Oscar Traynor
| Oscar Traynor | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Justice | |
|
In office 20 March 1957 – 11 October 1961 |
|
| Taoiseach |
Éamon de Valera Seán Lemass |
| Preceded by | James Everett |
| Succeeded by | Charles Haughey |
| Minister for Defence | |
|
In office 13 June 1951 – 2 June 1954 |
|
| Taoiseach | Éamon de Valera |
| Preceded by | Seán Mac Eoin |
| Succeeded by | Seán Mac Eoin |
|
In office 8 September 1939 – 18 February 1948 |
|
| Taoiseach | Éamon de Valera |
| Preceded by | Frank Aiken |
| Succeeded by | Thomas F. O'Higgins |
| Minister for Posts and Telegraphs | |
|
In office 11 November 1936 – 8 September 1939 |
|
| Taoiseach | Éamon de Valera |
| Preceded by | Gerald Boland |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Derrig |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
21 March 1886 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 15 December 1963 (aged 77) Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party |
Fianna Fáil Sinn Féin |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Oscar Traynor (21 March 1886 – 15 December 1963) was an Irish politician and republican. He served in a number of cabinet positions, most notably as the country's longest-serving Minister for Defence.
Oscar Traynor was born into a strongly nationalist family in Dublin. He was educated by the Christian Brothers in Dublin. In 1899 he was apprenticed to John Long, a famous wood-carver. As a young man he was a noted footballer and toured Europe as a goalkeeper with Belfast Celtic F.C. whom he played with from 1910 to 1912.
Traynor joined the Irish Volunteers and took part in the Easter Rising in 1916. Following this he was interned in Wales. During the Irish War of Independence he was brigadier of the Dublin Brigade of the Irish Republican Army and led the attack on The Custom House in 1921 and an ambush on the West Kent Regiment at Claude Road, Drumcondra on 16 June 1921 when the Thompson submachine gun was fired for the first time in action. When the Irish Civil War broke out in June 1922, Traynor took the republican side.
The Dublin Brigade was split however, with many of its members following Michael Collins in taking the pro-Treaty side. Traynor and his supporters tried to help the republicans who had occupied the Four Courts when they were attacked by Free State forces, by occupying O'Connell Street. Traynor and his men held out for a week of street fighting before making their escape. He organised guerilla activity in south Dublin and County Wicklow, before being captured by Free State troops in September. He was then imprisoned for the remainder of the war.
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