going to change now.
— Memories, page 54[4]
Lindsay subsequently became a teacher of classics at the Royal School,Cavan, and later at schools in Dublin. He studied law atUniversity College Dublin and theKing's Inns, and was called to the Irish Bar in 1946.[2] He married Moya Brady in 1952, and they had three children.[2]
He was elected toDáil Éireann on his sixth attempt, at the1954 general election as aFine GaelTeachta Dála (TD) forMayo North.[5] He was re-elected at the1957 general election, but lost his seat at the1961 general election, after which he was elected to the10th Seanad by theIndustrial and Commercial Panel. He becameLeas-Chathaoirleach of the Seanad.
Lindsay returned to the Dáil at the1965 general election, but lost his seat at the1969 general election, when he switched constituency toDublin North-Central. He was again unsuccessful at the1973 general election.
His ministerial career was brief, lasting only eight months. In July 1956, he was appointed byTaoiseachJohn A. Costello asParliamentary Secretary to theMinister for the Gaeltacht and to theMinister for Education in theSecond Inter-Party Government. In October 1956, he was promoted to the cabinet as Minister for the Gaeltacht, serving until March 1957, whenFianna Fáil returned to power after the1957 general election. On his return to the Dáil in 1965, he was appointed Fine Gael spokesman on transport and power.[2]
Lindsay had become aSenior Counsel in 1954, and following the loss of his parliamentary seat in 1969, he devoted himself full-time to his practice at the bar, becoming a leading figure in criminal law. In 1975, he was appointed to the position of Master of the High Court, from which he retired on his seventieth birthday in January 1984.[2]
Lindsay served as chair ofCumann Céimithe na Gaillimhe, the University College Galway Graduate Association, during the 1980s. He published his memoirs in 1992. He died on 29 June 1993.[2]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| New office | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Gaeltacht Jul.–Oct. 1956 | Office abolished |
| New office | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education Jul.–Oct. 1956 | |
| Preceded by | Minister for the Gaeltacht 1956–1957 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
