Brendan Corish

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brendan Corish

Tánaiste
Periods in office: 14 March 1973 – 5 July 1977
Predecessor(s)	Erskine H. Childers
Successor(s)	George Colley
Born	19 November 1918 Wexford, Ireland
Died	17 February 1990 Wexford, Ireland
Political party	Labour Party

Brendan Corish (Irish: Breandán Mac Fheorais; 19 November 1918–17 February 1990), was an Irish Labour Party politician, and leader of his party from 1960 to 1977. He was Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) of Ireland from 1973 to 1977.

Corish was born in 1918 in Wexford. He was educated locally and was a member of the 1st Wexford Scout troop (Scouting Ireland (CSI)). He joined the clerical staff of Wexford County Council at a young age. He was elected to the 12th Dáil for the Wexford constituency in a by-election on 4 December 1945 caused by the death of his father, Richard Corish. He was returned to the 13th Dáil in the 1948 general election, and returned at every subsequent general election until his retirement in 1982.

With the election of the First Inter-Party Government in the 1948 election, Corish was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers for Local Government and Defence, serving until the defeat of the government in the 1951 election. When the Second Inter-party Government was formed after the 1954 election, Corish was appointed Minister for Social Welfare.

In 1960 Corish succeeded William Norton as Labour leader. He introduced new policies which made the party more socialist in outlook. However, the party moved carefully because 'socialism' was still considered a dirty word in 1960s Ireland. Corish claimed that Ireland would be 'Socialist in the Seventies'. To a certain extent he was right because Fine Gael and Labour formed a coalition government between 1973 and 1977. Corish became Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Social Welfare.

In 1977, the Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave called a general election, and Fianna Fáil was returned to power in a landslide victory. Corish resigned as leader of the Labour party. He retired from politics completely at the February 1982 general election.

Brendan Corish died on February 17, 1990 in County Wexford at the age of 71.

[edit] Political career

Political offices
Preceded by Eamonn Kissane	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence 1948–1951	Succeeded by Donnchadh Ó Briain
Preceded by Erskine H. Childers	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government 1948–1951	Succeeded by Office abolished
Preceded by James Ryan	Minister for Social Welfare 1954–1957	Succeeded by Paddy Smith
Preceded by William Norton	Leader of the Irish Labour Party 1960–1977	Succeeded by Frank Cluskey
Preceded by Erskine H. Childers	Tánaiste 1973–1977	Succeeded by George Colley
Preceded by Pádraig Faulkner	Minister for Health 1973–1977	Succeeded by Charles Haughey
Preceded by Joseph Brennan	Minister for Social Welfare 1973–1977

Deputy Prime Ministers of Ireland Tánaistí na hÉireann
Seán T. O'Kelly • Seán Lemass • William Norton • Seán MacEntee • Frank Aiken • Erskine H. Childers • Brendan Corish • George Colley • Michael O'Leary • Ray MacSharry • Dick Spring • Peter Barry • Brian Lenihan • John P. Wilson • Bertie Ahern • Mary Harney • Michael McDowell
Vice-Presidents of the Executive Council Kevin O'Higgins • Ernest Blythe • Seán T. O'Kelly

Leaders of the Labour Party
Thomas Johnson (1922–1927) • Thomas J. O'Connell (1927–1932) • William Norton (1932–1960) • Brendan Corish (1960–1977) • Frank Cluskey (1977–1981) • Michael O'Leary (1981–1982) • Dick Spring (1982–1997) • Ruairi Quinn (1997–2002) • Pat Rabbitte (2002–)

This page incorporates information from the Oireachtas Members Database