Patrick Lalor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Patrick "Paddy" Lalor (born July 21, 1926) was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician and a well known hurling player for Laois.

[edit] Sporting career

Paddy Lalor was a member of the last Laois team to win the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship in 1949. Later that year he helped his club Abbeyleix to win the Laois Senior Hurling Championship.

He played football and hurling for his club and county for many years and is generally regarded as one of the most skilful hurlers to have pulled on the Blue and White jersey of Laois. This was evidenced by his selection in 1999 on the Laois Hurling Team of the Millennium.

[edit] Political career

He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for over twenty years, and a minister three times. He was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt in the 1961 general election as a Fianna Fáil TD for Laois Offaly in the 17th Dáil. In 1965 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture. The following year Lalor became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport & Power and Posts & Telegraphs.

Following the 1969 election Lalor joined the cabinet of Jack Lynch as Minister for Posts & Telegraphs. In the cabinet reshuffle that took place following the Arms Crisis in 1970 he took over the Industry & Commerce portfolio, serving in that position until the 1973 general election, when a Fine Gael–Labour coalition took power.

Fianna Fáil was re-elected in a landslide victory at the 1977 general election and Lalor became Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach. In 1979 he left domestic politics to take a seat in the European Parliament. He was re-elected to Europe in 1984 and 1989.

Political offices
Preceded by Erskine H. Childers	Minister for Posts & Telegraphs 1969–1970	Succeeded by Gerard Collins
Preceded by George Colley	Minister for Industry & Commerce 1970–1973	Succeeded by Justin Keating
Preceded by John Kelly	Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach (Government Chief Whip) 1977–1978	Succeeded by Office of Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach
Preceded by John Kelly	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence 1977–1978	Succeeded by Office of Minister of State at the Department of Defence
Preceded by Office of Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach	Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach 1978–1979	Succeeded by Michael Woods
Preceded by Office of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence	Minister of State at the Department of Defence 1978–1979	Succeeded by Michael Woods