Global InformationList of members of the Oireachtas imprisoned since 1923 information
This is a list of members of the Oireachtas (National Parliament of Ireland)[1] who served a prison sentence or were interned since 1923 in any jurisdiction before, during or after their time as a Teachta Dála (TD) or Senator.
| Name | Party | Term of office | Prison time | Prison(s) | Reason | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Coyle | Cumann na nGaedheal | 1923 | May 1924 | 1924–27 | ? | Fraud (Bouncing cheques)[2] | Disqualified from the Oireachtas as a result | |
| Seán McGuinness | Republican | 1923 | October 1925 | 1925–26 | Mountjoy | Assaulting a Garda Sergeant | Disqualified from the Oireachtas as a result | |
| Dominick Cafferky | Clann na Talmhan | 1943 | 1954 | early 1940s | Sligo Gaol | 1940s land agitation in Mayo[2] | Later became a leading Dáil spokesman on penal reform | |
| Bernard Commons | Clann na Talmhan | Dec 1945 | 1957 | early 1940s | Sligo Gaol | 1940s land agitation in Mayo[2] | ||
| James Larkin | Labour Party | 1927 | 1944 | 1940s | ? | Bankruptcy[2] | ||
| John Joe McGirl | Sinn Féin | 1957 | 1961 | 1946 | ? | IRA membership | ||
| 1957–62 | Mountjoy | Actions during the IRA Border Campaign | ||||||
| Tomás Mac Giolla | Workers' Party | Nov 1982 | 1992 | 1956–62 | Mountjoy | IRA membership and actions during the IRA Border Campaign | ||
| Proinsias De Rossa | Sinn Féin, Workers' Party, Democratic Left, Labour Party |
Feb 1982 | 2002 | 1956–59 | Mountjoy, Curragh Camp | IRA membership and actions during the IRA Border Campaign | ||
| Bernard Durkan | Fine Gael | 1981 | 1967 | Mountjoy, Portlaoise | Contempt of Court for activities relating to a farmers protest | |||
| Ruairí Ó Brádaigh | Sinn Féin, Republican Sinn Féin |
1957 | 1961 | Jan–Jun 1957 | Mountjoy | Failing to account for his activities and actions during the IRA Border Campaign | ||
| Jun 1957–Sep 1958 | Curragh Camp | Interned | Escaped in September 1958 | |||||
| Nov 1959–May 1960 | Mountjoy | Imprisoned under the Offences against the State Act | ||||||
| Jan–Jun 1973 | Curragh Camp | Membership of the Provisional IRA | ||||||
| Gerry Adams | Sinn Féin | 2011 | 2020 | 1972, 1973–76 |
HMS Maidstone, Long Kesh |
Membership of the Provisional IRA | Interned, but imprisoned for attempted escape | |
| Paddy Agnew | Anti H-Block | 1981 | 1982 | 1973–76, 1977–86 |
Portlaoise, Mountjoy, Crumlin Road, Maze |
Illegal importation of arms on behalf of the Provisional IRA and membership of same | Elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1981 general election while in prison | |
| Kieran Doherty | Anti H-Block | Jun 1981 | Aug 1981 | 1976–81 | Maze | Possession of firearms and explosives, and hijacking | Died on hunger strike in August 1981 | |
| Martin Ferris | Sinn Féin | 2002 | 2020 | 1984–94 | Portlaoise | Illegal importation of arms on behalf of the Provisional IRA and membership of the same | ||
| Dessie Ellis | Sinn Féin | 2011 | 1982–90 | Portlaoise | Provisional IRA membership | |||
| Tony Gregory | Independent | Feb 1982 | Jan 2009 | 1986 | Mountjoy | For activities during a campaign in support of Dublin inner city street traders | Spent 2 weeks in prison | |
| Joe Costello | Labour | Nov 1982 | Feb 2016 | 1986 | Mountjoy | For activities during a campaign in support of Dublin inner city street traders | Spent one week in prison | |
| Luke 'Ming' Flanagan | Independent | 2011 | 2014 | 1998 | Loughan House | Non payment of fines related to the Litter Pollution Act[3] | Spent 3 weeks in prison | |
| Liam Lawlor | Fianna Fáil | 1977 | 2002 | Jan 2001, Jan 2002, Feb 2002 |
Mountjoy | Failure to cooperate with the Mahon Tribunal | [4] | |
| Joe Higgins | Socialist Party | 1997 | 2016 | Sep–Oct 2003 | Mountjoy | Actions during the Anti-Bin Tax Campaign | [5] | |
| Clare Daly | Socialist Party | 2011 | 2019 | Sep–Oct 2003 | Mountjoy | Actions during the Anti-Bin Tax Campaign | [5] | |
| United Left | 7–9 pm, 9 December 2015 | Limerick Prison | Non-payment of fines | Fined €2,000 on 22 April 2015 for entering a restricted area at Shannon Airport on 22 July 2014 when protesting against U.S. Air Force landings. Sentenced to 30 days' imprisonment.[6] | ||||
| Ray Burke | Fianna Fáil | 1973 | 1998 | Jan–Jun 2005 | Arbour Hill | Falsifying tax returns | Mahon Tribunal stated that Burke was unambiguously "corrupt" | |
| Francis O'Brien | Fianna Fáil | 1989 | 2011 | 2013–15 | Castlerea Prison | Demanding money with menaces | ||
| Ned O'Keeffe | Fianna Fáil | 1982 | 2011 | 2014 | – | Falsifying expense claims | 7-month suspended sentence | |
| Ivor Callely | Fianna Fáil | 1989 | 2011 | 2014–15 | Wheatfield Prison | Falsifying expense claims | 5 months | |
| Mick Wallace | Independent | 2011 | 2019 | 2–4 pm, 9 December 2015 | Limerick Prison | Non-payment of fines | Same crimes and sentence as Clare Daly.[7][8][9] | |
| James Heffernan | Labour Party | 2011 | April 2016 | April–July 2019 | Cork Prison | Drunken assault on three gardaí | [10] | |
| Social Democrats | ||||||||
- ^ The two Houses of the Oireachtas are: Dáil Éireann (lower) and Seanad Éireann (upper).
- ^ a b c d Colman Cassidy (17 January 2001). "TDs who have seen the inside of a cell". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
- ^ Siggins, Lorna (8 March 2011). "From Ming the Merciless to Ming the Mayor". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ "Time to go, Mr Lawlor". Irish Independent. 8 February 2002. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ a b "Jailed politicians 'grandstanding', says Cullen". RTÉ News. 19 September 2003. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
- ^ "TD Clare Daly released from Limerick prison - RTÉ News". RTÉ.ie. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- ^ "Mick Wallace taken to Limerick Prison over fine". RTÉ News. RTÉ. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ Deegan, Gordon (22 April 2015). "Mick Wallace: "I wouldn't pay that fine to save my life"". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ Doyle, Kevin; Hayes, Kathryn (9 December 2015). "Independent TD Mick Wallace is released from prison after two hours inside". Irish Independent. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ "Judge laments 'fall from grace' as he jails former senator".