Ernest Blythe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Ernest Blythe**
Vice-President of the Executive Council
Periods in office: 14 July 1927 – 9 March 1932
Predecessor(s)	Kevin O'Higgins
Successor(s)	Seán T. O'Kelly
Born	13 April 1889 Lisburn, Ireland
Died	23 February 1975 Dublin, Ireland
Political party	Cumann na nGaedhael

Ernest Blythe (Irish: Earnán de Blaghd) (April 13, 1889 – February 23, 1975) was an Irish politician.

Ernest Blythe was born to a Protestant family near Lisburn, County Antrim in 1889. He was the son of a farmer and was educated locally. At the age of fifteen he started working as a clerk in the Department of Agriculture in Dublin. Blythe also joined the Gaelic League and the IRB. In the Gaelic League his Irish teacher was Sinéad Flanagan, the future wife of Éamon de Valera. In 1909 Blythe became a junior news reporter with the North Down Herald.

Blythe soon became involved in the activities of the Irish Volunteers. This led to years of arrests, imprisonment, and hunger strikes. He spent the Easter Rising of 1916 in prison. In the general election of 1918 Blythe was elected as a TD for North Monaghan. From then until 1922 he served as Minister for Industry & Commerce. Blythe was a strong supporter of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and in 1923 he became Minister for Finance in President W.T. Cosgrave's first government. Blythe was committed to keeping a balanced budget at all costs, he did however fund the Ardnacrusha or Shannon Scheme. There was widespread criticism when he reduced old-age pensions from 10 shillings (50p) to 9 shillings (45p) a week. Blythe also served as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and Vice-President of the Executive Council. In the 1933 general election Blythe lost his seat.

Blythe was a senior figure in the Blueshirts and his support for Eoin O'Duffy as leader of that organisation (and of the Fine Gael party) left him a marginal figure, once Fine Gael rid itself of O'Duffy.

He served in the Senate until the institution was abolished in 1936. He then retired from politics.

Throughout his life he was committed to the revival of the Irish language. He encouraged Micheál MacLiammóir and Hilton Edwards to found an Irish language theatre in Galway.

Between 1941 and 1967 he served as managing director of the Abbey Theatre. It was said that he rejected many good plays in favour of ones which were more financially rewarding. In 1957 he published an autobiographical account of his life until 1913.

Ernest Blythe died in Dublin on February 23, 1975, aged 85.

[edit] Ministerial Career

Political offices
Preceded by Newly Created Office	Minister for Trade & Commerce 1919–1922	Succeeded by Joseph McGrath
Preceded by W. T. Cosgrave	Minister for Local Government 1922–1923	Succeeded by Séamus Burke
Preceded by W. T. Cosgrave	Minister for Finance 1923–1932	Succeeded by Seán MacEntee
Preceded by Kevin O'Higgins	Vice-President of the Executive Council 1927–1932	Succeeded by Seán T. O'Kelly
Preceded by James J. Walsh	Minister for Posts & Telegraphs 1927–1932	Succeeded by Joseph Connolly

Vice-Presidents of the Executive Council Leas-Uachtaráin na hArd-Chomhairle
Kevin O'Higgins • Ernest Blythe • Seán T. O'Kelly

Tánaistí na hÉireann Seán T. O'Kelly • Seán Lemass • William Norton • Seán MacEntee • Frank Aiken • Erskine H. Childers • Brendan Corish • George Colley • Michael O'Leary • Ray MacSharry • Dick Spring • Peter Barry • Brian Lenihan • John P. Wilson • Bertie Ahern • Mary Harney • Michael McDowell