Ted Russell | |
---|---|
Senator | |
In office November 1969 – May 1977 | |
Constituency | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
Teachta Dála | |
In office March 1957 – October 1961 | |
Constituency | Limerick East |
Personal details | |
Born | George Edward Russell 9 April 1912 Limerick, Ireland |
Died | 28 November 2004 Limerick, Ireland | (aged 92)
Political party | |
Spouse |
Dervilla Gleeson (
m. 1938) |
Children | 4 |
Education |
|
George Edward Russell (9 April 1912 – 28 November 2004) was an Irish politician and company director. [1]
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]
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]
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]