Twomey, Daniel (1886–1968), civil servant, was born 29 December 1886 at Rockborough House, Macroom, Co. Cork. He was educated at Presentation College, Cork, and UCC. In 1905 he won a scholarship to the College of Science, Dublin, becoming an associate in 1908.
He was employed as an agricultural instructor in north Tipperary and Kerry before joining the Department of Agricultural and Technical Instruction as a junior inspector in the livestock branch in 1912. During the war of independence he continued to work as an inspector for the DATI, but surreptitiously assisted Art O'Connor (qv), director of agriculture for Dáil Éireann, by helping to answer queries received by the dáil department. He was promoted to the position of chief inspector of livestock (1923). In 1920 he joined the RDS and became a member of its committee of agriculture (1924–68). He was a leading member of the society, serving on its council (1929–47, 1960–68).
Appointed to the tariff commission in 1930, when the government reformed that body to expedite the processing of applications and increase the likelihood of positive recommendations; he was also a member of the pig industries tribunal (1933). From 1934 to 1946 he was secretary of the Department of Agriculture; this was a turbulent period for Irish agriculture, encompassing the economic war and the second world war, but it was one of stability in the department. Dr James Ryan (qv) was the minister for agriculture throughout Twomey's tenure and they developed a close relationship. Twomey articulately defended the policies pursued by the department under the Fianna Fáil administration, despite their divergence from the Department of Agriculture orthodoxy of the 1920s. He also sought to avoid any implicit criticism of previous policy by stressing the expediency of change in the face of altered circumstances. Typically, his performance before the banking commission (1937) was a skilful attempt to represent the government's emphasis on tillage as an adjustment rather than a profound change.
When he took early retirement in December 1946, the cabinet agreed that he should be allowed to cite ill health as the cause, enabling him to claim his full pension. On retirement he became secretary of the executive committee of the RDS (1947–60). He died 11 April 1968 at home at 51 Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin. He left £14,966 to his wife, Mary Teresa; they had no children.