Patrick Smith (politician)

For other people named Patrick Smith, see Patrick Smith (disambiguation).

Patrick Smith
Minister for Agriculture
In office 27 November 1957 – 8 October 1964
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera Seán Lemass
Preceded by	Charles Haughey
Succeeded by	Frank Aiken
In office 21 January 1947 – 18 February 1948
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera
Preceded by	James Ryan
Succeeded by	James Dillon
Minister for Social Welfare
In office 20 March 1957 – 27 November 1964
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera Seán Lemass
Preceded by	Brendan Corish
Succeeded by	Seán MacEntee
Minister for Local Government
In office 20 March 1957 – 27 November 1964
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera Seán Lemass
Preceded by	Patrick O'Donnell
Succeeded by	Neil Blaney
In office 13 June 1951 – 2 June 1954
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera
Preceded by	Michael Keyes
Succeeded by	Patrick O'Donnell
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance
In office 2 July 1943 – 31 December 1947
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera
Preceded by	Seán Moylan
Succeeded by	Seán O'Grady
Government Chief Whip
In office 27 September 1939 – 2 July 1943
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera
Preceded by	Patrick Little
Succeeded by	Éamonn Kissane
Teachta Dála
In office September 1923 – May 1977
Constituency	Cavan
Personal details
Born	(1901-07-17)17 July 1901 Bailieboro, Cavan, Ireland
Died	18 March 1982(1982-03-18) (aged 80) Castleblaney, County Monaghan, Ireland
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse	Mary Theresa Ward (m.1936-1982)
Children	6
Occupation	Farmer

Patrick Smith (17 July 1901 – 18 March 1982) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served in a number of government positions under Éamon de Valera and Seán Lemass. He holds the record for the longest-serving member of Dáil Éireann, serving for 53 years, 11 months.

Born in Bailieborough, County Cavan, Smith was involved in the 1916 Easter Rising and later in the Irish Republican Army, during the War of Independence. An opponent of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1922, Smith was first elected to the Dáil at the 1923 general election at age 22 as a Republican Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cavan constituency. He was also a founder-member of the Fianna Fáil political party in 1926. During his time as TD he served in the Cabinets of Éamon de Valera and Seán Lemass as Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Local Government, and Minister for Social Welfare. He resigned from the government as Minister for Agriculture in 1964 in protest at the government's response to certain farming issues. Smith retired from politics at the 1977 general election at the age of 75.