Thomas F. O'Higgins
Thomas Francis O'Higgins was an Irish Fine Gael politician and medical practitioner who served as Minister for Defence from 1948 to 1951, Minister for Industry and Commerce from March 1951 to June 1951 and Leader of the Opposition from January 1944 to June 1944. He served as a Teachta Dála from 1929 to 1932 and 1937 to 1953.
He grew up in Stradbally, County Laois, one of sixteen children of Dr. Thomas Higgins and Anne Sullivan. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal TD for Dublin North at the 14 March 1929 by-election. At the 1932 general election he was elected for the Leix–Offaly constituency. From the 1948 general election, he represented Cork Borough.
He was the founder of the Army Comrades Association, commonly referred to as the Blueshirts. He became parliamentary leader of Fine Gael in 1944, while the former leader, Richard Mulcahy, was attempting to get elected to Seanad Éireann and retain his position.
In 1948, he joined the Cabinet of John A. Costello as Minister for Defence. He served as Minister for Industry and Commerce from March 1951 to June 1951. His sons Tom O'Higgins and Michael O'Higgins were also members of the Dáil, the former serving in government and as Chief Justice of Ireland from 1974-85. He was a brother of Kevin O'Higgins, the government minister assassinated in 1927.
O'Higgins died while still in office in 1953.
