Seán Hayes (Cork politician)

For other people named Sean Hayes, see Sean Hayes (disambiguation).

For other people named John Hayes, see John Hayes (disambiguation).

Seán Hayes (otherwise known as John Hayes; died 1941) was a Sinn Féin member of Dáil Éireann in Ireland. He was a newspaper editor (the Cork County Southern Star of Skibbereen) and political propagandist.

He was elected unopposed for West Cork at the 1918 general election. He did not take the seat he had won in the United Kingdom British House of Commons, but like other members of his party he joined the revolutionary First Dáil of 1919–1921. He represented the constituency of Cork Mid, North, South, South East and West from 1921–1923. He became a member of the pro-Treaty faction of Sinn Féin before the 1922 general election. He did not seek re-election at the 1923 general election.

Hayes was arrested by the British forces during a raid on party offices in Dublin in November 1919. As a result he was sentenced to three months imprisonment. He was re-arrested in 1920 during the War of Independence. He was a member of the Irish Republican Army. He was also reputedly a member of Tom Barry's Flying Column in West Cork.

He had twelve children.

Sources

• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Vol. III, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1979)
• Townshend, Charles, Easter 1916: the irish rebellion (London 2006)
• Townshend, C, The Republic: The Fight For Irish Independence (London 2014)