Kieran Kennedy (economist) facts for kids
Kieran A. Kennedy, a respected member of the Royal Irish Academy, was an important Irish economist and historian. He was born on July 14, 1935, and passed away on February 6, 2013. From 1971 to 1996, he led the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). Kennedy was a civil servant, a teacher, and a researcher. He worked closely with Fianna Fáil leader Charles Haughey to create economic plans for Ireland. He also guided other governments from the 1980s until he retired.
About Kieran Kennedy
Kieran Kennedy was born in Newbridge, County Kildare, on July 14, 1935. He was one of five sons. His father was a police officer, so the family moved often. Kieran lived on a farm with his grandmother in Galway for a while. Later, he joined his family in Limerick, where he received an excellent education.
Kennedy was a devout Catholic. He joined the Legion of Mary and spent time helping Irish people in England. He was friends with Frank Duff, who started the Legion of Mary. In 1966, he married Finola Flanagan, who was also a member of the Legion. Finola became an economist at the ESRI. They lived in Dublin and had three sons and three daughters: Kieran, Ruth, Michael, Susan, Lucy, and Frank.
Kieran Kennedy enjoyed walking, fishing, and watching sports. After he retired, he focused on painting and fine arts. People described him as a serious and focused person. He always wanted to be fully involved in his work. He had a strong accent from his time in Limerick. Even though he was reserved, he was a good talker.
In 1973, Kennedy became a member of the Royal Irish Academy. This allowed him to use the letters MRIA after his name. He wrote a paper that year about how social science helps public policy. Kieran Kennedy passed away on February 6, 2013, at the age of 77, after a long illness. He was buried in Shanganagh Cemetery.
Education and Career Path
In 1953, Kieran Kennedy earned scholarships for university. However, he could not accept them. Instead, he joined the civil service. He worked in government offices, starting in 1954. At the same time, he took evening classes at University College Dublin. He earned degrees in public administration in 1956 and commerce in 1958.
In 1958, he became an officer in the Department of Finance. He then became ill with tuberculosis. While recovering, he studied for a master's degree in economic sciences from UCD. He graduated with top honors in 1960. He then studied economics at Nuffield College, Oxford. His teacher was Sir John Hicks, who later won a Nobel Prize in economics. After graduating in 1963, he studied at Harvard University. He earned his PhD in economics in 1968. His teacher there was Simon Kuznets, another Nobel Prize winner.
Kennedy wrote his PhD paper while working at the Department of Finance. This paper became his first book in 1971. It was one of the first studies of Ireland's economy in the 1900s. In 1968, he joined the ESRI as a senior researcher. In 1971, at just 35 years old, he became the director of the ESRI.
Under Kennedy's leadership, the ESRI started publishing five-year economic forecasts. They also created a special unit to collect survey data. In 1979, an ESRI survey caused some discussion. Kennedy strongly supported the survey's methods. He published more studies to confirm the findings.
During the 1970s, Kennedy often suggested that the government spend less money. In 1982, Charles Haughey, who was then the Taoiseach (Prime Minister), asked Kennedy to help create a plan to reduce the government's debt. This plan, called The Way Forward, was published in October 1982. It suggested careful spending. However, some people thought it was too hopeful. Haughey's government was later defeated in an election.
Haughey became Taoiseach again in 1987. He used The Way Forward to help Ireland's economy recover. The ESRI's funding was reduced. However, the ESRI remained independent. Kennedy even criticized some government strategies. By 1995, most of the ESRI's money came from research projects for the government or the European Union. The number of full-time researchers grew from 25 to 40.
Kennedy continued to influence government policy. He helped with decisions about supporting small businesses. He also chaired a group that dealt with the Irish punt's value in 1993. He retired as director of the ESRI in October 1996. He continued to do research part-time for a few more years. His last paper for the Institute was about Ireland's economic growth.
Throughout his life, Kennedy wrote over seventy papers on economics and religion. He also wrote or edited fourteen books. These books focused on topics like unemployment and economic history. He helped create the Historical National Accounts Group for Ireland in 1994. This group collects economic information from the past.
Kennedy's Economic Ideas
Kieran Kennedy believed the government should play a role in the economy. He thought Ireland's economy was small and open to global influences. His main goal was to lower unemployment, which he saw as a big problem for the country. He believed this was more important than controlling inflation or the national debt.
Kennedy criticized the Industrial Development Authority. He felt they attracted large foreign companies that did not create many jobs. He argued that the government should support Irish businesses that produced raw materials. He also criticized governments in the 1970s for borrowing too much money from other countries. Some of his ideas were put into action in the 1980s. However, many were changed or removed by government officials.
While studying at UCD, Kennedy became friends with professor George O'Brien. O'Brien wrote encouraging letters to Kennedy when he was recovering from his illness.
