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 | 1923 | 1924–27 | ? | Fraud (Bouncing cheques)[2] | Disqualified from the Oireachtas as a result | |||
Seán McGuinness | 1923 | 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 | Later became a leading Dáil spokesman on penal reform | |
Bernard Commons | Clann na Talmhan | 1957 | early 1940s | Sligo Gaol | 1940s land agitation in Mayo | |||
James Larkin | Labour Party | 1927 | 1944 | 1940s | ? | Bankruptcy | ||
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 | ||
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 | ||||||
Sinn Féin | 2011 | 2020 | 1972, 1973–76 | Membership of the Provisional IRA | Interned, but imprisoned for attempted escape | |||
Anti H-Block | 1981 | 1982 | 1973–76, 1977–86 | 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 | |
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 | ||
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 |