Noel Davern

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Michael Christopher Noel (Noel) Davern (Irish: Nollaig Ó Dobharáin; born December 24, 1945) is an Irish politician. He was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD in the 1969 General election and at each election until 1981. He was again elected as a TD in 1987 and has held his seat ever since. He has served as Minister for Education (1991-1992).

Noel Davern was born in December 1945 in Cashel, County Tipperary. He was educated at CBS Cashel and Franciscan College in County Meath. Noel was born into a family with a long political tradition. His father, Michael Davern, was a Fianna Fáil TD from 1948 until his death in 1965. Noel's brother, Don Davern was a TD from 1965 until his sudden death in 1968. Noel Davern himself became involved in politics when he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD in 1969. In 1979 he became one of the first Irish people to be directly elected to the European Parliament. He didn't contest the 1981 general election because he wanted to concentrate on his European career.

Unfortunately, Davern failed to be re-elected to the European Parliament in 1984. He was again elected to Dáil Éireann in 1987 for his old constituency. He came to national prominence in 1991 when he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister for Education. This was in the wake of Albert Reynolds' and Pádraig Flynn's failed attempt to oust Charles Haughey as Taoiseach. Davern's stay in the Cabinet was short-lived because Reynolds became Taoiseach in early 1992 and he was again sent to the backbenches. In 1995 he became Opposition Spokesman on European Affairs when Bertie Ahern named his new front bench. In 1997 Fianna Fáil were back in power and Davern became Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture & Food. He served in that position until 2002.

He is one of only three current TDs to be first elected in the 1960s, the others are Séamus Pattison, elected in the 1961 general election and Michael Smith, also elected in the 1969 general election.

In January 2006, Davern announced that he would not contest the next general election.