Jackie Healy-Rae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jackie Healy-Rae
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| Teachta Dála | |
| In office June 1997 – February 2011 |
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| Constituency | Kerry South |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Patrick Healy
9 March 1931 Kilgarvan, County Kerry, Ireland |
| Died | 5 December 2014 (aged 83) Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Fianna Fáil (until 1997) |
| Spouses | Julie Healy-Rae (m. 1953; d. 2014) |
| Children | 6, including Danny and Michael |
John Patrick Healy (born 9 March 1931 – died 5 December 2014), known as Jackie Healy-Rae, was an Irish politician. He was an Independent member of the Dáil Éireann (the Irish parliament). He served as a Teachta Dála (TD), which is like a Member of Parliament, for the Kerry South area from 1997 to 2011.
Contents
About Jackie Healy-Rae
Early Life and Family
Jackie Healy-Rae was born in Kilgarvan, County Kerry, Ireland. He was the first of six children. His family lived on a farm near Mangerton Mountain. The "Rae" part of his name came from their farm, which was called Reacashlagh. He went to the local school in Kilgarvan.
In 1953, he moved to the United States for a short time. He soon came back to Ireland. Jackie was a good sportsman. He played both hurling and Gaelic football for his local Kilgarvan teams. He even won two big county hurling titles in 1956 and 1958.
Jackie was also a musician. He played the saxophone in the Kilgarvan Dance Band. Later, in the 1960s, he started a business that rented out machinery. In 1969, he bought a pub in Kilgarvan. His son, Danny, now runs the family pub.
Jackie was married to Julie Healy. They had six children together. Two of his sons, Danny and Michael, followed in his footsteps. They became members of the Kerry County Council and later became TDs themselves. His daughter Joan is a teacher in New York. Another daughter, Rosemary, is a lawyer. His son Denis runs his own business. Another son, John, works for the Garda Representative Association.
Starting in Politics
Jackie Healy-Rae first got involved in politics in the 1960s. He helped with election campaigns for the Fianna Fáil political party. He was very good at helping candidates get elected. For example, he helped John O'Leary win a seat in the Dáil in 1966.
In 1973, Jackie became a member of the Kerry County Council for Fianna Fáil. He was elected to the council many times after that. He served on the council for 30 years. He had to leave the council in 2003 because of a new rule. This rule meant you could not be a TD and a local councillor at the same time.
Becoming a TD
First Election to the Dáil
Before the 1997 general election, Jackie Healy-Rae decided to run as an Independent candidate. This was a big surprise because he had always worked with Fianna Fáil. Many people thought he wouldn't win. But he did! He won a seat in the Dáil for Kerry South. This meant Fianna Fáil didn't get as many seats as they hoped.
After the election, the new government needed more support to have enough votes. Jackie Healy-Rae was one of four Independent TDs who agreed to support the government. In return for his support, he helped get money for projects in his local area. He also became the chairman of an important committee about the environment. He often asked for better schools and roads in his area.
Re-election and Support for Government
Jackie Healy-Rae was re-elected in the 2002 general election. Even though it was a close race, he won his seat again. He was also re-elected in the 2007 general election. He continued to support the Fianna Fáil government. He promised to support them if they invested in the Kerry South area.
He was sometimes criticized for supporting government decisions, especially when there were cutbacks. He explained that he only had one vote. He said people should talk to the Green Party because they were making big changes.
Retirement and Passing
On 26 June 2008, Jackie Healy-Rae announced that he would retire from politics. He decided not to run in the next general election. His son, Michael Healy-Rae, was chosen to run in his place. Michael was elected in the 2011 general election, continuing the family's political work.
Jackie Healy-Rae passed away on 5 December 2014. He died at Kerry General Hospital in Tralee after being ill for a long time.
