Tom O'Donnell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom O'Donnell
|
|
|---|---|
| Minister for the Gaeltacht | |
| In office 14 March 1973 – 5 July 1977 |
|
| Taoiseach | Liam Cosgrave |
| Preceded by | George Colley |
| Succeeded by | Denis Gallagher |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office October 1961 – February 1987 |
|
| Constituency | Limerick East |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office June 1979 – June 1989 |
|
| Constituency | Munster |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 August 1926 Charleville, County Cork, Ireland |
| Died | 8 October 2020 (aged 94) Ballysheedy West, County Limerick, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse |
Helen O'Connor
(m. 1957) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives |
|
| Education |
|
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
Thomas G. O'Donnell (born August 30, 1926 – died October 8, 2020) was an important Irish politician. He was a member of the Fine Gael political party. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD), which is like a member of parliament in Ireland, for the Limerick East area for many years. He also worked as a government minister and was a member of the European Parliament.
Contents
Who Was Tom O'Donnell?
Early Life and Education
Tom O'Donnell was born in Charleville, a town in County Cork, Ireland, in 1926. He went to school at Crescent College and Salesian College. Later, he studied at University College Dublin, where he earned a degree in arts. Before he became a politician, he worked as a teacher. He also spent time helping out in his local community.
Becoming a Politician
Tom O'Donnell first became a TD in 1961. He was elected to Dáil Éireann, which is the main parliament of Ireland. He represented the Limerick East area for the Fine Gael party.
From 1969 to 1973, he was a spokesperson for the opposition party. He focused on topics like transport, power, and tourism.
Serving Ireland and Europe
From 1973 to 1977, Tom O'Donnell served in the Irish government. He was the Minister for the Gaeltacht. This role meant he was in charge of matters related to the Irish language and areas where Irish is spoken a lot. He worked under Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave.
After this, he continued to be a spokesperson for his party. In 1979, he was elected to the European Parliament. This meant he represented Ireland in the European Union's parliament. He served there until 1989.
Life After Politics
Tom O'Donnell decided to retire from national politics in 1987. Even after leaving the Dáil, he stayed very active in his community. He worked with many volunteer groups.
He was the chairperson of the Irish Peace Institute at the University of Limerick. He also led groups like the PAUL Partnership and the Limerick City and County Strategy Group. These groups worked to help people and improve the Limerick area.
In 2005, Limerick City Council honored him for his 50 years of service. They held a special event to thank him for all his work for the people of Limerick.
Family Life
Tom O'Donnell was married to Helen O'Connor, who was from Sligo. They had one son. His family had a history in politics too. His uncle, Richard O'Connell, was also a TD many years ago. His nephew, Kieran O'Donnell, is currently a TD for Limerick City.
Tom O'Donnell passed away in October 2020, at the age of 94.
See also
- Families in the Oireachtas
