Thomas Derrig (; 26 November 1897 – 19 November 1956) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Lands from 1939 to 1943 and 1951 to 1954, Minister for Education from 1932 to 1939 and 1940 to 1948 and Minister for Posts and Telegraphs in September 1939. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1921 to 1923 and 1927 to 1957.

Early life

Derrig was born on 26 November 1897, in Westport, County Mayo, the son of Patrick Derrig and Winifred Derrig (née Sammon). He was educated locally and later at University College Galway.

Revolutionary period

During his time in college he organised a corps of the Irish Volunteers. Derrig did not take part in the 1916 Easter Rising but was arrested in the aftermath. He was imprisoned in Woking, Wormwood Scrubs and Frongoch internment camp. He was arrested in July 1918, and was accused of attempting to disarm a soldier. He was sentenced to five months imprisonment by a court in Belfast. When he was released in November 1918, he supported Joseph MacBride at the 1918 Irish general election. After his release, he graduated from college and became headmaster in a technical college in Mayo.

During the Irish War of Independence he was the Brigade Commandant of the West Mayo Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), before being captured in January 1921 and interned at the Curragh Camp. During the Truce period, he was appointed Divisional Director of Organisation of 4 Western Division IRA.

Taking the anti-Treaty side in the Irish Civil War, Derrig took part in fighting against National forces in Dublin. He escaped from Dublin on 30 June 1922 and served as Adjutant to Ernest O'Malley during fighting in counties Wicklow and Wexford in July and August. Derrig was appointed IRA Adjutant General by Liam Lynch in November 1922 and was serving in that position when arrested by National Forces on 6 April 1923.

On that same date, while in custody of the Criminal Investigation Department in Oriel House, Derrig was shot in the face by a CID detective and lost his left eye. Derrig was interned at Kilmainham Gaol and was a leader there during the 1923 Irish hunger strikes Derrig was later awarded a pension by the Irish government under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934 for his service with the Irish Volunteers and the IRA between 1917 and 1923.

In 1928, he married Sinéad Mason of Ards, County Down; they had two daughters.

From 1939 to 1943, he served as Minister for Lands. He was re-appointed to Education in 1943 until 1948. During this period a bitter teachers' strike, involving the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO), took place, lasting from 20 March to 30 October. He was challenged at a public meeting in 1945 when he called for history to inculcate a spirt of self-sacrifice, only to be followed by the historrian Professor Robert Dudley Edwards disagreed with this view and said that the teaching of the subject in school was 'something dull and learned by heart' and needed reform. Between 1951 and 1954, Derrig became Minister for Lands again.

Thomas Derrig died in Dublin on 19 November 1956, seven days before his 59th birthday. No by-election was held for his seat.

References

  • Obituary, Connaught Telegraph, 24 November 1956 (Mayo County Library)