Toddy O'Sullivan
Encyclopedia
Toddy O'Sullivan is a retired Irish
Labour Party politician who served for sixteen years as TD
for constituencies in Cork
, and for five years as a junior government minister. He also served as Lord Mayor of Cork in 1980/81.
A native of the Barrack Street area in the south inner city area of Cork, O'Sullivan was educated at Greenmount National School before becoming a postal clerk.
, O'Sullivan was Lord Mayor of Cork
for the 1980–81 term. O'Sullivan first stood as a candidate for Dáil Éireann
at the by-election on 7 November 1979 in the Cork City
constituency, following the death of Labour TD Patrick Kerrigan
. The by-election was won by Fine Gael
's Liam Burke
, but O'Sullivan was successful at his next attempt, when he topped the poll at the 1981 general election
in the new constituency of Cork North Central
.
He was re-elected at the next five general elections, moving in 1987
to Cork South Central
, before losing his seat at the 1997 general election
. He stood again at the by-election on 23 October 1998 in Cork South Central
following the death of Fine Gael TD Hugh Coveney
, but the seat was won by Coveney's son Simon
.
-Labour coalition government of Taoiseach
Garret FitzGerald
, but in February 1986 he was appointed as Minister of State
at the Department of the Environment. Along with the other Labour ministers, he resigned on 20 January 1987 in protest at proposed cuts in health spending, bringing about the coalition's collapse.
Six years later, after the 1992
general election led to a Fianna Fáil
-Labour coalition, O'Sullivan was again overlooked for ministerial office, and instead became Chairman of the Dáil's Enterprise and Economic Strategy Committee. After the collapse of that government and its replacement with the Fine Gael
-Labour-Democratic Left
Rainbow Coalition
, Taoiseach
John Bruton
appointed him in December 1994 as Minister of State at the Department of Tourism and Trade, a position he held until Fianna Fáil
returned to power at the 1997 general election
.
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,...
Labour Party politician who served for sixteen years as 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...
for constituencies in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, and for five years as a junior government minister. He also served as Lord Mayor of Cork in 1980/81.
A native of the Barrack Street area in the south inner city area of Cork, O'Sullivan was educated at Greenmount National School before becoming a postal clerk.
Electoral history
A member of Cork City CouncilCork City Council
Cork City Council is the local authority which is responsible for the city of Cork and its immediate hinterland in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment...
, O'Sullivan was Lord Mayor of Cork
Lord Mayor of Cork
The Lord Mayor of Cork is the honorific title of the Chairman of Cork City Council which is the local government body for the city of Cork in Ireland. The incumbent is Terry Shannon of Fianna Fáil. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the Council.-History of office:In 1199 there...
for the 1980–81 term. O'Sullivan first stood as a candidate for Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
at the by-election on 7 November 1979 in the Cork City
Cork City (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Cork City was a short-lived parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1977 to 1981...
constituency, following the death of Labour TD Patrick Kerrigan
Patrick Kerrigan
Patrick Kerrigan was an Irish Labour Party Senator and then Teachta Dála who died in office.A trade union official, Kerrigan was an unsuccessful candidate in the Cork City North West constituency at the 1969 general election. He lost again at the 1973 general election, when a Fine Gael-Labour...
. The by-election was won by 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...
's Liam Burke
Liam Burke
Liam Burke was an Irish Fine Gael politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the constituency of Cork North Central. Burke was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1969 general election for Cork City North West. After the constituencies were redrawn, he stood at the 1977 general election in the new...
, but O'Sullivan was successful at his next attempt, when he topped the poll at the 1981 general election
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
in the new constituency of Cork North Central
Cork North Central (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Cork North–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
.
He was re-elected at the next five general elections, moving in 1987
Irish general election, 1987
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in...
to Cork South Central
Cork South Central (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Cork South–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
, before losing his seat at the 1997 general election
Irish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
. He stood again at the by-election on 23 October 1998 in Cork South Central
Cork South Central (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Cork South–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
following the death of Fine Gael TD Hugh Coveney
Hugh Coveney
Hugh P. Coveney was a senior Irish Fine Gael politician, and a noted yachtsman.Hugh Coveney was born into one of Cork's prosperous "merchant prince" families in 1935. He was educated at Christian Brothers College, Cork, Clongowes Wood and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors...
, but the seat was won by Coveney's son Simon
Simon Coveney
Simon Coveney is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as a Teachta Dála for Cork South Central since 1998. In March 2011 he became Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Enda Kenny's coalition government....
.
Ministerial career
In the 24th Dáil, he was initially overlooked for promotion under the Fine GaelFine 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...
-Labour coalition government of 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...
Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He...
, but in February 1986 he was appointed as Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
at the Department of the Environment. Along with the other Labour ministers, he resigned on 20 January 1987 in protest at proposed cuts in health spending, bringing about the coalition's collapse.
Six years later, after the 1992
Irish general election, 1992
The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. However, after difficulties in forming a government the newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil did not assemble at Leinster House until 4 January 1993...
general election led to a 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 coalition, O'Sullivan was again overlooked for ministerial office, and instead became Chairman of the Dáil's Enterprise and Economic Strategy Committee. After the collapse of that government and its replacement with the 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...
-Labour-Democratic Left
Democratic Left (Ireland)
Democratic Left was a democratic socialist political party active in Ireland between 1992 and 1999. It came into being after a split in the Workers' Party and, after just seven years in existence, it merged into the Irish Labour Party.-Origins:...
Rainbow Coalition
Government of the 27th Dáil
The 27th Dáil was elected at the 1992 general election on 25 November 1992 but did not meet until 4 January 1993, however the 23rd Government of Ireland was not appointed until the 12 January. The 27th Dáil lasted a total of 1,654 days.-23rd Government of Ireland :...
, 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...
John Bruton
John Bruton
John Gerard Bruton is an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. A minister under two taoisigh, Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Bruton held a number of the top posts in Irish government, including Minister for Finance , and Minister for Industry, Trade,...
appointed him in December 1994 as Minister of State at the Department of Tourism and Trade, a position he held until 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...
returned to power at the 1997 general election
Irish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
.
External links
- Toddy O'Sullivan's electoral history (ElectionsIreland.org)
- List of Mayors of Cork, including O'Sullivan