Neal Blaney

Who was Neal Blaney?

Neal Blaney was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, and long-serving member of the Oireachtas.

Blaney, a native of Fanad in the north of County Donegal, had been a commander of the Irish Republican Army in Donegal during the War of Independence and the Civil War. He was first elected as a Teachta Dála to the 5th Dáil for the Donegal constituency at the June 1927 general election. He retained his seat at subsequent general elections until it was abolished in boundary changes for the 1937 general election when he was returned for the new Donegal East constituency. He lost his seat at the 1938 general election, and was elected to the 3rd Seanad on the Agricultural Panel, serving until 1943.

He returned to 11th Dáil at the 1943 general election, and was re-elected at the 1944 general election. He died on 30 October 1948, shortly after being returned to the 13th Dáil at the 1948 general election, and in the resulting by-election on 7 December 1948, his son Neil Blaney was elected as the new TD for Donegal East.

Another son, Harry Blaney, and Harry's son Niall Blaney, were later elected as TDs for the constituency of Donegal North–East.