 He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-Central constituency at the 1958 by-election caused by the resignation of Independent TD Jack Murphy.He was re-elected at the 1961 general election but lost his seat at the 1965 general election, and was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1969 and 1973 general elections.He served as a Dublin City Councillor and as a governor of the Royal Irish Academy of Music.