Brendan Halligan facts for kids

Brendan Halligan (born 5 July 1936 – died 9 August 2020) was an important Irish economist and politician. He helped start and led the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA). This group is like a "think tank," which means it's a place where experts study big issues. They focus on topics about Europe and the world.

Brendan Halligan also led the Ireland China Institute. This group works to build stronger connections between Ireland and China. His career involved working for the Irish government and in private businesses. He held many important political jobs. He was the main leader of the Labour Party. He was also a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish Parliament. He served as a Senator and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

Brendan Halligan's Early Life and Education

Brendan Halligan was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1936. He grew up in an area of Dublin called Rialto. He went to St James's Christian Brothers School in Dublin.

Later, he studied at the Dublin Institute of Technology. He became a chemical analyst, working for the CIÉ transport company. He and three friends decided they wanted to go to university. They worked different jobs in London to save money for their studies. In 1959, he started studying economics and law at University College Dublin. He learned a lot from his teachers there, like George O’Brien and Garret FitzGerald. He earned a master's degree in economics in 1964.

Brendan Halligan's Career in Politics and Business

After finishing his studies, Brendan Halligan worked as an economist. He worked for the Irish Sugar Company until 1967. That year, he decided to get involved in politics. He became the General Secretary of the Labour Party. This was a very important role in the party.

The leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Corish, trusted Halligan's ideas and skills. Halligan helped to make the party much stronger and more organized. They created new plans and policies. The party also changed its views, becoming more against forming a government with other parties. Halligan supported these changes.

However, after the 1969 election, the Labour Party didn't do as well as they hoped. Halligan then helped the party change its mind about working with other parties. This led to the 1973 election, where the Labour Party joined with the Fine Gael party to form a new government.

Serving in Government

In 1973, Brendan Halligan was chosen to be a Senator. Three years later, in 1976, he won a special election in Dublin South-West. This meant he became a Teachta Dála (TD), a member of the Irish Parliament.

After some changes to election areas, he ran in a new area called Dublin Finglas in the 1977 election. He was not elected that time. He tried again in the 1981 and 1982 elections but did not win a seat.

He continued to be the General Secretary of the Labour Party until 1980. From 1983 to 1984, he was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He focused on economic issues and energy policy while in Europe.

Later Career and Important Roles

In 1980, Brendan Halligan started his own company called CIPA. It was a public affairs company based in Dublin. He also taught economics at the University of Limerick. In the late 1980s, he was the chairman of European Movement Ireland.

In 1985, he was chosen to be the Chairman of Bórd na Móna. This is an Irish company that develops peat (a type of fuel). He held this important job for ten years. In 1989, he founded the Institute of European Affairs (IEA), which later became the IIEA. He was the Director of CIPA until 2014.

Brendan Halligan was very interested in energy and renewable energy sources. From 2007 to 2014, he was the Chair of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. He was also the President of the IIEA and a board member of Mainstream Renewable Energy.

In his later years, he helped create the Ireland China Institute. This group works to improve understanding and connections between Ireland and China. He was also the President of this institute.

Brendan Halligan's Death

Brendan Halligan passed away on 9 August 2020, after being ill for a long time. After his death, Taoiseach Mícheál Martin said that Halligan "gave his life to politics and the public service." He also said that Halligan was deeply committed to the country's institutions. European Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan said that Brendan was "a committed European to his fingertips."

Honours and Awards

Brendan Halligan received several important awards:

• Chevalier de Légion d’Honneur (from France, 2016)
• Honorary Doctorate of Literature, (University College Dublin, 2010)

Selected Publications

Brendan Halligan wrote several books, including:

• Strategies for a Small State in a Large Union (2013)
• Our Worst Preference: Reforming the Electoral System (2014)
• The Achievement of Socialism (2015)
• Wonder Wisdom and War: Essays on Early Ireland (2015)