Patrick Beegan

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Hiberno-English Patrick Beegan (26 May 1895 – 2 February 1958) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician.

Early life and revolutionary period

He was born in the townland of Oatfield, Cappataggle, County Galway, to John Beegan, a herdsman, and Mary Stephenson. Beegan claims that he was active with the Aughrim Company, Ballinasloe Battalion, Galway Brigade, Irish Volunteers from 1917. During the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921), Beegan took part in general IRA activity and claims that he was Battalion Adjutant, Battalion Vice Commandant and Battalion Commandant of 3 Battalion, 1 Brigade (Galway), 1 Western Division, IRA during the Truce period (1921-1922). Taking the anti-Treaty side in the Irish Civil War (1922-1923), Beegan took part in several armed operations against National Army troops. He was captured in August 1922, interned by the Free State government, took part in a 14 days hunger strike in October 1923 and was released in November 1923. Beegan unsuccessfully applied to the Irish government for a military service pension under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934 but was awarded a Service (1917-1921) Medal in 1944.

Politics

He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1932 general election when Fianna Fáil first came to power. He was re-elected for various Galway constituencies a further nine occasions. In 1951 he was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance by Éamon de Valera's government. He served in that position until 1954, and was re-appointed in 1957 when Fianna Fáil returned to power. Beegan served in that post until his death on 2 February 1958.

The subsequent by-election to fill Beegan's seat in the Galway South constituency was won by his nephew, Anthony Millar, whose mother, Mary, was Beegan's sister.Template:Fact