Little Bluestem – Schizachyrium scoparium

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For other people named James Everett, see James Everett (disambiguation).

James Everett (14 February 1890 – 18 December 1967) was an Irish Labour Party politician who served as Minister for Justice from 1954 to 1957, Minister for Posts and Telegraphs from 1948 to 1951 and Leader of the National Labour Party from 1944 to 1950. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1922 to 1967.[1]

He was leader of the short-lived National Labour Party, which briefly split away from the Labour Party over a dispute relating to support for James Larkin as a candidate in Dublin.

Career

On leaving school Everett became an organiser with County Wicklow Agricultural Union, which later merged with the ITGWU. He was a member of Sinn Féin and served as a justice in the Republican courts for Kildare and Wicklow from 1919. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1922 as a Labour Party TD for Kildare–Wicklow constituency. From the 1923 general election until his death, he was elected for the Wicklow.[2] Everett was one of the six TDs who left the Labour Party in 1944, because of its alleged infiltration by communists, and formed the National Labour Party. Everett became the leader of the new party.[3]

In 1948, the National Labour Party joined the Cabinet of John A. Costello in the First Inter-Party Government and Everett was appointed Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. In 1950, Everett, as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs became involved in a bizarre incident known as the "Battle of Baltinglass." Everett appointed Michael Farrell as sub-postmaster in the local post office. The office had been run by Helen Cooke for her invalid aunt, whose family had held the position since 1870. Local feeling ran high in support of Cooke, with telegraph poles being cut to prove their point. Allegations of political jobbery were denied but Everett's actions became a national issue. Farrell resigned in December 1950 and Everett bowed to the pressure and appointed Cooke. It is believed that the Baltinglass affair contributed to the downfall of the Inter-Party government in 1951.[4]

Also in 1950, during the First Inter-Party Government's tenure, the Labour Party and the National Labour Party reunited. Everett served in government again between 1954 and 1957 as Minister for Justice and in that capacity he granted Albert Luykx Irish citizenship. Everett died aged 77, during the 1967 Dáil Christmas Recess, when with 44 years service as a TD, he was joint Father of the Dáil with Frank Aiken and Paddy Smith.[3]

References

  1. ^ "James Everett". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  2. ^ "James Everett". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  3. ^ a b Ferriter, Diarmaid (October 2009). "Everett, James". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  4. ^ A Dictionary of Irish History, D.J.Hickey & J.E.Doherty, Gill and Macmillan, Dublin, 1980. Pp. page 25. ISBN 0-7171-1567-4

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Political offices
New political party Leader of the National Labour Party
1944–1950 		Succeeded by
Party disbanded
Preceded by Minister for Posts and Telegraphs
1948–1951 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Justice
1954–1957 		Succeeded by
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