Donie Cassidy

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Donal Cassidy

10th TD of Ireland
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 June 1997
Deputy	Mary Harney (1997–2006) Michael McDowell (2006–)
Preceded by	Mary O'Rourke

Born	September 15, 1945 (age 61) Castlepollard
Constituency	Longford & Westmeath
Political party	Fianna Fáil

Donal ("Donie") Cassidy (born September 15, 1945) is a successful Irish businessman and Teachta Dála (representing Westmeath for Fianna Fáil).

Cassidy was born in Castlepollard in County Westmeath. He came to prominence in Ireland through the showband scene. A sax player with Jom Tobin and the Firehouse, he moved into showbusiness management. He was the manager of Foster and Allen, a popular singing duo whose enjoyed success inside and outside of Ireland, although he received a great deal of criticism when they appeared on the British popular music show Top of the Pops in what seemed to be Leprechaun outfits.

He first became involved in politics in 1982 when he was elected as a Fianna Fáil Senator on the Labour Panel. He was a member of Westmeath County Council from 1985 until 2003 at which point he resigned from the council due to the abolition of the dual mandate.

Cassidy was elected to Dáil Éireann for the constituency of Westmeath at the 2002 election, taking the seat of sitting TD and Government Minister Minister Mary O'Rourke. This created a rift between the two politicians, one that is set to reignite at the next general election when both candidates contest the Longford-Westmeath constituency.

1 Business interests
2 Famous Friends
3 Promises
4 External links

[edit] Business interests

Cassidy owns two Dublin hotels and is building another. He also owned the National Wax Museum in Dublin.

[edit] Famous Friends

Donie got a special mention of the Late Late Show when British comedian Noel Edmunds recounted an encounter with him in the South of France. Noel questioned the host Pat Kenny as to "what is that thing he wears on his head and what does he feed it?"

[edit] Promises

Donie was like a broken record during his General Election campaign of 2002 promising that all areas of Westmeath would soon have broadband and that the extension to Mullingar General hospital would be complete within 18 months. These promises and the many more made by Donie are sure to have a bearing on the election result this time around as it is now 5 years later and neither have been fulfilled.