Mary O'Rourke

Mary O'Rourke (née Lenihan) (Máire Uí Ruairc) (born 31 May 1937), is a senior Irish politician. She was widowed in January 2001 following the death of her husband, Enda. She has two sons. She was first elected as a Fianna Fáil TD in the November 1982 General Election and at each election until losing her seat in the 2002 election. She has served as Minister for Education (1987-1991), Minister for Health (1991-1992) and Minister for Public Enterprise (1997-2002). O'Rourke was deputy-leader of Fianna Fáil from 1994 until 2002. She served as leader of Fianna Fáil in the Seanad from 2002 to 2007 until her re-election to Dáil Éireann.

Early life

Mary Lenihan was born on in Athlone, County Westmeath. She was the daughter of Patrick Lenihan, a Fianna Fáil TD. She was educated at St. Peter's, Athlone, Loreto Convent, County Wicklow, University College Dublin and Maynooth. She worked as a secondary school teacher before she began her political career.

Political career

O'Rourke began in local politics, serving on Athlone Urban District Council between 1974 and 1987 and on Westmeath County Council between 1979 and 1987. In the November 1982 general election she was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Longford-Westmeath constituency, and from 1992 for the new Westmeath constituency.

In 1987 she was appointed Minister for Education by Charles Haughey. O'Rourke and her brother, Brian Lenihan, Snr, became the first brother and sister in Irish history to serve in the same Cabinet. In the November 1991 Cabinet reshuffle, O'Rourke became Minister for Health. In February 1992 Charles Haughey resigned as Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader. O'Rourke contested the subsequent leadership election along with Michael Woods and Albert Reynolds. Reynolds defeated the other two contenders and O'Rourke was subsequently dropped from the her ministerial position, but was appointed to a junior ministry as Minister of State for Labour Affairs at the Departments of Industry and Commerce, and later Enterprise and Employment.

In 1994 Bertie Ahern became party leader and he appointed O'Rourke as deputy-leader. Following Ahern's election as Taoiseach in June 1997 O'Rourke became Minister for Public Enterprise, holding this position until she lost her Dáil seat in the 2002 election. This followed a vote management strategy from Fianna Fáil head office which restricted her from campaigning in her traditional areas around Kilbeggan, in an attempt to win 2 of the 3 seats in Westmeath. The loss of her Dáil seat has also been attributed to her association with and the championing of, the privitisation of Telecom Eireann, which proved a financial disaster for many small investors, due to the share price falling radically, post privatisation. During this term as Minster, she also became the subject of public criticism by Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary. Following the loss of her Dáil seat, she was nominated to Seanad Éireann by Ahern where she became Leader of the Seanad.

In January 2006 O'Rourke received the party nomination to stand in the 2007 general election. She narrowly defeated her nearest rival and Dáil election running mate, Councillor Kevin Boxer Moran of Athlone Town Council, causing a controversy when she described her political team as working "like blacks.

In May 2007 she won back her seat in the 2007 general election with her highest ever vote.

Family

Two of her nephews, Brian Lenihan, Jnr and Conor Lenihan, both the sons of her late brother Brian, were Ministers in the governments of Bertie Ahern and currently in the government of Brian Cowen. Brian Lenihan, Jnr is the Minister for Finance while Conor Lenihan is Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

References

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

{{Navboxes |title=Mary O'Rourke |list1=

}}