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John Aloysius CostelloPrime Minister of Ireland (until 1957)
Date of Birth: 20.06.1891
Country:  Ireland |
Content:
- John A. Costello: Prime Minister of Ireland
- Political Career
- First Term as Taoiseach
- Second Term as Taoiseach
- Later Life and Legacy
John A. Costello: Prime Minister of Ireland
Early Life and Legal CareerJohn A. Costello was born into a Catholic family with English ancestry and graduated from University College Dublin with degrees in law and languages. He was called to the Bar in 1914 after training at King's Inn. In 1922, he joined the Attorney General's office of the Irish Free State, becoming Attorney General in 1926 under William Cosgrave's government.
Political Career
Costello lost his position after the Cumann na nGaedheal's defeat in the 1932 general election, but he was elected to the Dáil for the party (which soon became Fine Gael) in 1933. He served as a vocal critic of Éamon de Valera's government from 1933 to 1943, when he briefly lost his seat.
In 1948, Fianna Fáil lost its overall majority in the Dáil, prompting the formation of an inter-party coalition government. Fine Gael's Richard Mulcahy was initially chosen as Taoiseach (Prime Minister), but he was unacceptable to the Republican Party's Seán MacBride, who became Foreign Minister. Costello, considered more moderate, was appointed Taoiseach.
First Term as Taoiseach
Costello's first significant act as Taoiseach was to formally withdraw Ireland from the Commonwealth of Nations in 1949, ending a period of ambiguity in Ireland's status as a republic. He also oversaw the introduction of free state healthcare for mothers and children under 16, which faced opposition from the Catholic Church and the medical profession.
Second Term as Taoiseach
In 1954, Fine Gael formed a coalition government with Labour and several smaller parties after de Valera's government lost a vote of confidence. Costello secured Ireland's admission to the United Nations in 1955. However, the resurgent Irish Republican Army (IRA) and economic challenges led MacBride to withdraw support for the government in 1957.
Later Life and Legacy
Costello resigned as Taoiseach and Leader of Fine Gael in 1959. He returned to his legal practice and was elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 1948. In 1975, he became an honorary citizen of Dublin alongside de Valera.
