{{Short description|Irish politician (1884–1963)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2022}} {{for|the American neo-Nazi|Patrick Little (neo-Nazi)}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Patrick Little, 1927 (cropped).jpg | caption = Little in 1927 | office = Minister for Posts and Telegraphs | taoiseach = Éamon de Valera | predecessor = Thomas Derrig | successor = James Everett | term_start = 8 September 1939 | term_end = 18 February 1948 | office1 = Parliamentary Secretary | suboffice1 = Government Chief Whip | subterm1 = 1933–1939 | suboffice2 = External Affairs | subterm2 = 1933–1939 | office3 = Teachta Dála | term_start3 = June 1927 | term_end3 = May 1954 | constituency3 = Waterford | birth_date = {{birth date|1884|6|17|df=y}} | birth_place = Dundrum, County Dublin, Ireland | death_date = {{death date and age|1963|5|16|1884|6|17|df=y}} | death_place = Dublin, Ireland | party = Fianna Fáil | spouse = {{marriage|Seonaid Ní Leoid|1917}} | children = | education = Clongowes Wood College | alma_mater = University College Dublin | occupation = Solicitor, journalist | father = Philip Francis Little | relatives = Ciarán Cuffe (grand-nephew) }} '''Patrick John Little''' (17 June 1884 – 16 May 1963) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician.<ref name=elecs_irl>{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=1670|title=Patrick Little|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=7 June 2012|archive-date=22 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722111130/http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=1670|url-status=live}}</ref> A founder-member of the party, he served in a number of cabinet positions, most notably as the country's longest-serving Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.
==Early life== Born in Dundrum, County Dublin, Little was the son of Philip Francis Little and Mary Jane Holdright.<ref name=dib>{{cite web|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/little-patrick-john-p-j-a4851|title=Little, Patrick John|last=Coleman|first=Marie|work=Dictionary of Irish Biography|access-date=22 August 2022}}</ref><ref name=it_obit>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1963/0517/Pg009.html|title=Obituary – Mr. Patrick J. Little|newspaper=The Irish Times|url-access=subscription|date=17 May 1963|page=9|access-date=8 December 2012}}</ref> Both his parents were Canadian natives, while his father had served as the first Premier of Newfoundland before settling in Ireland.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=The Irish Law Times and Solicitors' Journal|year=1937|volume=71|pages=237|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YoYvAQAAIAAJ&q=%22PJ+little%22|access-date=8 December 2012|title=Patrick Little|archive-date=23 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923103608/https://books.google.com/books?id=YoYvAQAAIAAJ&q=%22PJ+little%22|url-status=live}}</ref> Here he became involved in the Irish Home Rule Movement.
Little was educated at Clongowes Wood College,<ref>{{cite book|last=Costello|first=Peter|title=Clongowes Wood: a history of Clongowes Wood College, 1814–1989|year=1989|publisher=Gill and Macmillan|pages=202|url=http://www.google.ie/search?tbm=bks&hl=en&q=Clongowes+Wood+pj+little&btnG=#hl=en&tbo=d&tbm=bks&sclient=psy-ab&q=%22nor+the+careers+of+P.J.+Little%22&oq=%22nor+the+careers+of+P.J.+Little%22&gs_l=serp.12...24866.28815.1.31097.3.3.0.0.0.0.42.118.3.3.0...0.0...1c.1j2.s-Xyya0xe4Y&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=a664e060913b8b7f&bpcl=39650382&biw=1366&bih=549|access-date=8 December 2012|archive-date=23 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923103626/https://www.google.ie/search?tbm=bks&hl=en&q=Clongowes+Wood+pj+little&btnG=&gws_rd=ssl#hl=en&tbo=d&tbm=bks&sclient=psy-ab&q=%22nor+the+careers+of+P.J.+Little%22&oq=%22nor+the+careers+of+P.J.+Little%22&gs_l=serp.12...24866.28815.1.31097.3.3.0.0.0.0.42.118.3.3.0...0.0...1c.1j2.s-Xyya0xe4Y&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=a664e060913b8b7f&bpcl=39650382&biw=1366&bih=549|url-status=live}}</ref> before later attending University College Dublin. Here he studied law and qualified as a solicitor in 1914.<ref name=it_obit/>
==Revolutionary years== Little was engaged in the independence struggle from an early stage. Following the Easter Rising in 1916, he formed, together with Stephen O'Mara, the Irish Nation League, who while being opposed to the Irish Parliamentary Party and supportive of abstentionism, were wary of the militarism of the Irish Volunteers. In 1918 the Volunteers, the Irish Nation League, and the Liberty Clubs, followers of George Noble Plunkett, agreed to merge under the Sinn Féin banner with Éamon de Valera as President to fight the 1918 general election on an abstentionist platform.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Resurrection of Ireland: The Sinn Féin Party, 1916–1923|first=Michael |last=Laffan}}</ref>
Little contested the constituency of Dublin Rathmines but lost to Unionist Maurice Dockrell,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1918&cons=101|title=General Election: 1918 – Dublin Rathmines|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=18 July 2012|archive-date=23 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523003442/http://electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1918&cons=101|url-status=live}}</ref> the only Unionist elected in the area that would become Irish Free State outside of Dublin University. He remained in the background of Sinn Féin for the next number of years. In 1921 he was sent to South Africa to represent the government of the Irish Republic. He opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty and fought with the Four Courts Garrison during the Civil War.<ref name=it_obit/>
He became the first editor of ''An Phoblacht'' in 1925.<ref name=TWILIGHT>{{cite book |url=http://www.militaryarchives.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/The_IRA_in_the_Twilight_Years_1923_to_1948_Uinseann_Mac_Eoin-compressed.pdf |first=Uinseann |last=MacEoin |title=The IRA in the twilight years: 1923–1948 |isbn=9780951117248 |publisher=Argenta |location=Dublin |date=1997 |via=Irish Military Archives |access-date=8 May 2020 |pages=2, 117 |archive-date=17 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517021812/http://www.militaryarchives.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/The_IRA_in_the_Twilight_Years_1923_to_1948_Uinseann_Mac_Eoin-compressed.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> He also edited other republican newspapers including ''New Ireland'', ''Éire'' and ''Sinn Féin''.<ref name=it_obit/>
==Political career== Little joined Fianna Fáil shortly after its foundation in 1926. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a TD for the Waterford constituency at the June 1927 general election. He represented the constituency until 1954.<ref name=oireachtas_db>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Patrick-J-Little.D.1927-06-23/|title=Mr. Patrick J. Little|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=28 August 2019|archive-date=2 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102071505/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Patrick-J-Little.D.1927-06-23/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=elecs_irl/>
Little was appointed Government Chief Whip and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for External Affairs in 1933.<ref name=it_obit/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1933-03-01/35/|title=Appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil)|date=1 March 1933|website=Houses of the Oireachtas|access-date=14 December 2019}}</ref> Little was appointed Minister for Posts and Telegraphs in 1939<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1939-09-27/37/|title=Nomination of Member of Government – Dáil Éireann (10th Dáil)|date=27 September 1939|access-date=28 August 2019|website=Houses of the Oireachtas|archive-date=28 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828104334/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1939-09-27/37/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1939-09-28/2/|title=Appointment of Minister – Dáil Éireann (10th Dáil)|date=28 September 1939|access-date=11 July 2020|website=Houses of the Oireachtas|archive-date=14 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714091814/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1939-09-28/2/|url-status=live}}</ref> and remained in this office until 1948, when Fianna Fáil failed to form a government.<ref name=oireachtas_db/> He was not reappointed to the cabinet when Fianna Fáil returned to office in 1951. In 1952, following the death of Bridget Redmond, Fianna Fáil won the resulting by-election and held three out of four seats in the constituency. This would have been unsustainable at the next general election so Little did not contest the 1954 general election.<ref name=oireachtas_db/>
==Retirement== He was the first chairman of the Arts Council from 1951 until 1956.<ref name=it_obit/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artscouncil.ie/uploadedFiles/DreamsandResponsibilities.pdf|title=Dreams and Responsibilities|year=1990|work=Arts Council|access-date=8 October 2017|archive-date=11 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111002954/http://www.artscouncil.ie/uploadedFiles/DreamsandResponsibilities.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> He was responsible for the development of the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra.<ref name=it_obit/> In 1957 he was appointed to the Council of State by Seán T. O'Kelly.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1957/0716/Pg001.html#Ar00118|title=Mr Little a member of Council of State|date=16 July 1957|newspaper=The Irish Times|url-access=subscription|page=1|access-date=8 December 2012|archive-date=22 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022133215/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1957/0716/Pg001.html#Ar00118|url-status=live}}</ref> He was re-appointed to the Council by Éamon de Valera in 1959.<ref name=it_obit/>
Little died in May 1963.<ref name=oireachtas_db/> He is a grand-uncle of Green Party MEP Ciarán Cuffe.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dail-family-trees-show-clans-who-rule-ireland-1990157.html|work=Irish Independent|title=Dáil family trees show clans who rule Ireland|date=27 December 2009|access-date=7 June 2012|archive-date=22 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022114550/http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dail-family-trees-show-clans-who-rule-ireland-1990157.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==See also== *Families in the Oireachtas
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before = Gerald Boland}} {{s-ttl|title = Government Chief Whip |years = 1933–1939}} {{s-aft|after = Paddy Smith|rows=2}} {{s-vac}} {{s-ttl|title = Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for External Affairs |years = 1933–1939}} {{s-bef|before = Thomas Derrig}} {{s-ttl|title = Minister for Posts and Telegraphs |years = 1939–1948}} {{s-aft|after = James Everett}} {{s-end}} {{2nd Government of Ireland}} {{3rd Government of Ireland}} {{4th Government of Ireland}} {{Government Chief Whip (Ireland)}} {{Waterford (Dáil constituency)/TDs}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Little, Patrick}} Category:1884 births Category:1963 deaths Category:People of the Irish Civil War (Anti-Treaty side) Category:Fianna Fáil TDs Category:Members of the 5th Dáil Category:Members of the 6th Dáil Category:Members of the 7th Dáil Category:Members of the 8th Dáil Category:Members of the 9th Dáil Category:Members of the 10th Dáil Category:Members of the 11th Dáil Category:Members of the 12th Dáil Category:Members of the 13th Dáil Category:Members of the 14th Dáil Category:Presidential appointees to the Council of State (Ireland) Category:People educated at Clongowes Wood College Category:Alumni of University College Dublin Category:Parliamentary secretaries of the 10th Dáil Category:Parliamentary secretaries of the 9th Dáil Category:Parliamentary secretaries of the 8th Dáil Category:Government Chief Whip (Ireland) Category:Sinn Féin parliamentary candidates Category:Children of prime ministers