Thomas Brennan

Thomas Brennan (1886 – 22 January 1953) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who sat for 9 years as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Wicklow.

Early life and revolutionary period Brennan joined the Irish Volunteers in 1917, was appointed Battalion Commandant of 4 Battalion, North Wexford Brigade and was involved in raids and other armed operations during Irish War of Independence. Taking the anti-Treaty side in the Irish Civil War, Brennan took part in fighting against National forces in County Wexford and County Wicklow. He was captured on 28 July 1922, took part in the burning of Portlaoise Jail, underwent 23 days hunger strike, and was released on 11 May 1924.

Politics A building contractor before entering politics, Brennan first stood for election to Dáil Éireann at the 1943 general election but failed to win a seat. The following year, at the 1944 general election, he unseated his Fianna Fáil colleague Christopher Byrne and took his seat in the 15th Dáil. He was re-elected at the 1948 election and again at the 1951 general election but died in office on 22 January 1953.

The by-election for his seat was held on 18 June 1953 and won by the Fine Gael candidate Mark Deering. At the 1954 general election, his son Paudge Brennan was elected for Fianna Fáil, beginning a 30-year career in the Oireachtas.