Éamon Ó Cuív
Encyclopedia
Éamon Ó Cuív (ˈeːmˠənˠ oː ˈkiːvʲ; born 23 June 1950) is an Irish
Fianna Fáil
politician. He has been a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Galway West constituency since 1992 and was previously a member of Seanad Éireann
.
founder, first Taoiseach
and third President of Ireland
, Éamon de Valera
. He is a nephew of the former TD, Vivion de Valera
and is a first cousin of the former Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht
and the Islands minister, Síle de Valera
. He is the son of the noted professor of the Irish language
, Brian Ó Cuív
.
He was born in Dublin and was educated at Oatlands College
, Dublin and University College Dublin
. Before entering politics, he was the manager of Gaeltacht Co-operative, a company involved in agricultural services including timber milling, tourism and cultural development.
, in the Galway West constituency, where he was the last-placed of the four Fianna Fáil candidates, only two of whom were elected. He did better at the 1989 general election
, substantially increasing his share of the first-preference votes, but was the only one of the three Fianna Fáil
candidates not to be elected.
He was then elected to the 19th Seanad on the Cultural and Educational Panel. He served there until the 1992 general election
when he was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West. His vote had increased significantly, and he was elected on the first count, coming a close second behind the Labour Party
's Michael D. Higgins
. At the 1997 general election
, he was again elected in second place on the first count, this time being narrowly behind his Fianna Fáil colleague, Frank Fahey
. At the 2002 general election
he comfortably topped the poll, with over 20% of the first-preference votes. Ó Cuív again topped the poll for Galway West at the 2007 general election.
In 1994, Ó Cuív raised a few eyebrows in Fianna Fáil circles when he argued for a conditional return to the Commonwealth of Nations
as a gesture to Unionists in Northern Ireland.
On 22 January 2011, after the resignation of Fianna Fáil leader Brian Cowen
, Ó Cuív stated that he wished to be a candidate for the leadership of Fianna Fáil. He confirmed this on the TG4
News.
, but in 1997 (at the start of the 28th Dáil) he was appointed Minister of State
at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, serving under his cousin Síle de Valera
who was the senior minister at the Department. Following the 2002 general election
he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
.
He is widely credited with responsibility for the Official Languages Act, which gave rise to the office of An Coimisinéir Teanga.
Recently Ó Cuív has been at the centre of a controversy surrounding the official name of An Daingean / Dingle
, a small Gaeltacht
town in West County Kerry
. The residents of the town held a plebiscite in November 2006 to determine which version of the town name should be used. Ó Cuív originally signalled that he was happy to abide by the locals' decision, but then said that the name can not legally be changed back to Dingle, following advice from the Office of the Attorney General
.
In 2007, Ó Cuív has again called for Ireland to return to the Commonwealth as a full member state in light of the restoration of devolution
to Northern Ireland
and the meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
in Belfast
.
In July 2009, Ó Cuív used a government helicopter to open a playground, at the cost of €10,000. On 23 March 2010, following a cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed as Minister for Social Protection. Following the resignation of Tony Killeen
in January 2011, Ó Cuív was also appointed as Minister for Defence
, and he was also appointed Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government following John Gormley
's resignation days later.
He is currently the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
On 8 August 2011, Party Leader Micheál Martin
named Ó Cuiv as Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil, replacing Brian Lenihan.
Ó Cuív's surname was changed from Ó Caoimh by his grandfather, Shán Ó Cuív, a Cork journalist. In the early 20th century Shán changed the spelling of his surname in order to conform to a simplified spelling system of his own invention which he called An Leitriú Shimplí. The letter 'v' is extremely rare in Irish outside modern loanwords, not being one of the 18 letters of the Irish alphabet.
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...
politician. He has been a 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 the Galway West constituency since 1992 and was previously a member of Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
.
Early life
Ó Cuív is the grandson of Fianna FáilFianna 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...
founder, first 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...
and third President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
. He is a nephew of the former TD, Vivion de Valera
Vivion de Valera
Vivion de Valera was an Irish scientist, businessman, lawyer and politician. He was the eldest child of the former Taoiseach and President, Éamon de Valera and Sinéad de Valera and was named after his paternal grandfather, Juan Vivion de Valera...
and is a first cousin of the former Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
and the Islands minister, Síle de Valera
Síle de Valera
Síle de Valera , is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She was first elected a Teachta Dála in 1977 serving as a member of Dáil Éireann until 1981, and then again from 1987 to 2007, as well as being a Member of the European Parliament for Dublin from 1979 to 1984...
. He is the son of the noted professor of the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, Brian Ó Cuív
Brian Ó Cuív
Brian Ó Cuív was a Celtic scholar who specialised in Irish history and philology.-Life:Ó Cuív was professor of Celtic Studies at University College Dublin and later at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. His later years were devoted to the compilation of a catalogue of the Irish manuscripts...
.
He was born in Dublin and was educated at Oatlands College
Oatlands College
Oatlands College is an all boys Christian Brothers school located in Mount Merrion and close to Stillorgan, Co. Dublin. It is situated along the Dublin Road which leads onto the Stillorgan Shopping Centre....
, Dublin and University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
. Before entering politics, he was the manager of Gaeltacht Co-operative, a company involved in agricultural services including timber milling, tourism and cultural development.
Political career
Ó Cuív first stood for election at the 1987 general electionIrish 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...
, in the Galway West constituency, where he was the last-placed of the four Fianna Fáil candidates, only two of whom were elected. He did better at the 1989 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...
, substantially increasing his share of the first-preference votes, but was the only one of the three 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...
candidates not to be elected.
He was then elected to the 19th Seanad on the Cultural and Educational Panel. He served there until the 1992 general election
Irish general election, 1992
The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. However, after difficulties in forming a government the newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil did not assemble at Leinster House until 4 January 1993...
when he was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West. His vote had increased significantly, and he was elected on the first count, coming a close second behind the Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
's Michael D. Higgins
Michael D. Higgins
Michael Daniel Higgins is the ninth and current President of Ireland, having taken office on 11 November 2011 following victory in the 2011 Irish presidential election. Higgins is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, author and broadcaster. Higgins was President of the Labour Party until his...
. 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....
, he was again elected in second place on the first count, this time being narrowly behind his Fianna Fáil colleague, Frank Fahey
Frank Fahey
Frank Fahey is a property developer and former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency.-Life before politics:...
. At the 2002 general election
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
he comfortably topped the poll, with over 20% of the first-preference votes. Ó Cuív again topped the poll for Galway West at the 2007 general election.
In 1994, Ó Cuív raised a few eyebrows in Fianna Fáil circles when he argued for a conditional return to the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
as a gesture to Unionists in Northern Ireland.
On 22 January 2011, after the resignation of Fianna Fáil leader Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
, Ó Cuív stated that he wished to be a candidate for the leadership of Fianna Fáil. He confirmed this on the TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
News.
Ministerial career
Ó Cuív did not reach ministerial office in his first term in Dáil ÉireannDáil 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...
, but in 1997 (at the start of the 28th Dáil) he was appointed 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 Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, serving under his cousin Síle de Valera
Síle de Valera
Síle de Valera , is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She was first elected a Teachta Dála in 1977 serving as a member of Dáil Éireann until 1981, and then again from 1987 to 2007, as well as being a Member of the European Parliament for Dublin from 1979 to 1984...
who was the senior minister at the Department. Following the 2002 general election
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is a senior minister at the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is Frances Fitzgerald, TD.-Overview:...
.
He is widely credited with responsibility for the Official Languages Act, which gave rise to the office of An Coimisinéir Teanga.
Recently Ó Cuív has been at the centre of a controversy surrounding the official name of An Daingean / Dingle
Dingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
, a small Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
town in West County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
. The residents of the town held a plebiscite in November 2006 to determine which version of the town name should be used. Ó Cuív originally signalled that he was happy to abide by the locals' decision, but then said that the name can not legally be changed back to Dingle, following advice from the Office of the Attorney General
Attorney General of Ireland
The Attorney General is a constitutional officer who is the official adviser to the Government of Ireland in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in Ireland. The Attorney General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings when invited and attends...
.
In 2007, Ó Cuív has again called for Ireland to return to the Commonwealth as a full member state in light of the restoration of devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and the meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation, of British origin, which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights...
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
In July 2009, Ó Cuív used a government helicopter to open a playground, at the cost of €10,000. On 23 March 2010, following a cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed as Minister for Social Protection. Following the resignation of Tony Killeen
Tony Killeen
Tony Killeen is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Clare constituency from 1992 to 2011, and also served as Minister of Defence from 2010–11.-Early and personal life:...
in January 2011, Ó Cuív was also appointed as Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
, and he was also appointed Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government following John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
's resignation days later.
He is currently the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
On 8 August 2011, Party Leader Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He is a Teachta Dála for the Cork South Central constituency...
named Ó Cuiv as Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil, replacing Brian Lenihan.
Surname
Ó Cuív's surname was changed from Ó Caoimh by his grandfather, Shán Ó Cuív, a Cork journalist. In the early 20th century Shán changed the spelling of his surname in order to conform to a simplified spelling system of his own invention which he called An Leitriú Shimplí. The letter 'v' is extremely rare in Irish outside modern loanwords, not being one of the 18 letters of the Irish alphabet.