William T. Cosgrave
| William Thomas Cosgrave | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| President of the Executive Council | |
|
In office 6 December 1922 – 9 March 1932 |
|
| Vice President |
Kevin O'Higgins Ernest Blythe |
| Preceded by | Himself as Chairman of the Provisional Government / Himself as President of Dáil Éireann |
| Succeeded by | Éamon de Valera |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
6 June 1880 Dublin, UK |
| Died | 16 November 1965 (aged 85) Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party |
Sinn Féin (1905–22) Cumann na nGaedheal (1923–33) Fine Gael (1933–44) |
| Spouse(s) | Louisa Flanagan |
| Children | 2, including Liam Cosgrave |
| Profession | Publican |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Years of service | 1913–16 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | |
William Thomas "W. T." Cosgrave (Irish: Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair; 6 June 1880 – 16 November 1965) was an Irish politician who succeeded Michael Collins as Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State from August to December 1922. He served as the first President of the Executive Council (prime minister) of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932. Cosgrave never technically held the office of Taoiseach (the current title of Ireland's head of government, created in 1937); however, as the first elected head of government in an independent Ireland, he is by convention considered to have been the first Taoiseach.
William Thomas Cosgrave, W. T., or Liam as he was generally known, was born at 174 James's Street, Dublin in 1880. He was educated at the Christian Brothers School at Malahide Road, Marino, before entering his father's publican business. Cosgrave first became politically active when he attended the first Sinn Féin convention in 1905.
He was a Sinn Féin councillor on Dublin Corporation from 1909 until 1922 and joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913, though never joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood because he didn't believe in secret societies. Cosgrave played an active role in the Easter Rising of 1916 serving under Eamonn Ceannt as a Captain at the South Dublin Union. Following the rebellion Cosgrave was sentenced to death, however this was later commuted to penal servitude for life and he was interned in Frongoch, Wales. While in prison Cosgrave won a seat for Sinn Féin in the Kilkenny City by-election of August 1917, after his victory he made a speech on the balcony of the courthouse. In September 1917 he and Michael Collins addressed a crowd in Dunboyne, County Meath urging people to join the Irish Volunteers.
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