Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
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Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (Irish: Máire Nic Eochagáin Uí Chuinn; born 5 September 1950) is a former Irish politician who served as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for Galway West from 1975 to 1997. She was occasionally called by her initials MGQ.
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn was born in Carna, County Galway, in September 1950. She was educated at Coláiste Muire, Tuar Mhic Éadaigh, 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 contested the subsequent by-election and was successful. From 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 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 next woman to hold a Cabinet 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.
At the 1997 general election 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 TD Barry Desmond. She was appointed for a second term at the Court of Auditors in March 2006.
Geoghegan-Quinn, who lives in Luxembourg, was incorrectly identified by Le Monde[citation needed] 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;[citation needed] Haughey was 25 years older than Geoghegan-Quinn and the rapport between the two politicians was less than warm for many years.
[edit] References
- This page incorporates information from the Oireachtas Members Database
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Geoghegan |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Galway West 1975–1997 |
Succeeded by Frank Fahey |
| Political offices | ||
| 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, Equality and Law Reform 1993–1994 |
Succeeded by Nora Owen |
| Preceded by Mervyn Taylor |
Minister for Equality & Law Reform (acting) Nov. 1994–Dec. 1994 |
Succeeded by Mervyn Taylor |
