Tras Honan (; born 4 January 1930) is a former

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...

politician from Ennis in

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...

who served as a senator for 15 years. She was elected to the position of

Cathaoirleach Cathaoirleach (; Irish for chairperson; plural: ) is the title of the chair (or presiding officer) of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach, who has held the o ...

(Chair of

Seanad Éireann Seanad Éireann (, ; "Senate of Ireland") is the upper house of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (the lower house). It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its memb ...

) on two occasions, becoming the first and only woman elected to the position. She was born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

and educated at St. Leo's Convent, Carlow and at the Mercy Convent, Clonmel. She worked as a housewife and businesswoman before becoming active in politics. In 1977, she was elected to the

14th Seanad This is a list of the members of the 14th Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland. These Senators were elected or appointed in 1977, after the 1977 general election and served until the close of poll for ...

as a Fianna Fáil candidate on the

Administrative Panel The Administrative Panel () is one of five vocational panels which together elect 43 of the 60 members of Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas (the legislature of Ireland). The Administrative Panel elects seven senators. Election ...

and served for 15 years until her defeat at the 1993 elections to the 20th Seanad. In 1982, in the short-lived 16th Seanad, she was elected to the position of

, the first woman to hold the post. In 1983, in the

17th Seanad This is a list of the members of the 17th Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland. These Senators were elected or appointed in 1983, after the November 1982 general election and served until the close of pol ...

, she was elected as Leas-Chathaoirleach (Deputy Chair), and in 1987, in the 18th Seanad, she was re-elected as Cathaoirleach.

Family

Honan is the widow of

Dermot Honan Dermot Patrick Honan (died 20 July 1986) was a Fianna Fáil politician from County Clare in Republic of Ireland, Ireland who served as a Seanad Éireann, senator for 8 years. A licensed vintner before entering politics, he was elected in 1965 to ...

, a senator from 1965 to 1975; his father T. V. Honan was also a senator from 1934 to 1954. She was also a sister of

Carrie Acheson Caroline Acheson (; 11 September 1934 – 16 January 2023) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. Career Acheson was born in Tipperary in 1934, daughter of Matt Barlow, Republican activist in the Irish War of Independence. She was educated at t ...

, a TD.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Honan, Tras 1930 births Living people Cathaoirligh of Seanad Éireann Fianna Fáil senators Members of the 14th Seanad Members of the 15th Seanad Members of the 16th Seanad Members of the 17th Seanad Members of the 18th Seanad Members of the 19th Seanad 20th-century women members of Seanad Éireann People from Ennis Politicians from County Clare Politicians from County Dublin Spouses of Irish politicians

Family

See also

References