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Noel Hartnett

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Noel Hartnett
Senator
In office
14 August 1951 – 22 July 1954
ConstituencyLabour Panel
Personal details
Born(1909-12-21)21 December 1909
County Kerry,Ireland
Died4 October 1960(1960-10-04)(aged 50)
Dublin,Ireland
Political partyClann na Poblachta
Other political
affiliations
Children3
EducationSt Brendan's College, Killarney
Alma mater

Maurice Noel Hartnett(21 December 1909 – 4 October 1960) was anIrishpolitician, barrister, broadcaster and writer. He was aClann na Poblachtamember ofSeanad Éireannfrom 1951 to 1954.[1]

Hartnett was born 21 December 1909 inKenmare,County Kerry, a son of William Hartnett, a pharmacist and member of theIrish Republican Brotherhood,and Kathleen Hartnett (née Barbery).[1]During theIrish Civil Warthe Hartnett home and family business were burnt down and they moved to Dublin.[1]He was educated atSt Brendan's College, KillarneyandTrinity College Dublin(TCD).[1]

He worked as a schoolteacher before becoming press officer to the Irish Tourist Association. In the 1930s he joinedRadio Éireann,the Irish broadcasting company, as producer, commentator, scriptwriter and announcer.[1]He joinedFianna Fáilwhile in TCD, and became a party election organiser. He also represented theDublin Universityconstituency on the Fianna Fáil national executive.[1]

He studied atKing's Innsand was called to the bar in 1937.[1]Until the 1940s, Hartnett wasJunior counselto formerIRA Chief of StaffSeán MacBridein a number of defences of IRA prisoners. In 1946, the pair represented the deceased hunger-strikerSeán McCaugheyat an inquest into his death, which embarrassed the government ofÉamon de Valeraby exposing the poor conditions atPortlaoise Prison.[2][3]Hartnett - whose family were all supporters of de Valera and Fianna Fáil - was then dismissed from his position at Radio Éireann under the influence of de Valera.[4]Hartnett left Fianna Faíl soon after and joinedClann na Poblachta,the new political party founded by MacBride.

In 1947, MacBride became aTeachta Dála(TD) for Dublin County in the 1947 by-election.[5]De Valera then sought to outwit his opponents with a snap election in 1948. Because of his political experience, MacBride chose Hartnett as his director of elections. He narrated and appeared in Ireland's first political campaigning film, for Clann na Poblachta, called "Our Country".[6] After the new party won ten seats, it formed part of the firstInter-Party Government,ousting Fianna Fáil from their long tenure as the party of government. Hartnett had failed to win the seat for theDún Laoghaire and Rathdownconstituency,[7]though there remained the possibility of appointment to theSeanad Éireann.However, he was bitterly hurt to be overlooked by Seán MacBride to be party spokesman in the Seanad. After a bill to fund a new Irish News Agency (with an anti-partition slant) was passed in 1949, MacBride's initial choice for head of the Agency was Hartnett but after a row with him he asked Conor Cruise O'Brien instead, a man who referred to Hartnett as "a dedicated republican propagandist." Hartnett ended up on the board of the Agency. MacBride also took Hartnett with him as a speech-writer on a trip to the USA, to pen the rousing, sentimental, republican message for the local audience; Hartnett was sent home half-way through, initially explaining that MacBride considered the words of his speech too aggressive.[8]Eventually, because of MacBride's failure to act regarding a case of political cronyism concerningJames Everett,Minister for Posts and Telegraphsin the Baltinglass affair, he provided a resignation letter for MacBride in February 1951.[9][10]

In the subsequent election of 1951 he wasNoël Browne's director of elections - with Browne running as anindependent- and he threatened legal action against some clerics of theCatholic Churchwho had cast Browne, in his support of free healthcare, either ascommunistorNazi.[11]

It was arranged that same year for Hartnett to see a consultant cardiologist because of his ill health, and he was given a poor prognosis.[12]Notwithstanding this, he continued in politics and was elected by theLabour Panelto the7th Seanad,representing Clann na Poblachta.[13]He rejoined Fianna Fáil in October 1953, along with Noël Browne.[1]He lost his seat at the 1954 Seanad election. In 1957 he resigned from Fianna Fáil with Browne, for whom he acted as election agent in the 1957 general election.[1]In June 1958, he failed in his second attempt to become a TD, this time representing theNational Progressive Democratsin theDublin South-Central constituencyby-election.[7]

He died from heart disease on 4 October 1960 at his home inStillorgan,County Dublin. He was married, with two sons and a daughter.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefghijMaume, Patrick."Hartnett, (Maurice) Noel".Dictionary of Irish Biography.Retrieved31 March2024.
  2. ^Browne, Noel (1986).Against The Tide.Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 89.
  3. ^Keane, Elizabeth (2006).An Irish Statesman and Revolutionary: the nationalist and internationalist politics of Sean MacBride.IB Tauris. p. 13.
  4. ^Browne, Noel (1986).Against The Tide.Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 90.
  5. ^"Seán MacBride".ElectionsIreland.org.Retrieved29 October2017.
  6. ^Irish Film & TV Research Online."Our Country".tcd.ie.Retrieved28 October2017.
  7. ^ab"Noel Hartnett".ElectionsIreland.org.Retrieved29 October2017.
  8. ^Browne, Noel (1986).Against The Tide.Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 137.
  9. ^Browne, Noel (1986).Against The Tide.Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 139.
  10. ^Keane, Elizabeth (2006).An Irish Statesman and Revolutionary: the nationalist and internationalist politics of Sean MacBride.IB Tauris. p. 93.
  11. ^Browne, Noel (1986).Against The Tide.Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 207.
  12. ^Browne, Noel (1986).Against The Tide.Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 138.
  13. ^"Noel Hartnett".Oireachtas Members Database.Retrieved29 October2017.
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