James Crowley (politician)

James Crowley (16 October 1879 – 21 January 1946) was an Irish nationalist politician and veterinary surgeon. He was born at William Street in Listowel, County Kerry and was the son of butcher Michael Crowley and Jane O'Connor. He was a member of the Irish Volunteers. He was elected at the 1918 general election as a Sinn Féin MP for the Kerry North constituency.^[1] In January 1919, Sinn Féin MPs refused to recognise the Parliament of the United Kingdom and instead assembled at the Mansion House in Dublin as a revolutionary parliament called Dáil Éireann. At the official roll call, Crowley was marked "fé ghlas ag Gallaibh" (imprisoned by the foreign enemy).^[2]

James Crowley
Teachta Dála
In office August 1923 – February 1932
Constituency	Kerry
In office May 1921 – August 1923
Constituency	Kerry–Limerick West
In office December 1918 – May 1921
Constituency	Kerry North
Personal details
Born	(1879-10-16)16 October 1879 County Kerry, Ireland
Died	21 January 1946(1946-01-21) (aged 66)
Political party	Cumann na nGaedheal
Other political affiliations	Sinn Féin (until 1923)
Spouse	Clementine Boursin
Children	3
Occupation	Veterinary Surgeon

During the War of Independence he was interned in the Curragh Camp. He was elected at the 1921 elections as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (TD) for Kerry–Limerick West and was released after the truce. He supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty and voted in favour of it. He was re-elected at the 1922 general election as a Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin TD and subsequently as a Cumann na nGaedheal TD at the 1923 general election for the Kerry constituency.^[3] He lost his seat at the 1932 general election and retired from politics.^[3]

Crowley was married in Tralee in November 1909 to Clementine Boursin and raised a family. ^[4]

Sources

• Todd Andrews (1979), Dublin Made Me.