1. Richard James Mulcahy was an Irish Fine Gael politician and army general who served as Minister for Education from 1948 to 1951 and 1954 to 1957, Minister for the Gaeltacht from June 1956 to October 1956, Leader of the Opposition from 1944 to 1948, Leader of Fine Gael from 1944 to 1959, Minister for Local Government and Public Health from 1927 to 1932 and Minister for Defence from January to April 1919 and 1922 to 1924.
Richard Mulcahy served as a Teachta Dala from 1918 to 1938 and from 1943 to 1961 and a Senator from March 1938 to June 1938 and 1943 to 1944.
Richard Mulcahy served in the cabinets of W T Cosgrave and John A Costello.
Richard Mulcahy was an army general who fought in the 1916 Easter Rising, served as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence and became commander-in-chief of the National Army in the Irish Civil War after the death of Michael Collins.
Richard Mulcahy was born in Manor Street, Waterford, in 1886, the son of post office clerk Patrick Mulcahy and Elizabeth Slattery.
Richard Mulcahy was educated at Mount Sion Christian Brothers School and later in Thurles, County Tipperary, where his father was the postmaster.
Richard Mulcahy was a member of the Gaelic League and joined the Irish Volunteers at the time of their formation in 1913.
Richard Mulcahy was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.
On his release, Richard Mulcahy immediately rejoined the republican movement and became commandant of the Dublin Brigade of the Irish Volunteers.
Richard Mulcahy was elected to the First Dail in the 1918 general election for Dublin Clontarf.
Richard Mulcahy was then named Minister for Defence in the new government and later Assistant Minister for Defence.
Richard Mulcahy was defence minister in the Provisional Government on its creation and succeeded Collins, after the latter's death, as Commander-in-Chief of the Provisional Government's forces, during the subsequent Civil War.
Richard Mulcahy earned notoriety through his order that anti-Treaty activists captured carrying arms were liable for execution.
Richard Mulcahy re-entered the cabinet as Minister for Local Government and Public Health in 1927.
Richard Mulcahy was elected as TD for Dublin North-West at the 1921 and 1922 general elections.
Richard Mulcahy moved to Dublin North for the election the following year, and was re-elected there in four further elections: June 1927, September 1927,1932 and 1933.
Dublin North was abolished for the 1937 election, at which Richard Mulcahy was defeated in the new constituency of Dublin North-East.
Richard Mulcahy was returned to the 12th Dail as a TD for Tipperary at the 1944 general election.
Richard Mulcahy played a leading role in persuading the other parties to put aside their differences and join forces to consign the then Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Eamon de Valera, to the opposition benches.
Since Fine Gael was by far the largest party in the prospective coalition, Richard Mulcahy initially seemed set to become Taoiseach in a coalition government.
Richard Mulcahy went on to serve as Minister for Education under Costello from 1948 until 1951.
The government fell in 1957, but Richard Mulcahy remained as Fine Gael leader until October 1959.
Richard Mulcahy married Min Ryan, the former fiancee of Sean Mac Diarmada, in 1920, and lived in a flat in Oakley House, Ranelagh.
One of his sons, Risteard Richard Mulcahy, was for many years a cardiologist in Dublin.
Richard Mulcahy designed the uniforms for Aer Lingus in 1962.
Richard Mulcahy died of cancer in Dublin on 16 December 1971, at the age of 85.