Dan Breen
| Dan Breen | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Teachta Dála | |
|
In office 1923–1927 |
|
|
In office 1932–1948 |
|
| Constituency | Tipperary |
|
In office 1948–1965 |
|
| Constituency | Tipperary South |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
10 October 1894 County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Died | 27 December 1969 (aged 75) Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party |
Fianna Fáil Sinn Féin |
| Spouse(s) | Brigid Malone |
Daniel "Dan" Breen (Irish: Dónall Ó Braoin; 11 August 1894 – 27 December 1969) was a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. In later years, he was a Fianna Fáil politician.
Dan Breen was born in Grange, Donohill parish, County Tipperary. His father died when Dan was six, leaving them very poor.
He was educated locally before becoming a plasterer, and later a linesman on the Great Southern Railways.
Breen was sworn into the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1912 and the Irish Volunteers in 1914. On 21 January 1919, the day the First Dáil met in Dublin, Breen, who described himself as "a soldier first and foremost" took part in the Soloheadbeg Ambush. The ambush party of eight men, led by Séamus Robinson, attacked two Royal Irish Constabulary men who were escorting explosives to a quarry. The two policemen, James McDonnell and Patrick O’Connell, were fatally shot during the incident. The ambush is considered to be the first incident of the Irish War of Independence.
Breen later recalled:
"...we took the action deliberately, having thought over the matter and talked it over between us. Treacy had stated to me that the only way of starting a war was to kill someone, and we wanted to start a war, so we intended to kill some of the police whom we looked upon as the foremost and most important branch of the enemy forces ... The only regret that we had following the ambush was that there were only two policemen in it, instead of the six we had expected..."
...
Wikipedia