Seán Flanagan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Seán Flanagan
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Flanagan in 1967
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| Minister for Lands | |
| In office 2 July 1969 – 14 March 1973 |
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| Taoiseach | Jack Lynch |
| Preceded by | Pádraig Faulkner |
| Succeeded by | Tom Fitzpatrick |
| Minister for Health | |
| In office 13 July 1966 – 2 July 1969 |
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| Taoiseach | Jack Lynch |
| Preceded by | Donogh O'Malley |
| Succeeded by | Pádraig Faulkner |
| Parliamentary Secretary | |
| 1965–1966 | Industry and Commerce |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 1 July 1979 – 24 May 1989 |
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| Constituency | Connacht–Ulster |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office June 1969 – June 1977 |
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| Constituency | Mayo East |
| In office May 1951 – June 1969 |
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| Constituency | Mayo South |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 January 1922 Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Died | 5 February 1993 (aged 71) Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
| Spouse |
Mary Patricia Doherty
(m. 1950) |
| Children | 7, including Dermot |
| Education | St Jarlath's College |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
Seán Flanagan (born 26 January 1922 – died 5 February 1993) was an important Irish politician and a famous Gaelic football player. He was a member of the Fianna Fáil political party.
Seán Flanagan held several big jobs in the Irish government. He was the Minister for Health from 1966 to 1969. After that, he became the Minister for Lands from 1969 to 1973. Earlier, he was a Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Commerce from 1965 to 1966.
He also represented Ireland in the European Parliament. He was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Connacht–Ulster area from 1979 to 1989. In Ireland, he served as a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish parliament. He was a TD for Mayo South from 1951 to 1969 and for Mayo East from 1969 to 1977.
Early Life and Education
Seán Flanagan was born in 1922 in a place called Coolnaha, in County Mayo, Ireland. He went to school in his local area first. Later, he attended St Jarlath's College in Tuam, County Galway. At college, he really loved sports. He won two big sports awards, called Connacht championship medals, in 1939 and 1940.
After college, he briefly studied at a seminary in Dublin. A seminary is a place where people train to become priests. Then, he went to University College Dublin. There, he studied law and became a solicitor, which is a type of lawyer.
Football Achievements
Seán Flanagan was a very talented Gaelic football player for the Mayo county team. He was the captain of the Mayo teams that won the All-Ireland final in both 1950 and 1951. This is a huge achievement in Irish sport! He also won five Connacht senior championship medals. On top of that, he helped his team win two National Football League titles in 1949 and 1954.
Because he was such a great player for so long, Seán Flanagan received special awards. In 1992, he got the All-Time All Star Award. This award was given because the main GAA All Stars Awards didn't exist when he was playing. In 1984, which was 100 years since the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) started, he was named on their GAA Football Team of the Century. This means he was considered one of the best players of the last 100 years. In 1999, he was honored again by being named on the Gaelic Football Team of the Millennium.
Political Career Highlights
Seán Flanagan came from a family that supported the Fianna Fáil political party. He joined the party in east Mayo. In 1951, he was first elected as a TD for Mayo South. A TD is a member of Dáil Éireann, which is the main part of the Irish parliament. He kept winning his seat in elections, first in Mayo South, and then in Mayo East from 1969. He served as a TD until 1977.
Flanagan quickly moved up in his party. In 1959, he was made a Parliamentary Secretary by Taoiseach Seán Lemass. The Taoiseach is the head of the Irish government. In 1966, when the Fianna Fáil party was choosing a new leader, Flanagan supported Jack Lynch. When Jack Lynch became Taoiseach, he made Seán Flanagan a Minister.
His first big government job was Minister for Health. Three years later, in 1969, he became Minister for Lands. After losing his seat as a TD in 1977, he mostly stopped being involved in Irish national politics. However, he was elected to the European Parliament in 1979. This was the first time people directly voted for members of the European Parliament. He was re-elected in 1984 and retired from politics in 1989.
Seán Flanagan passed away on 5 February 1993, when he was 71 years old.
See also
- List of people on the postage stamps of Ireland
