Martin Mansergh
Encyclopedia
Martin Mansergh is a former Irish
Fianna Fáil
politician and historian. He was a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Tipperary South
constituency from May 2007 until his defeat at the general election in February 2011. He was previously a senator
from 2002 to 2007.
He has played a leading role in formulating Fianna Fáil policy on Northern Ireland
. Unusually among current prominent Irish nationalists
, Mansergh is an Anglican, and was born and raised in England
.
-born historian Nicholas Mansergh
He was educated at The King's School, Canterbury
and Christ Church, Oxford
, studying Politics
, Philosophy
and Economics
and obtaining a Doctorate
in philosophy for a study of pre-revolutionary French history.
, being appointed a Third secretary in 1974 and became a First Secretary in 1977. Later recruited by Taoiseach
Charles Haughey
, he has worked for the Fianna Fáil party ever since, serving under three Fianna Fáil leaders as Director of Research, Policy and Special Advisor on Northern Ireland where he was involved in discussions between the nationalist parties and the Irish Government
and met regularly with intermediary Father Alec Reid
.
Mansergh was a key member of the teams which formed the Fianna Fáil
–Labour Party
coalition in 1992 and the Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats
coalition in 1997. As a senior adviser to successive Taoisigh
, Mansergh has played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace process
over the last twenty years. He ran for Fianna Fáil as a Dáil candidate in the Tipperary South constituency at the 2002 general election
but failed to be elected with 14.2% of the poll. However, Mansergh was elected to the 22nd Seanad by the Agricultural Panel in July of that year. At the 2007 general election he again ran for Fianna Fáil as a Dáil candidate in the Tipperary South constituency, this time being elected with 15.7% of the poll. He is a member of the Irish Council of State
.
Until 2006 he wrote a weekly column for The Irish Times
, but resigned because of the upcoming general election. In May 2008, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works
, as well as Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
with special responsibility for the Arts.
In January 2009 he offered to quit his junior ministry post to save money and called on people to retain their Celtic Tiger
style optimism and self respect. He said: We're not going to get anywhere by completely throwing overboard our self respect. We have achieved a tremendous amount in the past 20 years - they were the best 20 years in our history. There will be cycles - we rose very high and we are where we are now. We have to work our way out of this intelligently.
Bertie Ahern
, whose financial affairs are under investigation by the Mahon Tribunal. He has been accused by some commentators of being insulting, condescending and petulant to opposition politicians.
On an RTÉ radio show Morning Ireland
in February 2008, Mansergh reassured listeners that Ahern's difficulties were no more than a spot of inflight turbulence, with a safe landing in sight. When Fine Gael's tribunal expert, Senator Eugene Regan
dissented, Mansergh became quite agitated, questioning why Regan wanted to question Ahern's finances declaring to Regan that: You should have respect for your betters!
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
politician and historian. He was a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Tipperary South
Tipperary South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Tipperary South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
constituency from May 2007 until his defeat at the general election in February 2011. He was previously a senator
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
from 2002 to 2007.
He has played a leading role in formulating Fianna Fáil policy on Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Unusually among current prominent Irish nationalists
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
, Mansergh is an Anglican, and was born and raised in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Education
Mansergh is the son of the County TipperaryCounty Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
-born historian Nicholas Mansergh
Nicholas Mansergh
Philip Nicholas Seton Mansergh, was a distinguished historian of Ireland and the British Commonwealth.-Early life and education:...
He was educated at The King's School, Canterbury
The King's School, Canterbury
The King's School is a British co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in the historic English cathedral city of Canterbury in Kent. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group....
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, studying Politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and obtaining a Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in philosophy for a study of pre-revolutionary French history.
Career
He entered the Irish Department of Foreign AffairsDepartment of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for promoting the interests of Ireland in the European Union and the wider world...
, being appointed a Third secretary in 1974 and became a First Secretary in 1977. Later recruited by Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
, he has worked for the Fianna Fáil party ever since, serving under three Fianna Fáil leaders as Director of Research, Policy and Special Advisor on Northern Ireland where he was involved in discussions between the nationalist parties and the Irish Government
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
and met regularly with intermediary Father Alec Reid
Alec Reid
Father Alec Reid, C.Ss.R. is an Irish priest noted for his facilitator role in the Northern Ireland peace process. Born and raised in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Reid was professed as a Redemptorist in 1950, and ordained a priest seven years later...
.
Mansergh was a key member of the teams which formed the Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
–Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
coalition in 1992 and the Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
coalition in 1997. As a senior adviser to successive Taoisigh
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, Mansergh has played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace process
Northern Ireland peace process
The peace process, when discussing the history of Northern Ireland, is often considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent political developments.-Towards a...
over the last twenty years. He ran for Fianna Fáil as a Dáil candidate in the Tipperary South constituency at the 2002 general election
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
but failed to be elected with 14.2% of the poll. However, Mansergh was elected to the 22nd Seanad by the Agricultural Panel in July of that year. At the 2007 general election he again ran for Fianna Fáil as a Dáil candidate in the Tipperary South constituency, this time being elected with 15.7% of the poll. He is a member of the Irish Council of State
Council of State (Ireland)
The Council of State is a body established by the Constitution of Ireland to advise the President of Ireland in the exercise of many of his or her discretionary, reserve powers...
.
Until 2006 he wrote a weekly column for The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
, but resigned because of the upcoming general election. In May 2008, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works is a State Agency of the Department of Finance in the Republic of Ireland...
, as well as Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism (Ireland)
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is a department of the Government of Ireland. The mission of the department is to contribute to the economic, social and cultural progress of Irish society and the enrichment of its quality of life through promoting sustainable tourism;...
with special responsibility for the Arts.
In January 2009 he offered to quit his junior ministry post to save money and called on people to retain their Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger is a term used to describe the economy of Ireland during a period of rapid economic growth between 1995 and 2007. The expansion underwent a dramatic reversal from 2008, with GDP contracting by 14% and unemployment levels rising to 14% by 2010...
style optimism and self respect. He said: We're not going to get anywhere by completely throwing overboard our self respect. We have achieved a tremendous amount in the past 20 years - they were the best 20 years in our history. There will be cycles - we rose very high and we are where we are now. We have to work our way out of this intelligently.
Media image
Mansergh has been a strong supporter of former TaoiseachTaoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
, whose financial affairs are under investigation by the Mahon Tribunal. He has been accused by some commentators of being insulting, condescending and petulant to opposition politicians.
On an RTÉ radio show Morning Ireland
Morning Ireland
Morning Ireland is the breakfast news programme broadcast by RTÉ Radio 1 in Ireland and is noted as that country's most listened to radio programme. It is broadcast each weekday morning between 07.00 and 09.00 and is presented by Aine Lawlor, Cathal Mac Coille, Rachael English and Aoife Kavanagh...
in February 2008, Mansergh reassured listeners that Ahern's difficulties were no more than a spot of inflight turbulence, with a safe landing in sight. When Fine Gael's tribunal expert, Senator Eugene Regan
Eugene Regan
Eugene Regan is an Irish barrister, Fine Gael politician and a former member of Seanad Éireann.-Early and personal life:He was educated at University College Dublin, University of Brussels and King's Inns. Regan qualified as a barrister in 1985, commenced practice in 1995 and became a Senior...
dissented, Mansergh became quite agitated, questioning why Regan wanted to question Ahern's finances declaring to Regan that: You should have respect for your betters!
Further reading
- Mansergh, Martin, The Legacy of History for Making Peace in Ireland, ISBN 9781856353892, ISBN 1856353893
- Rafter, Kevin, Martin Mansergh – A Biography, ISBN 9781904301059
- 2009 Comment on Irish unity