The list contains details of all those elected to the Dáil since the first Dáil in 1919, the Seanad since 1934 when it was established and Clare County Council since 1925. Among the featured names are two former Presidents, Eamon De Valera and Dr. Patrick Hillery.
Today’s ceremony in Aras Contae an Chláir was attended by former Ministers Tony Killeen (FF) and Brendan Daly (FF), as well as former Minister of State Donal Carey (FG)and Clare Deputy Dr Moosajee Bhamjee (Lab).
Outgoing Mayor of Clare Councillor Christy Curtin, who initiated the project, said County Clare had been “fortunate to be represented by so many high calibre politicians at local and national level down through the years”
Mayor Curtin continued: “In seeking the establishment of this Roll of Honour I wanted to ensure future generations would have the records of service displayed in a prominent location here in the Council Offices at Áras Contae an Chláir. It will also be of much interest to the families of all those who served as public representatives for the County over all those years. I was delighted that many of Clare’s surviving public representatives and their families were able to attend today’s ceremony”.
“It is intended that the Roll of Honour will be updated over the coming years and will serve as a permanent record of those who were honoured to be public representatives in the Banner County”, added Mayor Curtin.
There have been a number of distinguished personnel who represented Clare over the years namely:
- Eamon De Valera served as Deputy for the constituency from 1919 until he was elected as President of Ireland in 1959.The records indicate that he topped the poll on each election to the Dáil over those years. He also served as Taoiseach for many years during that period.
- Dr. Patrick Hillery served as a Dáil Deputy for the county from 1951 until 1973 when he became the first European Commissioner. He served as a Government Minister on a number of occasions in a number of Departments and President of Ireland from 1976 to 1990. Dr. Hillery was a native of Miltown Malbay in west Clare and some family descendants have continued the tradition including his nephew Michael who serves as a Councillor in the present day.
- Patrick Hogan, T.D. served as a Labour Party Deputy from 1951 to 1967 and during that time he was the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil and a Leas Ceann Comhairle for a short period also.
- Sylvester Barrett from Darragh in Mid Clare carried on a long tradition of his family as a public representative. He was a member of the Dáil from 1968 to 1987 and served as a Government Minister for the Environment and for Defence.
- Sile De Valera, grand-daughter of Eamon De Valera served as a Deputy for the County from 1987 to 2007 and during that period she served as a Government Minister and Minister of State.
- Dr. Moosajee Bhamjee served as a Labour Party T.D. for the County from 1992 to 1997.
- Tony Killeen served as a Deputy for the constituency from 1992 to January 2011 and served as a Minister for Defence in the last Government.
- Brendan Daly served as a Deputy and Senator for the county from 1973 until 2007 and also served as a Government Minister.
The Roll of Honour has been placed on public display at Aras Contae An Chláir, Ennis, Co Clare.
