Barry Desmond
Encyclopedia
Barry Desmond is a former Irish
Labour Party politician and government minister.
He was educated at the Presentation Brothers
, the School of Commerce and University College Cork, and became a trade union official with the ITGWU (known later as SIPTU
)and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
. His father Cornelius (Con) was Lord Mayor of Cork from 1965-66.
At the 1969 general election
he was elected Labour TD
for Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown
. From 1981–1982 he served as Minister of State
at the Department of Finance
. In 1982, after Michael O'Leary's resignation as Labour Party leader, Dick Spring
was elected as the party's new leader and Desmond was chosen as his deputy.
The Fine Gael
-Labour Party coalition was returned to power in the November 1982 general election, and when the 24th Dáil covened in December, Garret FitzGerald
was appointed as Taoiseach
on the Dáil's nomination. Desmond was appointed Minister for Social Welfare
and Minister for Health
. He resigned from his ministerial posts on 20 January 1987, along with the other Labour ministers, bringing about the collapse of the government.
At the 1987 general election
, Desmond was returned to the 25th Dáil, when Fianna Fáil
resumed power. He did not contest the 1989 general election
, and on 15 June 1989 he was elected as a Labour Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) for Dublin
. He was a member of the European Court of Auditors
from 1994 to 2000.
He was elected President of the Maritime Institute of Ireland
, 18 November 2006. He was preceded by Desmond Brannigan, and succeeded by Eoghain Ganley. He remains a member of the Council of the Maritime Institute of Ireland. As President he oversaw the revision of its articles of association and the securing of €3.2 million funding for the restoration of Mariners' Church, Dún Laoghaire
, which houses the National Maritime Museum of Ireland
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Labour Party politician and government minister.
He was educated at the Presentation Brothers
Presentation Brothers
The Congregation of Presentation Brothers is an international Catholic congregation of laymen founded in 1802 in Waterford, Ireland, by a local businessman, Edmund Ignatius Rice, now Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice....
, the School of Commerce and University College Cork, and became a trade union official with the ITGWU (known later as SIPTU
SIPTU
SIPTU , or in Irish: CSTGT is Ireland's largest trade union, with around 200,000 members. Most of these members are in the Republic of Ireland, although the union does have a Northern Ireland branch...
)and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
Irish Congress of Trade Unions
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions , formed in 1959 by the merger of the Irish Trade Union Congress and the Congress of Irish Unions , is a national trade union centre, the umbrella organisation to which trade unions in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland affiliate.-Influence:There...
. His father Cornelius (Con) was Lord Mayor of Cork from 1965-66.
At the 1969 general election
Irish general election, 1969
The Irish general election of 1969 was held on 18 June 1969. The newly elected members of the 19th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 2 July when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed...
he was elected Labour TD
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown
Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1948 to 1977...
. From 1981–1982 he served as Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
at the Department of Finance
Department of Finance (Ireland)
The Department of Finance is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Finance and is assisted by one Minister of State....
. In 1982, after Michael O'Leary's resignation as Labour Party leader, Dick Spring
Dick Spring
Richard "Dick" Spring is an Irish businessman and former politician. He was first elected as a Labour Party Teachta Dála in 1981 and retained his seat until 2002. He became leader of the Labour Party in 1982, and held this position until 1997...
was elected as the party's new leader and Desmond was chosen as his deputy.
The Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
-Labour Party coalition was returned to power in the November 1982 general election, and when the 24th Dáil covened in December, Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He...
was appointed as Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
on the Dáil's nomination. Desmond was appointed Minister for Social Welfare
Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Ireland)
The Minister for Social Protection is the senior minister at the Department of Social Protection in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Social Protection is Joan Burton, TD.-Overview:...
and Minister for Health
Minister for Health and Children (Ireland)
The Minister for Health is the senior minister at the Department of Health in the Government of Ireland and is responsible for health care in the Republic of Ireland and related services.The current Minister for Health is James Reilly, TD...
. He resigned from his ministerial posts on 20 January 1987, along with the other Labour ministers, bringing about the collapse of the government.
At the 1987 general election
Irish general election, 1987
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in...
, Desmond was returned to the 25th Dáil, when Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
resumed power. He did not contest the 1989 general election
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
, and on 15 June 1989 he was elected as a Labour Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP) for Dublin
Dublin (European Parliament constituency)
Dublin is a constituency of the European Parliament in Ireland. It elects 3 Members of the European Parliament using the single transferable vote form of proportional representation .-History and boundaries:...
. He was a member of the European Court of Auditors
European Court of Auditors
The Court of Auditors is the fifth institution of the European Union . It was established in 1975 in Luxembourg to audit the accounts of EU institutions...
from 1994 to 2000.
He was elected President of the Maritime Institute of Ireland
Maritime Institute of Ireland
The Maritime Institute of Ireland was founded in 1941, at a time when World War II was raging and many seamen were in great peril of either being severely injured or losing their lives. Ireland, being an island nation, was dependent on the sea for all forms of movement external to the island as...
, 18 November 2006. He was preceded by Desmond Brannigan, and succeeded by Eoghain Ganley. He remains a member of the Council of the Maritime Institute of Ireland. As President he oversaw the revision of its articles of association and the securing of €3.2 million funding for the restoration of Mariners' Church, Dún Laoghaire
Mariners' Church, Dún Laoghaire
The Mariners' Church is a former Church of Ireland church located in Haigh Terrace, near the centre of Dún Laoghaire town, southeast of Dublin city...
, which houses the National Maritime Museum of Ireland
National Maritime Museum of Ireland
The National Maritime Museum of Ireland opened in 1978 in the former Mariners' Church in Haigh Terrace, near the centre of Dún Laoghaire town, southeast of Dublin city.The church was built in 1837 for seafarers and remained open until 1971...
.