Tony Gregory
Encyclopedia
Tony Gregory was an Irish
Independent
politician and a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Dublin Central
constituency from 1982 to 2009.
in Dublin's Northside
, his mother was from County Offaly
and father from Dublin. Tony Gregory was educated by the Christian Brothers
at O'Connell School and University College Dublin
where he received a Bachelor of Arts
degree. He became involved in republican politics joining Sinn Fein
in 1966 and then siding with the Officials in the 1970 split within Sinn Féin. However he left the party in 1972 over the Official IRA ceasfire. He was briefly a member of Seamus Costello
's Irish Republican Socialist Party
but left after Costello's assasination in 1977, he was briefly associated with the Socialist Labour Party
. Gregory worked as a secondary school teacher at Coláiste Eoin
, an Irish language secondary school in Booterstown
, where he taught History and French, before becoming involved in politics as a member of Dublin City Council
in 1979. At the February 1982 general election he was elected to Dáil Éireann
as an Independent TD.
"Gregory Deal", which he negotiated with Fianna Fáil
leader Charles Haughey
. In return for supporting Haughey as Taoiseach
, Gregory was guaranteed a massive cash injection for his inner-city Dublin constituency, an area beset by poverty and neglect.
The deal was witnessed by ITGWU leader Michael Mullen
and all details were made public. The written agreement included commitments to nationalise a 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) site in Dublin Port and Clondalkin Paper Mills. A total of £4 million was to be allocated to employ 500 extra people in the inner city, while 3,746 jobs were to be created over three years. State funding would be provided to build 440 new houses in the constituency and another 1,600 in the rest of Dublin. The whole deal was worth an estimated £100 million at the time in comparison to the £850,000 deal offered by Garret Fitzgearld (Fitzgerald also insulted Gregory by keeping him waiting for over an hour at Government Buildings
before meeting him). Although Gregory was reviled in certain quarters for effectively holding a government to ransom, his uncompromising commitment to the poor was widely admired. Fianna Fáil lost power at the November 1982 general election, and a lot of the promises made in the Gregory Deal were deliberately reneged upon by the incoming Fine Gael
-Labour Party
coalition.
He continued to campaign on local issues and issues of social justice, particularly the drugs
problem. In 1986, Gregory and Sinn Féin
Councillor Christy Burke
spent two weeks in Mountjoy Prison
arising from protest activities during a campaign in support of Dublin inner city street traders.
Gregory remained a TD from 1982 and, although he never held a Cabinet position, remained one of the country's most recognised Dáil deputies. He always refused to wear a tie
in the Dáil chamber stating that many of his constituents could not afford them.
. Following his death, tributes poured in from politicians from every party, recognising his contribution to Dublin's north inner city. During his funeral politicians from the Labour Party
, Fianna Fáil
and Fine Gael
were told that although they spoke highly of Gregory following his death, during his time in the Dáil he had been excluded by many of them and that they were not to use his funeral as a "photo opportunity". He was buried on 7 January, with Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins delivering the graveside oration.
at the Dublin Central by-election
in June 2009. O'Sullivan won the subsequent by-election.
. Gregory's brother however criticized the launch event as he was not able to speak at the event.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
politician and 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 Dublin Central
Dublin Central (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
constituency from 1982 to 2009.
Early life
Born in BallyboughBallybough
Ballybough is a district of north Dublin, Ireland situated northeast of Summerhill, between the Royal Canal and the River Tolka. Adjacent areas are North Strand, Fairview and Drumcondra/Clonliffe. The name derives from the Irish baile "town" and bocht "poor"...
in Dublin's Northside
Northside
Northside or North Side may refer to:Music:* Northside , a musical group from Manchester, England* NorthSide, an American record labelPlaces:* North Side, California, former name of Oildale, California, United States...
, his mother was from County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
and father from Dublin. Tony Gregory was educated by the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
at O'Connell School and University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
where he received 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...
degree. He became involved in republican politics joining Sinn Fein
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
in 1966 and then siding with the Officials in the 1970 split within Sinn Féin. However he left the party in 1972 over the Official IRA ceasfire. He was briefly a member of Seamus Costello
Seamus Costello
Seamus Costello was a leader of Official Sinn Féin and the Official Irish Republican Army and latterly of the Irish Republican Socialist Party and the Irish National Liberation Army ....
's Irish Republican Socialist Party
Irish Republican Socialist Party
The Irish Republican Socialist Party or IRSP is a republican socialist party active in Ireland. It claims the legacy of socialist revolutionary James Connolly, who founded the Irish Socialist Republican Party in 1896 and was executed after the Easter Rising of 1916.- History :The Irish Republican...
but left after Costello's assasination in 1977, he was briefly associated with the Socialist Labour Party
Socialist Labour Party (Ireland)
The Socialist Labour Party was a minor political party in the Republic of Ireland formed under the leadership of Matt Merrigan and Noël Browne, TD in 1977. Another key figure was the radical journalist Brian Trench, now head of the Communications Department at Dublin City University along with...
. Gregory worked as a secondary school teacher at Coláiste Eoin
Coláiste Eoin
Coláiste Eoin is an Irish language Catholic voluntary secondary Gaelscoil for boys, under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust located in Booterstown, County Dublin, Ireland. It prides itself in the Irish culture, having successful hurling and football teams, traditional music bands,...
, an Irish language secondary school in Booterstown
Booterstown
Booterstown,, is a coastal townland and civil parish, situated in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council area of the former County Dublin, about south of the city of Dublin in Ireland.-Location and access:...
, where he taught History and French, before becoming involved in politics as a member of Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
in 1979. At the February 1982 general election he was elected to 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...
as an Independent TD.
Work as a TD
On his election in February 1982 he immediately achieved national prominence through the famous"Gregory Deal", which he negotiated with 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...
leader 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...
. In return for supporting Haughey as 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...
, Gregory was guaranteed a massive cash injection for his inner-city Dublin constituency, an area beset by poverty and neglect.
The deal was witnessed by ITGWU leader Michael Mullen
Michael Mullen
Michael Glenn "Mike" Mullen is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral, who served as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2011. Mullen previously served as the Navy's 28th Chief of Naval Operations from July 22, 2005 to September 29, 2007...
and all details were made public. The written agreement included commitments to nationalise a 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) site in Dublin Port and Clondalkin Paper Mills. A total of £4 million was to be allocated to employ 500 extra people in the inner city, while 3,746 jobs were to be created over three years. State funding would be provided to build 440 new houses in the constituency and another 1,600 in the rest of Dublin. The whole deal was worth an estimated £100 million at the time in comparison to the £850,000 deal offered by Garret Fitzgearld (Fitzgerald also insulted Gregory by keeping him waiting for over an hour at Government Buildings
Government Buildings
Government Buildings is a large Edwardian building enclosing a quadrangle on Merrion Street in Dublin, Ireland, in which several key offices of the government of Ireland are located...
before meeting him). Although Gregory was reviled in certain quarters for effectively holding a government to ransom, his uncompromising commitment to the poor was widely admired. Fianna Fáil lost power at the November 1982 general election, and a lot of the promises made in the Gregory Deal were deliberately reneged upon by the incoming 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 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.
He continued to campaign on local issues and issues of social justice, particularly the drugs
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
problem. In 1986, Gregory and Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
Councillor Christy Burke
Christy Burke
Christy Burke is a Dublin city councillor and former member of Sinn Féin. After winning a seat in the 2009 local election, he left the party 3 days after winning the seat as a Sinn Féin candidate, leading to criticism by Aengus Ó Snodaigh that Sinn Féin had promoted him in the campaign as its...
spent two weeks in Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr...
arising from protest activities during a campaign in support of Dublin inner city street traders.
Gregory remained a TD from 1982 and, although he never held a Cabinet position, remained one of the country's most recognised Dáil deputies. He always refused to wear a tie
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
in the Dáil chamber stating that many of his constituents could not afford them.
Death
He died on 2 January 2009, aged 61, following a long bout with cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Following his death, tributes poured in from politicians from every party, recognising his contribution to Dublin's north inner city. During his funeral politicians from the 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...
, 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...
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...
were told that although they spoke highly of Gregory following his death, during his time in the Dáil he had been excluded by many of them and that they were not to use his funeral as a "photo opportunity". He was buried on 7 January, with Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins delivering the graveside oration.
By-election
Colleagues of Tony Gregory supported his election agent, Dublin City Councillor Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (politician)
Maureen O'Sullivan is an Irish independent politician. She has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Central constituency since June 2009. She was first elected to Dáil Éireann on the 6 June 2009 in a by-election.-Early life:...
at the Dublin Central by-election
Dublin Central by-election, 2009
A by-election was held in the Dublin Central constituency in Ireland on Friday, 5 June 2009, following the death of the Independent Teachta Dála Tony Gregory on 2 January 2009. The by-election was held on the same day as the 2009 European and local elections. A by-election was held in the Dublin...
in June 2009. O'Sullivan won the subsequent by-election.
Biography
Tony Gregory: The Biography of a True Irish Political Legend was published in 2011. The biography was written by Robbie Gilligan, and launched by Diarmaid FerriterDiarmaid Ferriter
Diarmaid Ferriter is an Irish author, historian, and university lecturer. He has authored several books on the subject of Irish history. Diarmaid attended St. Benildus College in Kilmacud in Dublin.-Career:...
. Gregory's brother however criticized the launch event as he was not able to speak at the event.