Albert Reynolds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Albert Reynolds
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Reynolds in 1994
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| 9th Taoiseach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 11 February 1992 – 15 December 1994 |
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| President | Mary Robinson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tánaiste |
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| Preceded by | Charles Haughey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | John Bruton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of Fianna Fáil | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 6 February 1992 – 19 November 1994 |
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| Deputy | Bertie Ahern | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Charles Haughey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Bertie Ahern | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Teachta Dála | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office May 1992 – May 2002 |
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| Constituency | Longford–Roscommon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office June 1977 – May 1992 |
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| Constituency | Longford–Westmeath | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 3 November 1932 Roosky, County Roscommon, Ireland |
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| Died | 21 August 2014 (aged 81) Donnybrook, Dublin, Ireland |
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| Resting place | Shanganagh Cemetery, Shankill, Dublin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Fianna Fáil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Kathleen Coen
(m. 1960) |
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| Children | 7, including Leonie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Summerhill College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albert Martin Reynolds (born 3 November 1932 – died 21 August 2014) was an important Irish politician. He served as Taoiseach (the head of government in Ireland) from 1992 to 1994. He was also the leader of the Fianna Fáil political party during that time. Before becoming Taoiseach, he held several other important government jobs, including Minister for Finance. He was a member of the Irish parliament, called Dáil Éireann, from 1977 to 2002.
Reynolds was first elected to the Dáil as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Longford–Westmeath area in 1977. He was re-elected in every election until he retired in 2002. During his time as Taoiseach, he led two different governments, working with other political parties.
Contents
Albert Reynolds's Early Life
Albert Reynolds was born in Kilglass, near Roosky, in Ireland on 3 November 1932. His father built and repaired carriages and car bodies. Albert went to school at Summerhill College in County Sligo.
In the 1950s, he worked as a clerk for CIÉ, which was Ireland's state transport company. Later, he decided to leave that job and start his own businesses. He became successful in the "showband" music scene, owning several dance halls that were very popular in the 1960s. He invested his money in many other businesses, like a pet food company, a bacon factory, and a company that exported fish. He also had interests in local newspapers and a cinema. Albert Reynolds was a family man, happily married to Kathleen Coen, and they had seven children. He built many business connections both in Ireland and abroad.
How Albert Reynolds Started in Politics
Reynolds became interested in politics around 1970. At that time, there was a big event called the "Arms Crisis." Two government ministers were removed from their jobs because of an attempt to send weapons to Northern Ireland. Many Catholic families there had been forced from their homes, and some had fled to the Republic of Ireland.
After this event, Reynolds decided to start a political career. He was already a successful businessman. He ran for the Fianna Fáil party in the 1977 general election. This election was a huge win for Fianna Fáil, and Jack Lynch became Taoiseach again.
Reynolds was a regular member of parliament until 1979. That year, the Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, faced pressure to step down. Reynolds joined a group of politicians who supported Charles Haughey to become the new leader.
Becoming a Government Minister
Because of his strong support, Albert Reynolds was given a job in Charles Haughey's government. He became the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. Later, he was also made Minister for Transport, which meant he was in charge of many important areas. As Minister for Transport, he was involved in an unusual event where an Aer Lingus plane was hijacked. The situation was safely resolved in Paris without anyone getting hurt.
Fianna Fáil lost power in 1981 but won again in 1982. Reynolds returned to government as Minister for Industry and Energy. He helped develop a gas pipeline between Dublin and Cork. His government lost power again later that year. During this time, Charles Haughey, the Fianna Fáil leader, faced challenges to his leadership. Reynolds always supported Haughey, helping him stay in charge of the party.
In 1987, Fianna Fáil formed the government again. Reynolds was appointed Minister for Industry and Commerce, a very important role focused on helping the country's economy recover. In 1988, he became Minister for Finance, which is one of the most powerful jobs in government.
Working in a Coalition Government (1989–1992)
In 1989, for the first time, Fianna Fáil had to form a coalition government with another party, the Progressive Democrats. A coalition means two or more parties work together to form a government. Reynolds helped negotiate this agreement and continued as Minister for Finance. He called it a "temporary little arrangement."
Over time, some politicians in Fianna Fáil became unhappy with Charles Haughey's leadership. Reynolds openly said he would try to become leader if the position became available. Many TDs (members of parliament) supported Reynolds. In November 1991, a TD tried to remove Haughey as leader. Reynolds supported this effort and was removed from his government job by Haughey. However, Haughey's victory was short-lived.
A series of political problems led to Haughey's resignation. The Progressive Democrats said they could no longer be in government with him. Haughey then decided to step down as Taoiseach.
Albert Reynolds as Taoiseach (1992–1994)
Leading the Country (1992–1993)
On 30 January 1992, Charles Haughey retired as leader of Fianna Fáil. Albert Reynolds easily won the election to become the new party leader. He then became Taoiseach on 11 February 1992.
When Reynolds became Taoiseach, he brought new people into his government. He promoted several younger TDs to important roles. Bertie Ahern, who was a close political friend of Haughey, remained as Minister for Finance.
Working with Europe
Reynolds worked hard to get good deals for Ireland from the European Union's regional aid budget. This happened after Denmark initially voted against an important agreement called the Maastricht Treaty.
Challenges and a New Election
A public investigation, called the "Beef Tribunal," looked into some issues in the beef industry. During this investigation, there was a disagreement between Reynolds and the leader of the Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'Malley. This led to the Progressive Democrats leaving the government, which caused the government to collapse. Reynolds then asked the President to call a new general election.
Leading a New Government (1993–1994)
The 1992 general election was difficult for Fianna Fáil. The world was in a recession, and there were still memories of the previous government's issues. Fianna Fáil lost seats, getting their worst election result since 1927. The Labour Party had its best result ever. In January 1993, Fianna Fáil and Labour formed a new government. Reynolds remained Taoiseach, and Dick Spring, the Labour leader, became Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister).
Working with Labour
In 1993, the Minister for Finance, Bertie Ahern, offered a tax amnesty. This meant people who hadn't paid their taxes could declare their income and pay some of what they owed without facing penalties. This caused some public discussion.
In June 1994, Fianna Fáil lost two local elections, putting more pressure on Reynolds. The report from the Beef Tribunal was published in July 1994. The Labour Party had said they would leave the government if Reynolds was criticized in the report. There were disagreements about how the report was handled, which caused tension between Reynolds and Dick Spring.
Peace in Northern Ireland and Foreign Relations
One of Albert Reynolds's biggest achievements was his work on the peace process to end the conflict in Northern Ireland, known as The Troubles. He had many talks with British Prime Minister John Major. On 15 December 1993, they signed an important agreement called the Downing Street Declaration.
Reynolds also talked with nationalist parties in Northern Ireland. Along with John Hume, he helped convince the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) to announce a complete ceasefire on 31 August 1994. This was a huge step towards peace.
In September 1994, there was a strange incident at Shannon Airport. Russian President Boris Yeltsin was supposed to meet Reynolds, but he didn't come out of his plane. Russian officials said he was unwell, and Yeltsin later claimed he had overslept.
After Being Taoiseach
Albert Reynolds retired from politics in the 2002 general election, after serving 25 years as a TD. He said in 2007 that he held "no grudges" against Bertie Ahern, who became Taoiseach after him.
Reynolds was involved in a long legal case against a British newspaper, The Sunday Times. The newspaper had published an article in 1994 that Reynolds felt was unfair and untrue. The case went through several courts and led to a new legal idea in British law called the "Reynolds defence" for newspapers.
In 1999, when General Pervez Musharraf became President of Pakistan after a military takeover, the US government did not want to recognize his new government. Reynolds was asked by business friends to meet Musharraf. Musharraf asked Reynolds to advise him and to contact US President Bill Clinton to explain Pakistan's intentions. Reynolds later said that because of the trust he built with Musharraf, he was asked to help arrange peace talks between India and Pakistan. These talks began in 2001 but were interrupted by the September 11 attacks. Musharraf then called Reynolds, who contacted former President Bill Clinton, who quickly reached out to President George W. Bush to share Pakistan's message.
Mahon Tribunal Inquiry
An inquiry called the Mahon Tribunal looked into political payments. In 1993, Reynolds and Bertie Ahern, who was then Minister for Finance, asked a businessman for a large donation. The report said that asking a businessman for money when he was seeking government support for a project was "entirely inappropriate."
In 2007, it was said at the Mahon Tribunal that Reynolds had collected a large sum of money for his party that was not fully recorded. It was also mentioned that on the same trip, the government jet made an extra, unplanned stop in the Bahamas.
In 2008, it was reported that Reynolds was too unwell to give evidence at the Mahon Tribunal due to "significant cognitive impairment."
Illness and Death
In December 2013, it was shared by his son that Albert Reynolds was in the final stages of Alzheimer's disease. He passed away on 21 August 2014. His close friend, former British Prime Minister Sir John Major, was the last politician to visit him.
His funeral was held on 25 August 2014, and many important people attended, including the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Sir John Major, and other former Taoisigh. He was buried with full military honors at Shanganagh Cemetery.
Albert Reynolds's Legacy
Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen said he was sad about the passing of their "close personal friend." Albert Reynolds is remembered for his efforts in the Northern Ireland peace process and his long career in Irish politics.
See also
In Spanish: Albert Reynolds para niños
Images for kids
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Reynolds in 1994
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Reynolds (left) giving a bowl of shamrocks to US president Bill Clinton on Saint Patrick's Day, 1994
