Richard Mulcahy

Richard Mulcahy
Mulcahy in the early 1920s
Leader of the Opposition
In office 9 June 1944 – 18 February 1948
President	Seán T. O'Kelly
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera
Preceded by	W. T. Cosgrave
Succeeded by	Éamon de Valera
Leader of Fine Gael
In office 2 June 1944 – 21 March 1959
Preceded by	W. T. Cosgrave
Succeeded by	James Dillon
President of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
In office 14 August 1922 – 19 May 1924
Preceded by	Michael Collins
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Ministries Minister for Education In office 2 June 1954 – 20 March 1957 Taoiseach John A. Costello Preceded by Seán Moylan Succeeded by Jack Lynch In office 18 February 1948 – 13 June 1951 Taoiseach John A. Costello Preceded by Thomas Derrig Succeeded by Seán Moylan Minister for the Gaeltacht In office 2 June 1956 – 24 October 1956 Taoiseach John A. Costello Preceded by New office Succeeded by Patrick Lindsay Minister for Local Government and Public Health In office 23 June 1927 – 9 March 1932 President W. T. Cosgrave Preceded by Séamus Burke Succeeded by Seán T. O'Kelly Minister for Defence In office 10 January 1922 – 19 March 1924 President W. T. Cosgrave Preceded by Cathal Brugha Succeeded by W. T. Cosgrave (acting) In office 22 January 1919 – 1 April 1919 President W. T. Cosgrave Preceded by New office Succeeded by Cathal Brugha
Constituencies represented Teachta Dála In office February 1948 – October 1961 Constituency Tipperary South In office May 1944 – February 1948 Constituency Tipperary In office June 1938 – June 1943 Constituency Dublin North-East In office August 1923 – July 1937 Constituency Dublin North In office May 1921 – August 1923 Constituency Dublin North-West In office December 1918 – June 1922 Constituency Dublin Clontarf Senator In office 8 September 1943 – 30 May 1944 Constituency Labour Panel In office 27 April 1938 – 17 June 1938 Constituency Administrative Panel
Personal details
Born	(1886-05-10)10 May 1886 Waterford, Ireland
Died	16 December 1971(1971-12-16) (aged 85) Dublin, Ireland
Resting place	Littleton, County Tipperary, Ireland
Political party	Fine Gael
Spouse	Josephine Ryan ​ (m. 1920⁠–⁠1971)​
Children	6, including Neillí
Alma mater	University College Dublin
Military service
Allegiance	Irish Free State
Branch/service	Irish Volunteers Irish Republican Brotherhood Irish Republican Army National Army
Years of service	1913–1924
Rank	General Chief of Staff
Battles/wars	Easter Rising Irish War of Independence Irish Civil War

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.