Michael ffrench-O'Carroll

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Dr. Michael ffrench-O'Carroll (15 September 1919 – 5 May 2007) was an Irish medical doctor and independent (i.e. non-party) TD and Senator. He served one term in each house of the Oireachtas in the 1950s.

Born in Dublin, he qualified in medicine at Trinity College, Dublin. He married Renee Marie de la Laforcade in 1944. He joined Clann na Poblachta as the same time as Noel Browne, though he did not stand in the 1948 general election. He became a Clann na Poblachta member of Dublin City Council in 1950.

He was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt, as an independent candidate at the 1951 general election in the Dublin South West constituency. He took the fourth seat in the 5-seat constituency, defeating Fine Gael TD Michael J. O'Higgins. His former party leader Seán MacBride was also elected in the same constituency. Taking his seat in the 14th Dáil, he supported the Fianna Fáil government on most issues.^[1]

In 1953 he joined Fianna Fáil together with Noel Browne. He stood again in Dublin South West at the 1954 general election, this time as a Fianna Fáil candidate, but lost his seat to O'Higgins. He then contested the 1954 Seanad Éireann elections as an independent candidate on the Cultural and Educational Panel, and was elected to the 8th Seanad.

At the 1957 general election, he was again an unsuccessful Fianna Fáil candidate in Dublin South West. He was not re-elected to the Seanad.

He later became a pioneer in the field of addiction care. He established an out-patient centre at Arbour House in Cork. He also helped establish a residential programme for young adult heroin addicts at Cuan Mhuire in Athy. He published a book on addiction in 1995. He died on 5 May 2007.