Mark A. Clinton (7 February 1915 – 23 December 2001) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as

Minister for Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...

from 1973 to 1977. He served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Leinster constituency from 1979 to 1989. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1961 to 1981. Clinton was born to a farming family at Moynalty, Kells, County Meath, in February 1915. He was known as an accomplished

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

er in his youth and played on the Meath county team defeated by Kerry in the

1939 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final The 1939 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final was the 52nd All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1939 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland. Kerry ...

. He served as a member of Dublin County Council from 1955 and represented various County Dublin constituencies as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála (TD) from 1961 until his retirement from

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...

in 1981. In 1973 he joined the Irish Government of

Liam Cosgrave Liam Cosgrave (13 April 1920 – 4 October 2017) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 1973 to 1977, Leader of Fine Gael from 1965 to 1977, Leader of the Opposition from 1965 to 1973, Minister for External Affairs from ...

as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries in the

National Coalition The National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces ( ar, الائتلاف الوطني لقوى الثورة والمعارضة السورية), commonly named the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) ( ar, الائتلاف الو ...

. Clinton is best remembered as the Agriculture Minister who negotiated Ireland's entry into the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy, a development which brought billions of pounds to Irish farming and agri business. He served in government until 1977 and retired from the Dáil in 1981. Clinton also served in the European Parliament for the Leinster constituency from 1979 to 1989 and his political experience was recognised by his election as vice-president of that assembly. Mark Clinton died in a Dublin nursing home on 23 December 2001.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Mark 1915 births 2001 deaths Fine Gael MEPs Fine Gael TDs Irish sportsperson-politicians Meath inter-county Gaelic footballers Members of the 17th Dáil Members of the 18th Dáil Members of the 19th Dáil Members of the 20th Dáil Members of the 21st Dáil MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 1984–1989 MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 1979–1984 Ministers for Agriculture (Ireland) Politicians from County Meath