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Ted Russell (Irish politician)

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Ted Russell
Senator
In office
5 November 1969 – 27 October 1977
ConstituencyIndustrial and Commercial Panel
Teachta Dála
In office
March 1957 – October 1961
ConstituencyLimerick East
Personal details
Born
George Edward Russell

(1912-04-09)9 April 1912
Limerick, Ireland
Died28 November 2004(2004-11-28) (aged 92)
Limerick, Ireland
Political party
Spouse
Dervilla Gleeson
​
(m. 1938)​
Children4
Education

George Edward Russell (9 April 1912 – 28 November 2004) was an Irish politician and company director.[1]

Early life

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He was born 9 April 1912 in the family home at 4 Moyola Terrace, Limerick, the eldest of two sons and a daughter of Matthew John Russell and his wife Mary (née Rohan). His grandfather George established a bakery in Limerick in 1870 and represented Irishtown ward on Limerick City Council. His father continued the business and in the 1920s acquired control of Dan O'Connor Ltd, a corn and provisions merchant founded in 1848 by Ted's granduncle.[2]

Russell was educated first at Crescent College in Limerick, and for a short time Mount St Benedict's near Gorey; and at Stonyhurst College in Lancashire.[3]

From 1930 he played rugby for Bohemians RFC as a second‑row forward, being captain for two seasons (1935–1937), and maintained a lifelong association with Bohemians, serving as club president in 1967–1968. He was selected for Munster Rugby during 1936–1938. In 1938 he had a final trial for Ireland and might have achieved international honours but for the outbreak of World War II, though he believed that he was too lightweight.[2]

Politics

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Russell first stood for election as a Clann na Poblachta candidate at the 1948 general election but was not elected. He was also an unsuccessful candidate at the 1951 general election and the 1952 Limerick East by-election. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as an Independent Teachta Dála (TD) for the Limerick East constituency at the 1957 general election.[4] He lost his seat at the 1961 general election.[5] He was elected to the 12th Seanad in 1969 on the Industrial and Commercial Panel and was re-elected to the 13th Seanad in 1973. He was defeated at the 1977 Seanad election. He unsuccessfully contested the 1965 general election as a Fine Gael candidate.[5]

He was a longtime member of Limerick Corporation, elected first as an independent (1942) and later as a member of Gluais Linn (1945), Clann na Poblachta (1950, 1955), and Fine Gael (1960, 1967, 1974, 1979).[6] He served as Mayor of Limerick on five occasions (1954–1957, 1967–1968 and 1976–1977). He was made a Freeman of the city in 1995.[7] and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Limerick in 2002.[8]

He was the President of the Limerick Chamber from 1948 to 1950.[9]

Later life

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Russell was active in the campaign for the establishment of a university in Limerick, which led to the establishment of the National Institute for Higher Education (later the University of Limerick) in 1972.[10]

In 1938, he married Dervilla Gleeson of Nenagh, and they had four children.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Seanad Éireann - Volume 178 - 2 December 2004 - Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy". Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  2. ^ a b c Clavin, Terry. "Russell, George Edward (Ted)". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Public-spirited Limerick merchant prince". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  4. ^ "George E. Russell". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  5. ^ a b "George Russell". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  6. ^ Cusack, John; Hanley, Liam; Lee, David; Jacobs, Debbie. "Limerick Municipal Elections 1841–2009" (MS Word). Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  7. ^ Eugene Hogan (5 December 2004). "Ted Russell". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  8. ^ "JP McManus receives honorary doctorate". RTÉ News. 25 November 2002. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  9. ^ Potter, Matthew; Slater, Sharon (2015). Limerick's Merchants, Traders and Shakers. Limerick: Limerick Chamber. ISBN 9780953835416.
  10. ^ Pat Kearney (1990). "Towards a University for Limerick 1934–1972" (PDF). Old Limerick Journal (27): 45–56.
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