1979 Fianna Fáil Leadership Election
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1979 Fianna Fáil Leadership Election
The 1979 Fianna Fáil leadership election began in December 1979, when Jack Lynch resigned as party leader and Taoiseach. Lynch had been party leader for thirteen years and Taoiseach for over nine years. His successor was elected by the members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on 7 December 1979. After one ballot the election was won by Charles Haughey. Candidates Standing * Charles Haughey, Minister for Health and Social Welfare * George Colley, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Declined to stand * Desmond O'Malley, Minister for Industry and Commerce Campaign Following a landslide election victory at the 1977 general election the fortunes of Jack Lynch had turned around completely. The economy began to deteriorate, internal divisions within Fianna Fáil became apparent, party discipline and morale was beginning to break down as pressure mounted on Lynch to step aside. Perhaps the biggest blow to the Taoiseach's confidence came when the party lost two by-elections i ...
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Charles Haughey
Charles James Haughey (; 16 September 1925 – 13 June 2006) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach on three occasions – 1979 to 1981, March to December 1982 and 1987 to 1992. He was also Minister for the Gaeltacht from 1987 to 1992, Leader of the Opposition from 1981 to 1982 and 1982 to 1987, Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1979 to 1992, Minister for Social Welfare and for Health from 1977 to 1979, Minister for Finance from 1966 to 1970, Minister for Agriculture from 1964 to 1966, Minister for Justice from 1961 to 1964 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Justice from 1959 to 1961. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1957 to 1992. Haughey was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD in 1957 and was re-elected at every election until 1992, representing successively the Dublin North-East, Dublin Artane and Dublin North-Central constituencies. Haughey was the dominant Irish politician of his generation, as well as the most c ...
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Minister For Social Protection
The Minister for Social Protection ( ga, An tAire Cosanta Sóisialta) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Social Protection. The current Minister for Social Protection is Heather Humphreys. She is also Minister for Rural and Community Development and Minister for Justice. She is assisted by two Ministers of State: * Joe O'Brien, TD – Minister of State, with responsibility for Community Development and Charities; and *Damien English, TD – Minister of State, with responsibility for Redundancy and Insolvency Operations and Employer Services. Overview The position was created in 1947 as the Minister for Social Welfare. Its present title dates from 2020. The department formulates appropriate social protection policies and administers and manages the delivery of statutory and non-statutory schemes and services. It is also responsible for the delivery of a range of social insurance and social assistance schemes including provision for un ...
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Michael O'Kennedy
Michael O'Kennedy (21 February 1936 – 15 April 2022) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Labour from 1991 to 1992, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from 1987 to 1991, European Commissioner for Personnel, Administration and the Statistics Office from 1981 to 1982, Minister for Finance and Minister for the Public Service from 1979 to 1980, Minister for Economic Planning and Development from 1979 to 1980, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1977 to 1979, Minister for Transport and Power from January 1973 to March 1973, minister without portfolio from 1972 to 1973 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education from 1970 to 1973. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary North constituency from 1969 to 1981, 1982 to 1992 and 1997 to 2002. He was a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 1965 to 1969, and for the Administrative Panel from 1993 to 1997. Early life O'Kennedy was born in Nenagh, County Ti ...
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Minister For Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs ( ga, An tAire Gnóthaí Eachtracha) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Minister's office is located at Iveagh House, on St Stephen's Green in Dublin; "Iveagh House" is often used as a metonym for the department as a whole. From 1922 until 1971 the title of the office was ''"Minister for External Affairs"''. The current office holder is Micheál Martin, TD. He is also Minister for Defence. He is assisted by: * Thomas Byrne, TD, Minister of State for European Affairs; and *Colm Brophy, TD, Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora. Overview The department has the following divisions: * Finance Unit – oversees the financial control of the department. * Anglo-Irish Division – deals with Anglo-Irish relations and Northern Ireland. * Cultural Division – administers the state's Cultural Relations Programme. * European Union Division – coordinates the stat ...
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Leinster House
Leinster House ( ga, Teach Laighean) is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, which house Oireachtas Éireann, its members and staff. The most recognisable part of the complex, and the "public face" of Leinster House, continues to be the former ducal palace at the core of the complex. Ducal palace Leinster House was the former ducal residence in Dublin of the Duke of Leinster, and since 1922 has served as the parliament building of the Irish Free State, the predecessor of the modern Irish state, before which it functioned as the headquarters of the Royal Dublin Society. The society's famous Dublin Spring Show and Dublin Horse Show were held on its Leinster Lawn, facing Merrion Square. The building is the meeting place of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, the two houses of the Oireachtas, and as such the term 'Lein ...
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Albert Reynolds
Albert Martin Reynolds (3 November 1932 – 21 August 2014) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1992 to 1994, Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1992 to 1994, Minister for Finance from 1988 to 1991, Minister for Industry and Commerce from 1987 to 1988, Minister for Industry and Energy from March 1982 to December 1982, Minister for Transport from 1980 to 1981 and Minister for Posts and Telegraphs from 1979 to 1981. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1977 to 2002. Reynolds was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a TD for Longford–Westmeath in 1977, and was re-elected at each election (from 1992 serving as TD for Longford-Roscommon), until his retirement in 2002. During his first term as Taoiseach he led a Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition, and in his second term he was head of one between Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party. Early life Albert Reynolds was born in Kilglass, near Roosky, on the Roscommon– Leitrim border on 3 November ...
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Jackie Fahey
John Fahey (23 January 1928 – 18 March 2019) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for over twenty five years. Fahey was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary in 1928. He was educated locally at the Christian Brothers School. Following his education he worked as a farmer, an auctioneer and an insurance broker. Fahey first entered politics in 1950 when he was elected to Waterford County Council. He held his seat on that authority until 1970, and later from 1974 to 1999. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary South constituency at the 1965 general election. It was his second attempt to get elected, having earlier contested the 1961 general election. From the 1977 general election onwards, he was elected for the Waterford constituency. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries from 1970 to 1973. Like many other TDs, Fahey began to grow disillusioned wi ...
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Seán Doherty (Roscommon Politician)
Seán Doherty (29 June 1944 – 7 June 2005) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from 1989 to 1992, Minister for Justice from March 1982 to December 1982 and Minister of State for Justice from 1980 to 1981. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1977 to 1989 and 1992 to 2002. He was a Senator for the Administrative Panel from 1989 to 1992. Background Born and raised in Cootehall near Boyle, County Roscommon, he was educated at national level in County Leitrim and then at University College Dublin and King's Inns. In 1965, Doherty became a member of the Garda Síochána and served as a Detective in Sligo before joining the Special Branch in Dublin in the early 1970s. Doherty came from a family which had a long tradition of public service and political involvement in County Roscommon. In 1973, Doherty took a seat on Roscommon County Council, which was vacant after the death of his father. Doherty married Maura Nangle, who is the ...
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Mark Killilea Jnr
Mark Killilea Jnr (5 September 1939 – 31 December 2018) was a farmer, auctioneer and agricultural contractor who served as an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. In a 30-year political career, served as a Teachta Dála (TD) and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and also as a Senator. Biography Mark Killilea was born in Tuam, County Galway in 1939. He married Anne Severs in 1966. His father Mark Killilea Snr was a Fianna Fáil TD and a founder-member of the party. Killilea Jnr was educated locally and first held political office in August 1969, when he was elected to Seanad Éireann on the Labour Panel and re-elected in 1973. He failed to be elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt when he stood in Galway North-East at the 1973 general election, but at the 1977 general election he won a seat in the new Galway East constituency. The election was a landslide for Fianna Fáil and in particular showed the popularity of the party leader Jack Lynch. However, after just ...
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Tom McEllistrim (1926–2000)
Thomas McEllistrim (15 January 1926 – 25 February 2000) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Minister of State from 1979 to 1981 and from March 1982 to December 1982. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kerry North constituency from 1969 to 1987 and 1989 to 1992 and a Senator from 1987 to 1989, upon being Nominated by the Taoiseach. Born in Boherbue, County Cork in 1926, McEllistrim was the son of the Fianna Fáil politician and War of Independence veteran, Tom McEllistrim. McEllistrim the younger succeeded his father when he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Kerry North constituency at the 1969 general election. At the 1977 general election, McEllistrim was elected along with his running mate Kit Ahern. This was the first time that Fianna Fáil had won two seats in the three-seat Kerry North constituency. McEllistrim, who was given much credit for this victory, was disappointed not to receive a promotion as a Minister o ...
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Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parliament'' (MP) or '' Member of Congress'' used in other countries. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", although a more literal translation is "Assembly Delegate". Overview For electoral purposes, the Republic of Ireland is divided into areas known as constituencies, each of which elects three, four, or five TDs. Under the Constitution, every 20,000 to 30,000 people must be represented by at least one TD. A candidate to become a TD must be an Irish citizen and over 21 years of age. Members of the judiciary, the Garda Síochána, and the Defence Forces are disqualified from membership of the Dáil. Until the 31st Dáil (2011–2016), the number of TDs had increased to 166. The 2016 general election elected 158 TD ...
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Backbench
In Westminster and other parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament (MP) or a legislator who occupies no governmental office and is not a frontbench spokesperson in the Opposition, being instead simply a member of the "rank and file". The term dates from 1855. The term derives from the fact that they sit physically behind the frontbench in the House of Commons. A backbencher may be a new parliamentary member yet to receive high office, a senior figure dropped from government, someone who for whatever reason is not chosen to sit in the government or an opposition spokesperson (such as a shadow cabinet if one exists), or someone who prefers to be a background influence, not in the spotlight. By extension, those who are not reliable supporters of all of their party's goals and policies and have resigned or been forced to resign may be relegated to the back benches. For example, in British political events, Clive Lewis became a backbencher after resigning ...
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