On leaving school Everett became an organiser with
County Wicklow Agricultural Union, which later merged with the
ITGWU. He was a member of
Sinn Féin and served as a justice in the
Republican courts for Kildare and Wicklow from 1919. He was first elected to
Dáil Éireann in 1922 as a
Labour Party TD for
Kildare–Wicklow constituency. From the
1923 general election until his death, he was elected for the
Wicklow. Everett was one of the six
TDs who left the Labour Party in 1944, because of its alleged infiltration by communists, and formed the
National Labour Party. Everett became the leader of the new party. In 1948, the National Labour Party joined the
Cabinet of
John A. Costello in the
First Inter-Party Government and Everett was appointed
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. In 1950, Everett, as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs became involved in a bizarre incident known as the "Battle of
Baltinglass." Everett appointed Michael Farrell as sub-postmaster in the local post office. The office had been run by Helen Cooke for her invalid aunt, whose family had held the position since 1870. Local feeling ran high in support of Cooke, with telegraph poles being cut to prove their point. Allegations of political jobbery were denied but Everett's actions became a national issue. Farrell resigned in December 1950 and Everett bowed to the pressure and appointed Cooke. It is believed that the Baltinglass affair contributed to the downfall of the Inter-Party government in 1951. Also in 1950, during the First Inter-Party Government's tenure, the Labour Party and the National Labour Party reunited. Everett served in government again between 1954 and 1957 as
Minister for Justice and in that capacity he granted
Albert Luykx Irish citizenship. Everett died aged 77, during the 1967 Dáil Christmas Recess. He had 44 years service as a TD, and was joint
Father of the Dáil with
Frank Aiken and
Paddy Smith. ==References==