Máire Geoghegan-Quinn

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Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (Irish: Máire Nic Eochagáin Uí Chuinn; born September 5, 1950) is a former Irish politician. She served as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for Galway West between 1975 and 1997.

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn was born in Carna, County Galway in September 1950. She was educated at Colaiste Mhuire, Tur Mhic Eadaigh in County Mayo and at Carysfort Training College in Blackrock from where she qualified as a teacher. Her father, Johnny Geoghegan, was Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West from 1954 until his death in 1975. His daughter successfully contested the subsequent by-election and was successful. Between 1977 and 1979 she worked as Parliamentary Secretary at the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy.

Geoghegan-Quinn supported Charles Haughey in the 1979 Fianna Fáil leadership contest, she was subsequently appointed to the then Junior Cabinet post of Minister for the Gaeltacht. Thus, she became the first woman to hold an Irish cabinet post since the foundation of the state in 1922, although Countess Markiewicz was Minister for Labour in 1919, in the 1st Dáil. In 1981 Labour's Eileen Desmond became the first woman to hold a senior post.

In 1982 she was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Education. Her tenure was short, because the 23rd Dáil lasted only 279 days, and a Fine Gael-Labour coalition was elected at the November 1982 general election.

When Fianna Fáil returned to power after the 1987 general election, Geoghegan-Quinn became Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach. She resigned in 1991 in opposition to Charles Haughey's leadership of the party. The following year Albert Reynolds, the man she now backed for the leadership, became Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader. Geoghegan-Quinn was appointed Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications for her loyalty to Reynolds. In 1993 she became Minister for Justice, introducing substantial law reform legislation.

Widely tipped to be the first female Taoiseach, she announced that she would challenge Bertie Ahern for the position when Reynolds retired. However on the day of the vote she withdrew from the contest.

In 1997 she retired from politics completely. She became a non-executive director of Aer Lingus and a journalist. In 1999 she was appointed to the European Court of Auditors replacing former Teachta Dála Barry Desmond. She was appointed for a second term at the Court of Auditors in March 2006.

[edit] A Case of Mistaken Identity

Geoghegan-Quinn, who lives in Luxembourg, was incorrectly identified by Le Monde as the former lover of the late Charles Haughey in the course of a tribute to Haughey following his death on 13 June 2006. This was highly unlikely; Haughey was 25 years older than Geoghegan-Quinn and the rapport between the two politicians was less than warm for many years.

[edit] Ministerial Career

Preceded by John Geoghegan	Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Galway West 1975–1997	Succeeded by Frank Fahey
Preceded by John Bruton	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce 1977–1978	Succeeded by Office of Minister of State at the Department of Industry & Commerce
Preceded by Office of Parl. Secretary to the Minister for Industry & Commerce	Minister of State at the Department of Industry & Commerce 1978–1979	Succeeded by Ray Burke
Preceded by Denis Gallagher	Minister for the Gaeltacht 1979–1981	Succeeded by Paddy O'Toole
Preceded by Michael Keating	Minister of State at the Department of Education (with special responsibility for Youth Affairs & Sport) Mar 1982–Dec 1982	Succeeded by Donal Creed
Preceded by Newly created office	Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (with special responsibility for the Co-ordination of Government Policy & EC Matters) 1987–1991	Succeeded by Michael P. Kitt
Preceded by Séamus Brennan	Minister for Tourism, Transport & Communications 1992-1993	Succeeded by Charlie McCreevy
Preceded by Pádraig Flynn	Minister for Justice 1993-1994	Succeeded by Nora Owen
Preceded by Mervyn Taylor	Minister for Equality & Law Reform (acting) Nov 1994-Dec 1994	Succeeded by Mervyn Taylor