Pádraig MacKernan
Encyclopedia
Pádraig MacKernan (24 April 1940–25 January 2010) was an Irish
diplomat who served as Secretary General of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs
as well as Irish Ambassador to both France
and the United States
and as an Irish member of the EEC and EC's Political Committee and later the EC and EU's Committee of Permanent Representatives
, and as an Irish negotiator of the Single European Act
and the Maastricht Treaty
.
. During the last days of World War II
, his family was informed that one of MacKernans' uncles had died, one of three who were serving in the Royal Air Force
, an event he was to frequently recall in his subsequent career. He attended Crescent College
and University College, Galway (UCG) from which he graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts
in French
and English
and was elected Auditor (head) of the University's Literary & Debating Society, in 1961. He then attended the Sorbonne
and the Bibliothèque nationale de France
. while also teaching at the Lycée Condorcet
, earning a master's degree focussing on the works of Jean-Paul Sartre
and becoming fully bilingual in French and English - he was already an Irish speaker. While a student at UCG and the Sorbonne he met fellow student, Caitríona Gavin, who he subsequently married on returning to Ireland in 1963, where he taught French and English in Gorey
Co Wexford.
as vice-counsel and later New York
as deputy counsel general; during this period his wife Caitríona taught French and Mathematics in the South Bronx. In 1969, he assisted with the development of Ireland's case in relation to the Northern Ireland
conflict for the United Nations Security Council
, embarking on trips with then Minister for Foreign Affairs (later President) Patrick Hillery
to Ottawa
in Canada
and Washington, D.C.
in the United States
in search of support from politicians and people there. It was during this part of his career that he met Robert Kennedy, Senator for New York, Ted Kennedy
, Senator for Massachusetts and Congressman (later Speaker) Tip O'Neill
also of Massachusetts.
In 1974, he came back to Ireland to concentrate on matters relating to the country's position in Europe and accession to the EEC. Appointed Assistant Secretary and Political Director in 1980, as a member of the powerful, but largely unheard of European Economic Community
's Political Committee, he was a key negotiator of the Single European Act
, which evolved the EEC
into the European Community, a role facilitated by his complete fluency in both French and English, then the two Working language
s of the EEC; as political director he was also a main Irish participant in European Political Cooperation
, a role in which he travelled widely in connection with East Europe/West Europe relations and other priorities such as the Arab/Israeli conflict.
In 1985, he was made Irish Ambassador to the United States and Mexico. During this period he advocated for the support of Congress for the Anglo-Irish Agreement
of 1985 http://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/fergus-finlay/pity-me-im-now-trying-to-keep-up-with-the-sixth-fittest-man-in-europe-111045.html and the establishment of The American Ireland Fund
by merging the then American Irish Foundation and Ireland Fund. He also assisted Congressmen Brian Donnelly
and Bruce Morrison
, House Speaker Tip O'Neill
and Senators Ted Kennedy
and Alan Simpson
, a systematic campaign of advocacy that regularised the status of undocumented Irish citizens in the United States (generally known as the "Irish Illegals"). In his capacity as Ambassador to Mexico he was involved in arranging commemoration of the service of Mexico's Irish Brigade
, the Batallón de San Patricio, a role he was to reprise when he accompanied the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese
in 1999 when she laid a wreath at the Battalion memorial in the course of a state visit to Mexico.
There, as one of only two members at that time of the Committee of Permanent Representatives
or COREPER,http://aei.pitt.edu/3046/02/COREPER-EUSA2005.TxT-wp.dochttp://www.on-the-net.com/interskills/minis/euro.htm who had previously been a political director in his foreign service (and thus a member of the EEC's political committee), he was considered particularly effective as a major Irish negotiator of the Maastricht Treaty
, which converted the European Community into the European Union
as well as establishing the single currency or Euro
, in negotiating for Ireland large subventions from the EU's Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds
, and in negotiations relating to Europe's Common Agricultural Policy
. He was also involved in the conversion of the Irish College
in Louvain into the Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe. as well as assisting in securing funds from the Ireland Funds
for the construction of the Round Tower commemorating the Irish dead of World War I
at the Island of Ireland Peace Park
, the dedication of which he was later to attend as Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1998.
In 1995, he accepted the position of Secretary General (i.e., the permanent civil service head or Permanent Secretary
) of Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs. and during his tenure, oversaw the opening of more than twenty new Irish diplomatic missions in Europe, Latin America and Asia and also contributed to Irish negotiations with respect to the Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Maastricht Treaty and Single European Act. He also directed the campaign for Ireland's election to the United Nations Security Council. Later in his tenure he had a dispute with a newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs
, David Andrews, relating to the promotion and posting of diplomats and the demarcation between the apolitical role of the service in proposing candidates and the political role of the Government in confirming them. In 1998, the impasse became public and received wide coverage in Irish media.
In 2001, he was made Irish Ambassador to France. In Paris he was notable in promoting Franco-Irish relations in the political, economic and cultural areas. As a member of the Board of Management, he supported the restoration of the historic Irish College in Paris
and its transformation into the Irish Cultural Centre. As ambassador to France he attended various British commemorations for World War I and II in his official capacity. His achievements in France were recognised by the French Government when he was honoured as a Grand Officier de l'Ordre national du Mérite
shortly before his retirement.
., survived by his wife Caitríona and sons Dónal, Colm and Dara . Labour Party
TD
Ruairi Quinn
paid a special tribute followed later by Enda Kenny
, the leader of the opposition and Fine Gael
, the Tánaiste
(deputy prime minister) and other political figures in the houses of the Oireachtas
.http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20100127.xml&Ex=All&Page=2http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=SEN20100128.XML&Dail=30&Ex=All&Page=3 He was cremated after a humanist
ceremony on January 28, 2010 and his ashes scattered in the river at Ballynahinch, County Galway
after a short ceremony.
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,...
diplomat who served as Secretary General of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs
Department 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...
as well as Irish Ambassador to both France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and as an Irish member of the EEC and EC's Political Committee and later the EC and EU's Committee of Permanent Representatives
Committee of Permanent Representatives
COREPER, from French Comité des représentants permanents, is the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union, made up of the head or deputy head of mission from the EU member states in Brussels....
, and as an Irish negotiator of the Single European Act
Single European Act
The Single European Act was the first major revision of the 1957 Treaty of Rome. The Act set the European Community an objective of establishing a Single Market by 31 December 1992, and codified European Political Cooperation, the forerunner of the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy...
and the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
.
Early life and education
MacKernan was born, the eldest of a family of eight children, in a small house in Clare Street, LimerickLimerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
. During the last days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, his family was informed that one of MacKernans' uncles had died, one of three who were serving in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, an event he was to frequently recall in his subsequent career. He attended Crescent College
Crescent College
Crescent College Comprehensive SJ is a secondary school located on a section of 40 acres of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. The college is one of a number of Jesuit schools in Ireland.- History :...
and University College, Galway (UCG) from which he graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and was elected Auditor (head) of the University's Literary & Debating Society, in 1961. He then attended the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
and the Bibliothèque nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
. while also teaching at the Lycée Condorcet
Lycée Condorcet
The Lycée Condorcet is a school founded in 1803 in Paris, France, located at 8, rue du Havre, in the city's IXe arrondissement. Since its inception, various political eras have seen it given a number of different names, but its identity today honors the memory of the Marquis de Condorcet. The...
, earning a master's degree focussing on the works of Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
and becoming fully bilingual in French and English - he was already an Irish speaker. While a student at UCG and the Sorbonne he met fellow student, Caitríona Gavin, who he subsequently married on returning to Ireland in 1963, where he taught French and English in Gorey
Gorey
Gorey , is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland, situated beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the Gorey Guardian and Gorey Echo....
Co Wexford.
1960's through 1980's
In 1964, he joined the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and in 1965 was assigned to the United States, initially to BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
as vice-counsel and later New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as deputy counsel general; during this period his wife Caitríona taught French and Mathematics in the South Bronx. In 1969, he assisted with the development of Ireland's case in relation to the 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...
conflict for the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
, embarking on trips with then Minister for Foreign Affairs (later President) Patrick Hillery
Patrick Hillery
Patrick John "Paddy" Hillery was an Irish politician and the sixth President of Ireland from 1976 until 1990. First elected at the 1951 general election as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Clare, he remained in Dáil Éireann until 1973...
to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in search of support from politicians and people there. It was during this part of his career that he met Robert Kennedy, Senator for New York, Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, Senator for Massachusetts and Congressman (later Speaker) Tip O'Neill
Tip O'Neill
Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. was an American politician. O'Neill was an outspoken liberal Democrat and influential member of the U.S. Congress, serving in the House of Representatives for 34 years and representing two congressional districts in Massachusetts...
also of Massachusetts.
In 1974, he came back to Ireland to concentrate on matters relating to the country's position in Europe and accession to the EEC. Appointed Assistant Secretary and Political Director in 1980, as a member of the powerful, but largely unheard of European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
's Political Committee, he was a key negotiator of the Single European Act
Single European Act
The Single European Act was the first major revision of the 1957 Treaty of Rome. The Act set the European Community an objective of establishing a Single Market by 31 December 1992, and codified European Political Cooperation, the forerunner of the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy...
, which evolved the EEC
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
into the European Community, a role facilitated by his complete fluency in both French and English, then the two Working language
Working language
A working language is a language that is given a unique legal status in a supra-national company, society, state or other body or organization as its primary mean of communication...
s of the EEC; as political director he was also a main Irish participant in European Political Cooperation
European political cooperation
The European Political Cooperation was introduced in 1970 and was the synonym for European Union foreign policy coordination until it was superseded by the Common Foreign and Security Policy in the Maastricht Treaty ....
, a role in which he travelled widely in connection with East Europe/West Europe relations and other priorities such as the Arab/Israeli conflict.
In 1985, he was made Irish Ambassador to the United States and Mexico. During this period he advocated for the support of Congress for the Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
of 1985 http://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/fergus-finlay/pity-me-im-now-trying-to-keep-up-with-the-sixth-fittest-man-in-europe-111045.html and the establishment of The American Ireland Fund
The American Ireland Fund
The American Ireland Fund is an organization that raises funds for the support of peace and reconciliation, community development, education, arts and culture in Ireland. Since its founding it has raised more than US $250 million...
by merging the then American Irish Foundation and Ireland Fund. He also assisted Congressmen Brian Donnelly
Brian Donnelly
Brian Donnelly QSO was a New Zealand politician. He was a member of the New Zealand First party.-Early career:Donnelly was trained as a teacher, and worked in the education sector for twenty years...
and Bruce Morrison
Bruce Morrison
Bruce Andrew Morrison is a former Congressman from Connecticut and candidate for Governor of Connecticut. He is a lobbyist and immigration lawyer...
, House Speaker Tip O'Neill
Tip O'Neill
Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. was an American politician. O'Neill was an outspoken liberal Democrat and influential member of the U.S. Congress, serving in the House of Representatives for 34 years and representing two congressional districts in Massachusetts...
and Senators Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
and Alan Simpson
Alan K. Simpson
Alan Kooi Simpson is an American politician who served from 1979 to 1997 as a United States Senator from Wyoming as a member of the Republican Party. His father, Milward L. Simpson, was also a member of the U.S...
, a systematic campaign of advocacy that regularised the status of undocumented Irish citizens in the United States (generally known as the "Irish Illegals"). In his capacity as Ambassador to Mexico he was involved in arranging commemoration of the service of Mexico's Irish Brigade
Irish Brigade
Irish Brigade may refer to:* Irish Brigade , the Jacobite brigade in the French army, 1690–1792 * Irish Brigade , pro-Union Civil War brigade of Irish immigrants...
, the Batallón de San Patricio, a role he was to reprise when he accompanied the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
in 1999 when she laid a wreath at the Battalion memorial in the course of a state visit to Mexico.
1990's and 2000's
In 1991 he was appointed Irish Permanent Representative (Ambassador) to the European Union.There, as one of only two members at that time of the Committee of Permanent Representatives
Committee of Permanent Representatives
COREPER, from French Comité des représentants permanents, is the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union, made up of the head or deputy head of mission from the EU member states in Brussels....
or COREPER,http://aei.pitt.edu/3046/02/COREPER-EUSA2005.TxT-wp.dochttp://www.on-the-net.com/interskills/minis/euro.htm who had previously been a political director in his foreign service (and thus a member of the EEC's political committee), he was considered particularly effective as a major Irish negotiator of the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
, which converted the European Community into the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
as well as establishing the single currency or Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
, in negotiating for Ireland large subventions from the EU's Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds
Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds
The Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund are financial tools set up to implement the Cohesion policy also referred to as the Regional policy of the European Union. They aim to reduce regional disparities in terms of income, wealth and opportunities...
, and in negotiations relating to Europe's Common Agricultural Policy
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It represents 48% of the EU's budget, €49.8 billion in 2006 ....
. He was also involved in the conversion of the Irish College
Irish College
Irish Colleges is the collective name used for approximately 34 centres of education for Irish Catholic clergy and lay people opened on continental Europe in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The Colleges were set up to educate Roman Catholics from Ireland in their own religion following the...
in Louvain into the Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe. as well as assisting in securing funds from the Ireland Funds
The Ireland Funds
The Ireland Funds are a global fundraising network for people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland, dedicated to raising funds to support programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland...
for the construction of the Round Tower commemorating the Irish dead of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
at the Island of Ireland Peace Park
Island of Ireland Peace Park
The Island of Ireland Peace Park and its surrounding park , also called the Irish Peace Park or Irish Peace Tower in Messines, near Ypres in Flanders, Belgium, is a war memorial to the soldiers of the island of Ireland who died, were wounded or are missing from World War I, during Ireland's...
, the dedication of which he was later to attend as Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1998.
In 1995, he accepted the position of Secretary General (i.e., the permanent civil service head or Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
) of Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs. and during his tenure, oversaw the opening of more than twenty new Irish diplomatic missions in Europe, Latin America and Asia and also contributed to Irish negotiations with respect to the Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Maastricht Treaty and Single European Act. He also directed the campaign for Ireland's election to the United Nations Security Council. Later in his tenure he had a dispute with a newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Government of Ireland. Its headquarters are at Iveagh House, on St Stephen's Green in Dublin; "Iveagh House" is often used as a metonym for the department as a whole.The current...
, David Andrews, relating to the promotion and posting of diplomats and the demarcation between the apolitical role of the service in proposing candidates and the political role of the Government in confirming them. In 1998, the impasse became public and received wide coverage in Irish media.
In 2001, he was made Irish Ambassador to France. In Paris he was notable in promoting Franco-Irish relations in the political, economic and cultural areas. As a member of the Board of Management, he supported the restoration of the historic Irish College in Paris
Irish College in Paris
The Irish College in Paris was for three centuries a major Roman Catholic educational establishment, for Irish students. It was founded in the late sixteenth century, and closed down by the French government in the early twentieth century....
and its transformation into the Irish Cultural Centre. As ambassador to France he attended various British commemorations for World War I and II in his official capacity. His achievements in France were recognised by the French Government when he was honoured as a Grand Officier de l'Ordre national du Mérite
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
shortly before his retirement.
Later life and death
In 2005, he retired. In 2009, he agreed to accept from UCG an honorary doctorate. In retirement he served as a director of the Irish College in Paris and as a member of the board of the Alliance Française and started to write as yet not published memoirs; freed of the constraints of the Irish Civil Service on holding open political views he also became a member of the Irish Labour Party. In January 2010, he died of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosisIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic, progressive form of lung disease characterized by fibrosis of the supporting framework of the lungs...
., survived by his wife Caitríona and sons Dónal, Colm and Dara . 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...
TD
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...
Ruairi Quinn
Ruairi Quinn
Ruairi Quinn is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been Minister for Education and Skills since March 2011. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency. He was Minister for Finance from 1994 to 1997, and leader of the Labour Party from 1997 to 2002.-Early...
paid a special tribute followed later by Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
, the leader of the opposition and 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...
, the Tánaiste
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste is the deputy prime minister of Ireland. The current Tánaiste is Eamon Gilmore, TD who was appointed on 9 March 2011.- Origins and etymology :...
(deputy prime minister) and other political figures in the houses of the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
.http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20100127.xml&Ex=All&Page=2http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=SEN20100128.XML&Dail=30&Ex=All&Page=3 He was cremated after a humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
ceremony on January 28, 2010 and his ashes scattered in the river at Ballynahinch, County Galway
Ballynahinch, County Galway
Ballynahinch or Ballinahinch is situated close to Recess in County Galway in the West of Ireland, on the road from Recess to Roundstone. It also lies on the route of the former railway line from Galway city to Clifden...
after a short ceremony.
External links
- Obituary in The Irish TimesThe Irish TimesThe 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...
- Obituary in the Irish IndependentIrish IndependentThe Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
- Citation Honorary Doctorate NUI Galway
- Profile in the Irish ExaminerIrish ExaminerThe Irish Examiner, formerly The Cork Examiner and then The Examiner, is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country...
by Fergus FinlayFergus FinlayFergus Finlay was for some years the chef de cabinet of the Irish Labour Party, and is the chief executive of the charity Barnardo's in Ireland. He is also a weekly columnist with the Irish Examiner and the author of a number of books....