James Dolan (Irish politician)

{{short description|Irish politician (1884–1955)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=May 2016}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Seamus-O-Dolain-TD-J-Dolan.png

| office = Parliamentary Secretary

| suboffice = Industry and Commerce

| subterm = 1927–1932

| suboffice1 = Government Chief Whip

| subterm1 = 1924–1927

| office2 = Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann

| 1blankname2 = Ceann Comhairle

| 1namedata2 = Michael Hayes

| term_start2 = 1 July 1927

| term_end2 = 25 August 1927

| predecessor2 = Pádraic Ó Máille

| successor2 = Patrick Hogan

| office3 = Teachta Dála

| term_start3 = January 1933

| term_end3 = July 1937

| term_start4 = August 1923

| term_end4 = February 1932

| constituency4 = Leitrim–Sligo

| term_start5 = May 1921

| term_end5 = August 1923

| constituency5 = Leitrim–Roscommon North

| term_start6 = December 1918

| term_end6 = May 1921

| constituency6 = Leitrim

| birth_date = {{birth date|1884|10|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|1955|7|14|1884|10|16|df=y}}

| death_place =

| nationality = Irish

| party = Cumann na nGaedheal

| otherparty = Sinn Féin

| spouse = Loreto Dolan

| children = 6

| relatives = Charles Dolan (brother)

| alma_mater =

|}}

James Nicholas Dolan (16 October 1884 – 14 July 1955) was an Irish politician and TD for County Leitrim constituencies from 1918 to 1937.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/James-Nicholas-Dolan.D.1919-01-21/|title=James Dolan|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=5 March 2012|archive-date=7 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107145438/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/James-Nicholas-Dolan.D.1919-01-21|url-status=live}}

Dolan was born in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, the son of John Dolan, merchant, and Bridget Fitzpatrick.{{Cite web|url=https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details-civil/8723830668194|title=General Registrar's Office|last=|first=|date=|website=IrishGenealogy.ie|publisher=|access-date=18 August 2017|archive-date=22 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922215901/https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/captcha.jsp|url-status=live}} His brother, Charles Dolan, was an Irish Parliamentary Party MP for North Leitrim from 1906 to 1908, who resigned his seat to run as the first ever Sinn Féin parliamentary candidate.{{Cite news|title=Fermanagh Herald|date=29 June 1963}}

A Sinn Féin activist, and member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, James Dolan was interned in Frongoch internment camp after the 1916 Easter Rising.{{cite web|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/dolan-james-nicholas-a2663|title=Dolan, James Nicholas|work=Dictionary of Irish Biography|last=White|first=Lawrence William|access-date=6 January 2022|archive-date=7 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107035330/https://www.dib.ie/biography/dolan-james-nicholas-a2663|url-status=live}}

He was first elected as Sinn Féin MP at the 1918 general election for Leitrim. At the 1921 general election, he was elected unopposed as a TD for the Leitrim–Roscommon North constituency, and supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty. At the 1922 general election, he was again elected unopposed for Leitrim–Roscommon North. At the 1923 general election, he was elected for the Leitrim–Sligo constituency.

Dolan joined the government of W. T. Cosgrave as Parliamentary Secretary to the President with responsibility as Government Chief Whip in 1924. He served in that post until 1927. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce from 1927 to 1932. Dolan lost his Dáil seat at the 1932 general election.{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=1139|title=James Dolan|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=5 March 2012|archive-date=20 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020165003/http://electionsireland.org//candidate.cfm?ID=1139|url-status=live}} He regained his seat in 1933 and became a Fine Gael TD later that year when the new party was formed. He failed to be selected for Fine Gael at the 1937 general election for the new Leitrim constituency.{{cite news |title=U.I.P. candidates for Leitrim |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1937/0524/Pg008.html#Ar00809 |access-date=22 August 2022 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=24 May 1937 |page=8 |url-access=subscription}} He contested the election as an Independent candidate, but was unsuccessful. He subsequently retired from politics.