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24 Facts About Todd Andrews

1.

Christopher Stephen "Todd" Andrews was an Irish republican and later a public servant.

2.

Todd Andrews participated in the Irish War of Independence and the Civil War but never stood for election or held public office.

3.

Todd Andrews acquired the nickname "Todd" because of his perceived resemblance to English comic strip hero Alonzo Todd, who appeared in The Magnet.

4.

Todd Andrews briefly attended St Enda's School and completed his secondary education at Synge Street CBS.

5.

Todd Andrews went on to study Commerce at University College Dublin, and although his studies were interrupted by his participation in the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War, he returned to the university where he obtained a degree in Commerce.

6.

Todd Andrews joined the Irish Volunteers at the age of fifteen and had an active role in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence, fighting with the Rathfarnham company of the 4th Dublin Brigade.

7.

Todd Andrews was arrested and imprisoned in 1920 but released after ten days on hunger strike.

8.

Todd Andrews was interned at the Curragh in 1921 but tunnelled his way to freedom with two comrades.

9.

Todd Andrews opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty and, after the creation of the IRA's Four Courts Executive in April 1922, became assistant to Director of Operations Ernie O'Malley.

10.

Todd Andrews took the republican side during the Irish Civil War and was wounded in the fighting in O'Connell Street, Dublin.

11.

Todd Andrews was appointed the IRA's General Headquarters and travelled the country supervising the training of volunteers.

12.

Todd Andrews was interned by the government of the Irish Free State until early 1924.

13.

In 1933, Todd Andrews was appointed to the Department of Industry and Commerce, where he dealt with the industrialisation of Irish turf development.

14.

Todd Andrews initially set up a network of co-ops that locally harvested and sold turf but quickly saw that this arrangement was insufficient to successfully modernise turf production in Ireland on a commercial scale; it drew the ire of coal merchants who worried about the effect of a State-led competition to their markets.

15.

Todd Andrews oversaw the closures of several lines that were perennially uneconomic and loss-making.

16.

Todd Andrews oversaw the resurgence and modernisation of CIE road transport, provincial and city bus services in Ireland.

17.

Todd Andrews retired from CIE upon his 65th birthday but before he stood down he became chairman of the RTE Authority at the request of Sean Lemass.

18.

Todd Andrews frequently rebutted Government interference in the organisation, even rebutting advances from then Minister Erskine Childers to suppress some employees who were suspected of being subversives.

19.

Todd resigned from RTE in 1970 after his son David Andrews was appointed Chief Whip to the Taoiseach.

20.

Todd Andrews was a firm advocate of state-sponsored enterprise and economic intervention, drawing inspiration from the statist approaches he observed in Germany and the Soviet Union, particularly regarding the use of peat bogs for fuel.

21.

Todd Andrews was the recipient of several honorary doctorates and degrees from various universities.

22.

Todd Andrews published his autobiography in two volumes in 1979 and 1982, under the titles of Dublin Made Me and Man of No Property.

23.

Todd Andrews's brother, Paddy Andrews was a football player, most notably with Bohemians who was capped by the Irish Free State.

24.

Todd Andrews' grandson Ryan Tubridy was a radio presenter and television chatshow host on RTE, while grandsons Barry Andrews and Chris Andrews were TDs.