Michael Howard was an Irish

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,...

 Fine Gael

Fine Gael

Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

 party politician who served in Seanad Éireann

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...

 for nearly 20 years.

An unsuccessful candidate at the 1969

Irish general election, 1969

The Irish general election of 1969 was held on 18 June 1969. The newly elected members of the 19th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 2 July when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed...

 and 1973

Irish general election, 1973

The Irish general election of 1973 was held on 28 February 1973. The newly elected 144 members of the 20th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 4 March when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....

 general elections, he was first elected to Seanad Éireann in 1977 by the Industrial and Commercial Panel, he served until 1987 (in the 15th, 16th, and 17th Seanads) and again from 1989–1997 (in the 19th and 20th Seanads), in each case being returned by the Industrial and Commercial Panel. He lost his seat at the 1997 Seanad election. He was an associate member of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body

British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body

The British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly is a deliberative body consisting of members of legislative bodies in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the British crown dependencies...

 in 1997.

Born in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare

County Clare

-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...

, he was a publican and farmer. He was also a member of Clare County Council

Clare County Council

Clare County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Clare in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment....

and a president of the Vintners Federation of Ireland.