Séamus Dwyer


Séamus Dwyer was an Irish politician. Serving as an intelligence officer for the Dublin Brigade of the Irish Republican Army, and as a Dáil Court judge he was imprisoned by the British in 1921. He was elected unopposed at the 1921 elections for the Dublin County constituency as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála in the 2nd Dáil. He voted in favour of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. He stood as a pro-Treaty Sinn Féin candidate at the 1922 general election but was not elected.
On 20 December 1922 he was shot dead in his shop at 5 Rathmines Terrace, Dublin. by anti-Treaty Volunteer Commdt. Robert 'Bobbie' Bonfield. "At about 4.50pm Mr O'Dwyer was talking to a customer when a young man enter the shop, addressing O'Dwyer the young man asked ‘Are you Mr O'Dwyer?’. O'Dwyer replied yes and the young man said I have a note for you. The young man reached into the pocket of his overcoat a drew a revolver, he fired twice at O'Dwyer at point-blank range. O'Dwyer died instantly. The customer and a shop assistant gave chase but were unable to catch the assassin."
O'Dwyer was married. He was a member of the Peace Committee of ten men which sat in May 1922 which brought about the agreement between Collins and de Valera, he was a personal friend of Michael Collins.