Matías de Irigoyen

Matías Miguel de Irigoyen (Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1781 – Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1839) was an Argentine soldier and politician.

He travelled to Spain as a child, entered the navy in his youth, and was wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Returned to Buenos Aires in 1809 and took part in the May Revolution. Irigoyen was the first ambassador named by the revolutionary government to be posted in Europe. After passing through Río de Janeiro, where he met the British ambassador, Lord Strangford, he traveled to London. After a relatively short stay he returned to Buenos Aires.

Between 18 April and 20 April 1815 he was part along with José de San Martín and Manuel de Sarratea, of the short-lived Third Triumvirate, after the ouster of the Supreme Director Carlos María de Alvear. The naming of José Rondeau as Supreme Director ended this Triumvirate.

From 1817 to 1820 he served as Minister of War and Navy for the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, during the governments of Juan Martín de Pueyrredón, José Rondeau and Juan Pedro Aguirre y López. After the Battle of Cepeda in February 1820, Irigoyen was named Governor-Mayor of Buenos Aires (9 February to 11 February), but because of the dissolution of the Directorate and the formation of provincial governments, he was posted as provisional governor of the newly created Buenos Aires Province until the assumption of Manuel de Sarratea. He only occupied the post from 11 February to 18 February 1820.