Samuel Holt

Holt was born in Coole, County Westmeath, in 1880, the fifth child of a family of ten of David Holt, from Killina, Carbury Co. Kildare, a constable in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and Agnes McColl.[1] The family, which was Church of Ireland, later moved to Charlestown /Jamestown Co. Roscommon and then into Carrick On Shannon town, County Leitrim.[2] In 1910, Holt married Honoria Devaney, from Toomore, Boher Co. Roscommon In Longford Cathedral.[3]

He was assistant clerk and later clerk of Carrick-on-Shannon Poor Law Union and Rural District Council.

Holt was member of the 5th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Western Division of the Irish Republican Army, he was arrested in May 1916 and sentenced to death, sentence which was reprieved and sentenced to Frongoch. He was also interned in Ballykinlar camp during the Irish War of Independence. He was Sinn Féin director of elections in Co. Roscommon for Count George Plunkett and also in the 1923 Irish general election.[4]

He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (TD) for the Leitrim–Sligo constituency at the 1925 by-election caused by the resignation of Thomas Carter of Cumann na nGaedheal.[5] He was re-elected at the June 1927 and September 1927 general elections as a Fianna Fáil TD.[6] He died during the 6th Dáil in 1929. The by-election caused by his death was held on 7 June 1929 and was won by Seán Mac Eoin of Cumann na nGaedhael.

Holt died in Dublin on 18 April 1929 of a fever,[7] less than a fortnight after the death of a daughter, Doreen, who was aged seven, also of a fever. He is buried in Jamestown cemetery.