Seán Liddy

Seán Joseph Liddy (John Joseph Liddy;^[1][2] 20 September 1890 – 30 March 1965) was an Irish politician and founder member of the Garda Síochána.^[3][4] On his retirement, he also founded and became the first President of the Garda Pensioners Association (1961–1966), later to be renamed the Garda Síochána Retired Members Association (GSRMA).

Seán Liddy
Teachta Dála
In office May 1921 – 18 December 1922
Constituency	Clare
Personal details
Born	John Joseph Liddy (1890-09-20)20 September 1890 County Clare, Ireland
Died	30 March 1965(1965-03-30) (aged 74) Dublin, Ireland
Political party	Sinn Féin
Spouse	Anna Breen ​ (m. 1922)​

Military intelligence file for John Liddy

One of seven children, Liddy was born as John Liddy in Danganelly, Cooraclare in County Clare on 20 September 1890, the son of farmer John Liddy and Margaret Donnellan. He was married in Dublin on 27 September 1922 to Anna Breen.

Alongside lifelong friend Michael Collins, he was a prominent veteran of the Irish War of Independence. Subsequently, he served as a Teachta Dála (TD), Army Officer and Garda Chief Superintendent.

At the 1921 elections, he was elected unopposed to the 2nd Dáil as a Sinn Féin TD for the constituency of Clare. He supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty and voted in favour of it.

On 21 October 1921, Liddy was court-martialed at the A.O.H Hall in Kilrush having been accused of converting £26,000 (£1,079,847 in 2025) of Clare County Council monies to his own use, however the outcome of this case is unknown.^[5]

He was re-elected unopposed as a pro-Treaty Sinn Féin TD at the 1922 general election. He resigned as a TD on 18 December 1922.^[6]

He died as a result of a motor accident on 30 March 1965.^{[citation needed]}

The Liddy Medal^[7] – the Garda Veterans Injury Award – is named in his memory. The medal is presented to retired Gardaí who were injured in the line of duty while in the force.^[8]