Irish Labour Party politician and trade unionist (1886–1959)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Keyes</span>

Michael Keyes

<p><b>Michael John Keyes</b> (21 March 1886 – 8 September 1959) was an Irish <a href="/en/Labour_Party_(Ireland)" title="Labour Party (Ireland)" class="wl">Labour Party</a> politician and <a href="/en/Trade_union" title="Trade union" class="wl">trade unionist</a>. </p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Irish Labour Party politician and trade unionist (1886–1959)</div>
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<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-header,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-subheader,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-above,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-title,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-image,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-below{text-align:center}</style><div class='mobile-collapse'><header class="mobile-collapse-header mobile-collapse-btn"><b>Quick facts: Michael Keyes, Minister for Posts and Telegra...</b> <span class='arrow'>▼</span></header> <table class="infobox vcard mobile-collapse-element"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size: 100%;"><div class="fn" style="font-size:125%;">Michael Keyes</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header notheme" style="background:lavender;line-height:normal;padding:0.2em;"><a href="/en/Minister_for_Posts_and_Telegraphs" title="Minister for Posts and Telegraphs" class="wl">Minister for Posts and Telegraphs</a></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="border-bottom:none"><span class="nowrap"><b>In office</b></span><br>2 June 1954<span>&nbsp;</span>–<span> </span>20 March 1957</td><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles"></style></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left">Taoiseach</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/John_A._Costello" title="John A. Costello" class="wl">John A. Costello</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Preceded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Erskine_Hamilton_Childers" title="Erskine Hamilton Childers" class="wl">Erskine H. Childers</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Succeeded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Neil_Blaney" title="Neil Blaney" class="wl">Neil Blaney</a></td><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles"></style></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header notheme" style="background:lavender;line-height:normal;padding:0.2em;"><a href="/en/Minister_for_Housing,_Local_Government_and_Heritage" title="Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage" class="wl">Minister for Local Government</a></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="border-bottom:none"><span class="nowrap"><b>In office</b></span><br>11 May 1949<span>&nbsp;</span>–<span> </span>13 June 1951</td><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles"></style></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left">Taoiseach</th><td class="infobox-data">John A. Costello</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Preceded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/William_Norton" title="William Norton" class="wl">William Norton</a> (acting)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Succeeded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Patrick_Smith_(politician)" title="Patrick Smith (politician)" class="wl">Paddy Smith</a></td><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles"></style></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header notheme" style="background:lavender;line-height:normal;padding:0.2em;"><a href="/en/Teachta_Dála" title="Teachta Dála" class="wl">Teachta Dála</a></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="border-bottom:none"><span class="nowrap"><b>In office</b></span><br><a href="/en/1948_Irish_general_election" title="1948 Irish general election" class="wl">February 1948</a><span>&nbsp;</span>–<span> </span><a href="/en/1957_Irish_general_election" title="1957 Irish general election" class="wl">March 1957</a></td><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles"></style></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left">Constituency</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Limerick_East_(Dáil_constituency)" title="Limerick East (Dáil constituency)" class="wl">Limerick East</a></td><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles"></style></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="border-bottom:none"><span class="nowrap"><b>In office</b></span><br><a href="/en/1933_Irish_general_election" title="1933 Irish general election" class="wl">January 1933</a><span>&nbsp;</span>–<span> </span><a href="/en/1948_Irish_general_election" title="1948 Irish general election" class="wl">February 1948</a></td><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles"></style></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="border-bottom:none"><span class="nowrap"><b>In office</b></span><br><a href="/en/June_1927_Irish_general_election" title="June 1927 Irish general election" class="wl">June 1927</a><span>&nbsp;</span>–<span> </span><a href="/en/September_1927_Irish_general_election" title="September 1927 Irish general election" class="wl">September 1927</a></td><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles"></style></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left">Constituency</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Limerick_(Dáil_constituency)" title="Limerick (Dáil constituency)" class="wl">Limerick</a></td></tr><tr style="display:none"><td colspan="2">
</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header notheme" style="background:lavender">Personal details</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Born</th><td class="infobox-data"><span style="display:none">(<span class="bday">1886-03-21</span>)</span>21 March 1886<br><a href="/en/Limerick" title="Limerick" class="wl">Limerick</a>, Ireland</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Died</th><td class="infobox-data">8 September 1959<span style="display:none">(1959-09-08)</span> (aged<span>&nbsp;</span>73)<br>Limerick, Ireland</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Political party</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Labour_Party_(Ireland)" title="Labour Party (Ireland)" class="wl">Labour Party</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Spouse</th><td class="infobox-data"><div style="display:inline;white-space:nowrap;"><div style="display:inline-block;line-height:normal;">Sheila Clancy</div><span> </span><div style="display:inline-block;"><span>​</span></div><span>(</span><abbr about="#mwt31" typeof="mw:ExpandedAttrs" data-mw="{&quot;attribs&quot;:[[{&quot;txt&quot;:&quot;title&quot;},{&quot;html&quot;:&quot;<span typeof=\&quot;mw:Nowiki\&quot; data-parsoid=\&quot;{}\&quot;>married</span>&quot;}]]}">m.</abbr><span>&nbsp;</span>1916<span>)</span><wbr><span>​</span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Children</th><td class="infobox-data">5</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Occupation</th><td class="infobox-data">Carpenter</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-below" style="border-top: 1px solid right; font-size: 95%"><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <footer class='mobile-collapse-footer mobile-collapse-btn'><b>Close</b> <span class='arrow'>▲</span></footer></div>
<p>He was born on 21 March 1886 at 41 Blackboy Pike, Limerick city, the second son of Michael Keyes, caretaker, and his wife Hannah (née White). After being educated by the Christian Brothers at Sexton Street, Limerick, he began work as a clerk on the Waterford–Limerick railway line and subsequently served an apprenticeship in carpentry in the workshop of the <a href="/en/Great_Southern_and_Western_Railway" title="Great Southern and Western Railway" class="wl">Great Southern and Western Railway</a> where he remained until 1927.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-dib_1-0"><a href="#cite_note-dib-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span></p>

<p>He had also joined the National Union of Railwaymen and was chairman of the Limerick shopmens’ branch (1915–1926). In 1918 he was active in the <a href="/en/Conscription_Crisis_of_1918" title="Conscription Crisis of 1918" class="wl">anti-conscription campaign</a> and the following year was appointed a delegate to the <a href="/en/Irish_Trades_Union_Congress" title="Irish Trades Union Congress" class="wl">Irish Trades Union Congress</a> in <a href="/en/Drogheda" title="Drogheda" class="wl">Drogheda</a>. He was president of the Irish Trades Union Congress in 1943, and in February 1945 represented it at the World Federation of Trade Unions in London.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-dib_1-1"><a href="#cite_note-dib-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span></p>

<p>He was first elected to <a href="/en/Dáil_Éireann" title="Dáil Éireann" class="wl">Dáil Éireann</a> on his second attempt in 1927 as a Labour Party <a href="/en/Teachta_Dála" title="Teachta Dála" class="wl">Teachta Dála</a> (TD) for the <a href="/en/Limerick_(Dáil_constituency)" title="Limerick (Dáil constituency)" class="wl">Limerick</a> constituency.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-oireachtas_db_2-0"><a href="#cite_note-oireachtas_db-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span> He lost his seat in the <a href="/en/September_1927_Irish_general_election" title="September 1927 Irish general election" class="wl">second election in 1927</a> and failed to be elected at the <a href="/en/1932_Irish_general_election" title="1932 Irish general election" class="wl">1932 general election</a>, however, he returned to the Dáil at the <a href="/en/1933_Irish_general_election" title="1933 Irish general election" class="wl">1933 general election</a>.</p>

<p>During the <a href="/en/Spanish_Civil_War" title="Spanish Civil War" class="wl">Spanish Civil War</a> he sided with the <a href="/en/Irish_Christian_Front" title="Irish Christian Front" class="wl">Irish Christian Front</a> who supported <a href="/en/Francisco_Franco" title="Francisco Franco" class="wl">Franco's</a> <a href="/en/Nationalist_faction_(Spanish_Civil_War)" title="Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War)" class="wl">Nationalists</a> over the <a href="/en/Republican_faction_(Spanish_Civil_War)" title="Republican faction (Spanish Civil War)" class="wl">Republicans</a>.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-magill_3-0"><a href="#cite_note-magill-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[3]</span></a></span></p>

<p>In 1949 he joined the <a href="/en/Government_of_Ireland" title="Government of Ireland" class="wl">cabinet</a> of <a href="/en/John_A._Costello" title="John A. Costello" class="wl">John A. Costello</a> replacing the recently deceased <a href="/en/Timothy_J._Murphy" title="Timothy J. Murphy" class="wl">Timothy J. Murphy</a> and serving as <a href="/en/Minister_for_Housing,_Local_Government_and_Heritage" title="Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage" class="wl">Minister for Local Government</a> from 1949 to 1951. During the <a href="/en/Mother_and_Child_Scheme" title="Mother and Child Scheme" class="wl">Mother and Child Scheme</a> controversy he urged the government to accept the Catholic Church in Ireland's rebuke of the scheme.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-magill_3-1"><a href="#cite_note-magill-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[3]</span></a></span></p>

<p>He served in government again between 1954 and 1957, serving as <a href="/en/Minister_for_Posts_and_Telegraphs" title="Minister for Posts and Telegraphs" class="wl">Minister for Posts and Telegraphs</a>. Keyes fought his last election in 1954 and subsequently retired from the Dáil.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-elecs_irl_4-0"><a href="#cite_note-elecs_irl-4" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 4;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[4]</span></a></span> He also served as <a href="/en/Mayor_of_Limerick" title="Mayor of Limerick" class="wl">Mayor of Limerick</a> from 1928 to 1930,<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-5"><a href="#cite_note-5" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 5;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[5]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-6"><a href="#cite_note-6" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 6;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[6]</span></a></span> as did his son Christopher P. Keyes from 1957 to 1958 and his grand nephew, Joe Leddin in 2007.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-7"><a href="#cite_note-7" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 7;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[7]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-8"><a href="#cite_note-8" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 8;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[8]</span></a></span></p>



Michael John Keyes was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade unionist.  He was born on 21 March 1886 at 41 Blackboy Pike, Limerick city, the second son of Michael Keyes, caretaker, and his wife Hannah . After being educated by the Christian Brothers at Sexton Street, Limerick, he began work as a clerk on the Waterford–Limerick railway line and subsequently served an apprenticeship in carpentry in the workshop of the Great Southern and Western Railway where he remained until 1927. 