Patrick Cooney

Patrick Mark Cooney (born 2 March 1931) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Education from 1986 to 1987, Minister for Defence from 1982 to 1986, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Minister for Posts and Telegraphs from 1981 to 1982 and Minister for Justice from 1973 to 1977. He served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Leinster constituency from 1989 to 1994. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Longford–Westmeath constituency from 1970 to 1977 and between 1981 and 1989. He also served as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 1977 to 1981.[1]

Patrick Cooney
Minister for Education
In office 14 February 1986 – 10 March 1987
Taoiseach	Garret FitzGerald
Preceded by	Gemma Hussey
Succeeded by	Mary O'Rourke
Minister for Defence
In office 14 December 1982 – 14 February 1986
Taoiseach	Garret FitzGerald
Preceded by	Paddy Power
Succeeded by	Paddy O'Toole
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport
In office 30 June 1981 – 9 March 1982
Taoiseach	Garret FitzGerald
Preceded by	Albert Reynolds
Succeeded by	John Wilson
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs
In office 30 June 1981 – 9 March 1982
Taoiseach	Garret FitzGerald
Preceded by	Albert Reynolds
Succeeded by	John Wilson
Minister for Justice
In office 14 March 1973 – 5 July 1977
Taoiseach	Liam Cosgrave
Preceded by	Desmond O'Malley
Succeeded by	Gerry Collins
Member of the European Parliament
In office 1 July 1989 – 24 May 1994
Constituency	Leinster
Teachta Dála
In office June 1981 – June 1989
In office April 1970 – June 1977
Constituency	Longford–Westmeath
Senator
In office 1 July 1977 – 30 June 1981
Constituency	Cultural and Educational Panel
Personal details
Born	2 March 1931 Dublin, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fine Gael
Spouse(s)	Brigid McMenamin (m. 1958)
Children	4
Education	Castleknock College
Alma mater	University College Dublin

Cooney was born in 1931 and was educated at Castleknock College and University College Dublin.[2] He first stood as a candidate for Dáil Éireann in the Longford–Westmeath constituency at the 1961 general election, but failed to win a seat, and he was defeated again in 1965 and 1969. However, after the death of the Fianna Fáil TD Patrick Lenihan, Cooney was elected to the 19th Dáil in the Longford–Westmeath by-election in April 1970.[3]

The 1973 general election brought a Fine Gael-Labour Party National Coalition government to power, and Cooney was appointed to Liam Cosgrave's Cabinet as Minister for Justice. He ordered the coffin of Frank Stagg, an IRA volunteer, to be covered in concrete.[4] In spite of being a high-profile Cabinet Minister, he lost his seat at the 1977 general election, but was subsequently elected to the 14th Seanad as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel. In 1979, at the first direct elections to the European Parliament, he stood unsuccessfully in the Connacht–Ulster constituency.

At the 1981 general election, he was returned to the Dáil again for his old Longford–Westmeath constituency. Cooney then held a number of positions in Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald's two governments. He was elected as a MEP for the Leinster constituency at the 1989 European Parliament elections, and did not contest the 1989 general election. He did not stand for re-election in 1994.

References

1. "Patrick Cooney". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
2. "MEPS – Patrick Mark Cooney". European Parliament. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
3. "Patrick Cooney". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
4. Behind Closed Doors: Cabinet Confidential. RTÉ. 2 January 2007

External links

• Personal profile of Patrick Cooney in the European Parliament's database of members