Alexis FitzGerald, Jnr

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For his uncle, a Fine Gael Senator from 1969–1981, see Alexis FitzGerald, Snr

Alexis J.G. FitzGerald (born 1945) is a former Irish Fine Gael Party politician who served as a TD and Senator in the 1980s.

FitzGerald first stood as a candidate for Dáil Éireann at the 1973 general election, in the Dublin Central constituency. He was unsuccessful, but stood again at the 1977 election in the Dublin South Central constituency, where he again failed to win a seat.

At the 1981 general election, which saw Fine Gael returned to power under Garret FitzGerald (no relation) in a coalition with the Labour Party, he stood in Dublin South. He again failed to be elected, coming fifth out of five Fine Gael candidates in the 5-seat constituency. FitzGerald then contested the Seanad elections on the Industrial and Commercial Panel, and was returned to the 15th Seanad, replacing his uncle Alexis FitzGerald, Snr. In the same year, he was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin.

FitzGerald was finally elected at the February 1982 general election, when he replaced the retiring Fine Gael TD Richie Ryan as Garret FitzGerald's running-mate in the Dublin South East. He took his seat in the 23rd Dáil as a minority Fianna Fáil government took office under Charles Haughey, but after Haughey's government fell later that year, FitzGerald lost his Dáil seat to his Fine Gael colleague Joe Doyle.

After his Dáil defeat, he stood again for election to the Seanad on the Industrial and Commercial Panel, and was elected to the 17th Seanad. He left the Seanad at the next election in 1987, and returned to his previous career as an auctioneer and estate agent.[1].

[edit] Trivia

While Lord Mayor of Dublin, FitzGerald was criticised in a letter to a Sunday newspaper for "living in sin" with Fine Gael TD Mary Flaherty. The letter was later reprinted in the book Absurdly Yours by Irish author Michael Nugent. FitzGerald later married Flaherty in 1983. They live in Dublin and have four children.

FitzGerald and his wife Mary Flaherty were both members of the 23rd Dáil, making them one of the few married couples to sit in the same Dáil.

[edit] References

Civic offices
Preceded by
Fergus O'Brien		 Lord Mayor of Dublin
1981–1982		 Succeeded by
Daniel Browne
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