He joined Clann na Poblachta at the same time as Noël Browne, though he did not stand at the 1948 general election.
[2] He took the fourth seat in the 5-seat constituency, defeating Fine Gael TD Michael O'Higgins.
Taking his seat in the 14th Dáil, he supported the Fianna Fáil government on most issues.
[4] He stood again in Dublin South-West at the 1954 general election, this time as a Fianna Fáil candidate, but lost his seat to O'Higgins.
He also helped establish a residential programme for young adult heroin addicts at Cuan Mhuire in Athy.