Colm Hilliard was an Irish

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,...

 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...

 Party politician who sat for fifteen years as Teachta Dála

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...

 (TD) for Meath.

He was first elected to Dáil Éireann

Dáil Éireann

Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

 at the February 1982 general election, replacing retiring Labour Party TD James Tully, and giving Fianna Fáil three out of five Meath seats in the 23rd Dáil. He was re-elected at the next four general elections, until his retirement from the Dáil at the 1997 general election

Irish general election, 1997

The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....

, when Johnny Brady

Johnny Brady

Johnny Brady is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála from 1997 to 2007 for the Meath and Meath West constituencies....

 retained the seat for Fianna Fáil. Hilliard was nominated to contested the 1997 elections to the 21st Seanad Éireann on the Agricultural Panel, but as he was recovering from surgery did not contest. Despite this he received two first-preference votes in the election.

He did not achieve ministerial office, but served as Chairman of the Oireachtas

Oireachtas

The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...

 Joint Services Committee from 1987 to 1992.

His father Michael Hilliard

Michael Hilliard

Michael Hilliard was an Irish Fianna Fáil Party politician.He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1943 general election, as a TD for Meath–Westmeath. During his career he served in the governments of Seán Lemass and Jack Lynch...

, had been a TD for Meath for thirty years, and was a Cabinet minister in the 1960s.

Colm Hilliard played on the Meath Senior football team

Meath GAA

The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas
  Families in the Oireachtas
  There is a tradition in Irish politics of having family members succeed each other, frequently in the same parliamentary seat. This article lists families where two or more members of that family have been members of either of the houses of the Oireachtas or of the European Parliament...