John Flynn (Irish politician)

A farmer from Brackhill, Castlemaine, Flynn was a member of A Company (Milltown), 5 Battalion, 1 Kerry Brigade, Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Brigade Active Service Unit, 1 Kerry Brigade, IRA during the Irish War of Independence, and took part in the Ballymacandy Ambush in which five members of the Royal Irish Constabulary were killed.^[2][3][4]

Taking the anti-Treaty side in the Irish Civil War, Flynn was Column Commander of Battalion ASU, 6 Battalion, 2 Kerry Brigade, IRA and Battalion Commandant. He took part in several attacks on National forces across County Kerry until early 1923 and was on the run evading arrest until Summer 1924.^[5] Flynn was later awarded a pension by the Irish government under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934 for his service with the IRA between 1920 and 1923.^[5]

He was first elected as a Fianna Fáil TD at the 1932 general election for the Kerry constituency. He was re-elected at the 1933 general election for the same constituency and he was elected for the Kerry South constituency at the 1937 and 1938 general elections.

He did not contest the 1943 and 1944 general elections. At the 1948 general election, he was elected as an Independent Republican TD, and was re-elected at the 1951 general election, also as an Independent Republican.^[4] He re-joined Fianna Fáil by 1952.

During a 1952 Dáil debate, after John A. Costello had said "I made no reference to an Adoption of Children Bill", Oliver J. Flanagan of Fine Gael quipped "Deputy Flynn would be more qualified to do that".^[6] Flynn, who was not in the chamber at the time, interpreted this as an insulting innuendo, and later punched Flanagan in the Oireachtas restaurant.^[7] The Oireachtas Committee on Procedure and Privilege condemned the conduct of both TDs.^[7]

Flynn was re-elected a Fianna Fáil TD at the 1954 general election. He stood as a Fianna Fáil candidate at the 1957 general election, but was not re-elected.^[8]

Flynn was also a member of Kerry County Council from 1927 and chaired the Kerry County Board of Health from 1931 to 1934.^[3] He also owned an hotel in Killarney.^[3]