Joseph Connolly

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For the British novelist, see Joseph Connolly (author).

Joseph Connolly (19 January 1885 – 18 January 1961) was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician.

Born in Belfast in 1885, Joseph Connolly was an ardent nationalist. He was a co-founder of the first Freedom Club to propagate Sinn Féin's message in 1911. He was a leader of the Irish Volunteers in Belfast between 1914 and 1916, and was interned after the Easter Rising. He served on one of the commissions of the First Dáil in 1919. In 1923, he played a major role in channelling the activities of anti-Treatyites into a new political organization, which became known as Fianna Fáil.

Connolly was a member of Seanad Éireann from 1928 until 1936. In this time he served as a director of the "Irish Press" newspaper and served as a Minister in the government of Éamon de Valera. From 1936 until 1950 he served as chairman of the Office of Public Works. He died in 1961, one day before his 76th birthday.

[edit] Political career

Political offices
Preceded by Ernest Blythe	Minister for Posts & Telegraphs 1932–1933	Succeeded by Gerald Boland
Preceded by P. J. Ruttledge	Minister for Lands & Fisheries 1933–1936	Succeeded by Frank Aiken