Michael O'Leary (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael O'Leary
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O'Leary in 1979
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| Judge of the District Court | |
| In office 1997–2006 |
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| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Mary Robinson |
| Tánaiste | |
| In office 1981–1982 |
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| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | George Colley |
| Succeeded by | Ray MacSharry |
| Leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 1981–1982 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Cluskey |
| Succeeded by | Dick Spring |
| Minister for Energy | |
| In office 1981–1982 |
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| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | George Colley |
| Succeeded by | Albert Reynolds |
| Minister for Labour | |
| In office 1973–1977 |
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| Taoiseach | Liam Cosgrave |
| Preceded by | Joseph Brennan |
| Succeeded by | Gene Fitzgerald |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office November 1982 – February 1987 |
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| Constituency | Dublin South-West |
| In office June 1981 – November 1982 |
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| Constituency | Dublin Central |
| In office April 1965 – June 1981 |
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| Constituency | Dublin North-Central |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 1979–1981 |
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| Constituency | Dublin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 May 1936 Cork, Ireland |
| Died | 11 May 2006 (aged 70) Saint-Sever-de-Rustan, France |
| Resting place | Saint-Sever Abbey, Landes, France |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Other political affiliations |
Labour Party (until 1982) |
| Spouse |
Mary O'Leary
(m. 1965) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Presentation Brothers College, Cork |
| Alma mater | |
Michael O'Leary (born May 8, 1936 – died May 11, 2006) was an important Irish figure. He worked as a judge, a politician, and a barrister (a type of lawyer). He served as a judge in the District Court from 1997 to 2006.
In politics, he was the Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Energy from 1981 to 1982. He also led the Labour Party from 1981 to 1982 and was Minister for Labour from 1973 to 1977. Michael O'Leary was a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish Parliament, from 1965 to 1987. He was also a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1979 to 1981. In 1982, he left the Labour Party to join Fine Gael.
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Early Life and Education
Michael O'Leary was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1936. His father owned a pub. He went to school at Presentation College. He continued his studies at University College Cork, Columbia University in the United States, and King's Inns in Ireland. King's Inns is where barristers are trained.
After finishing his education, O'Leary returned to Ireland. He became involved with the Labour Party. He worked as an Education Officer for the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU). In this role, he helped create a special branch for university students. This branch brought together Labour Party students from different Dublin universities.
Political Career Highlights
Michael O'Leary was first elected to Dáil Éireann (the Irish Parliament) in 1965. He represented the Dublin North-Central area as a Labour Party TD.
When he first became a TD, O'Leary wanted the Labour Party to have more left-wing policies. At first, he was against the idea of forming a coalition government with Fine Gael. However, after the 1969 general election, he felt a new approach was needed. When the Labour Party and Fine Gael formed a government together after the 1973 general election, he was made Minister for Labour.
In 1977, he ran for leader of the Labour Party but was narrowly defeated by Frank Cluskey. In 1979, O'Leary was elected to the European Parliament for the Dublin area.
Leading the Labour Party
Frank Cluskey resigned as Labour Party leader in 1981. Michael O'Leary was then chosen as the new leader. From 1981 to 1982, he served as Tánaiste and Minister for Energy in a government with Fine Gael. This government did not last long.
After the February 1982 general election, he remained party leader. However, he suddenly resigned from both the leadership and the Labour Party on October 28, 1982. This happened after a party meeting where they discussed working with Fine Gael again. On November 3, he joined the Fine Gael party.
Joining Fine Gael
In the November 1982 general election, Michael O'Leary was elected as a Fine Gael TD for the Dublin South-West area. After this election, a new government was formed by Fine Gael and Labour. However, O'Leary's former Labour colleagues did not allow him to be a minister in this new government.
In 1985, O'Leary introduced a private member's bill about divorce. This was before the government's own plans for a divorce referendum in 1986. When the Progressive Democrats party was formed in 1985, he thought about joining them but decided to stay with Fine Gael.
He did not run in the 1987 general election. After that, he moved back to Cork and worked as a barrister. In 1991, he was elected as a Fine Gael member of Cork City Council. He tried to get elected to Dáil Éireann again in 1992 but was not successful.
Becoming a Judge
In 1997, Michael O'Leary was appointed as a District Court judge. This appointment was made by the government at the time, which was a coalition of Fine Gael, Labour Party, and Democratic Left.
Later Life and Death
Michael O'Leary died in France in May 2006. He had retired as a judge just a few days before. He passed away after a drowning accident in a swimming pool while on holiday.
Images for kids
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O'Leary in 1979
