Martin O'Dwyer

Martin O'Dwyer (1886 – 18 November 1974) was an Irish politician. Martin O’Dwyer was born in Herbertstown in 1886 where he lived and farmed. He was a member of the Herbertstown Young Men’s Literary and Dramatic Society founded in 1904. He was an active member of the IRA during the war of independence He was arrested in 1920 at Caherguillamore House Grange Co Limerick. He played no part in the civil war despite being an opponent to the Treaty. He joined Fianna Fail on its formation in 1926, he also served on the party’s national executive. He was a Fianna Fail Councillor from 1945 to 1950 Chairman of Limerick County Council 1945 to 1947 As a famer he became very active in the co-operative movement. He was chairman of the Herbertstown Co-operative Diary Society from 1917 until his death in 1974. He was a founder member of Golden Vale in 1948 and served as its chairman from 1965 to 1974. He was a member of the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society, the Irish Agricultural Wholesale Society and the Mallow board of the Irish Beet Growers Association.

He was an independent member of Seanad Éireann from 1938 to 1943, 1948 to 1954, and from 1960 to 1961. He was first elected to the 2nd Seanad in April 1938 by the Agricultural Panel, and was re-elected in August 1938. He lost his seat at the 1943 Seanad election, but was re-elected at the 1948 election, and at the 1951 election. He lost his seat again at the 1954 election. He was elected to 9th Seanad at a by-election on 9 February 1960, replacing Patrick Baxter. He was defeated at the 1961 Seanad election.He enjoyed writing poetry and published translations of works from Spanish poets. The graveside orientation at his funeral was delivered by the then Fianna Fail TD for Limerick East, Des O’Malley.

Poetry: Martin O’Dwyer wrote a lot of verses while in prison. The following is his first poem about Caherguillamore, called “Shall We Forget”:

Shall we forget though the grave and the prison, Darkly between us their shadows have thrown.

Past and Present

Shall we forget them who nobly arisen, Stood on the ramparts of death all alone. Fearless and few when the signals red glaring, Flashed over Guillamore’s valley and wood. Fearless and few but the fate and the daring, Of Eire’s great soul in each bosom they stood. Shall we forget the foes who beset them, Well would have conquered the green hills of Grange. Be as low as her heroes when we shall forget them, Our pride and our glory through storm and change. No, number their names for though Eire has many, On her red roll of honour they too in the breath Of the future will live from the youngest of any, To him who was leader in life and in death. Oh, weep not for him though he be silent forever, His voice in the home of the land of his birth. For he died as he would for his country and never Was a spirit so beautiful formed on our earth. Too fearless and fiery too noble and great To live in the chains of a tyrant at ease. Too true and unselfish, too simple and straight, To rule in the calm hour of freedom and peace. Oh, his spirit was set for the dread hour of battle, As a star that illumes as it falls from the sky. So its mission was there mid the thunder’s deep rattle, To flash o’er the pathway to freedom and die.