Brian Lenihan Snr
Brian Patrick Lenihan (17 November 1930 – 1 November 1995) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Tánaiste from 1987 to 1990, Minister for Defence from 1989 to 1990, Minister for Agriculture from March 1982 to December 1982, Minister for Fisheries from 1977 to 1979, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1987 to 1989, 1979 to 1981 and January 1973 to March 1973, Minister for Transport and Power from 1969 to 1973, Minister for Education from 1968 to 1969, Minister for Justice from 1964 to 1969, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Justice and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Lands from 1961 to 1964. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1961 to 1973 and from 1977 to 1995. He served as a Senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel from 1957 to 1961 and 1973 to 1977. He also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Oireachtas from 1973 to 1977.
Brian Lenihan Snr | |||||||||||||||||||
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Lenihan in 1973 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Tánaiste | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 10 March 1987 – 31 October 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Charles Haughey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Barry | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | John Wilson | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Defence | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 12 July 1989 – 31 October 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Charles Haughey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Michael J. Noonan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Brendan Daly | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Agriculture | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 9 March 1982 – 14 December 1982 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Charles Haughey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Alan Dukes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Austin Deasy | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Fisheries | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 July 1977 – 12 December 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Jack Lynch | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Paddy Donegan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Paddy Power | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 10 March 1987 – 12 July 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Charles Haughey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Barry | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Gerry Collins | ||||||||||||||||||
| In office 12 December 1979 – 30 June 1981 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Charles Haughey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Michael O'Kennedy | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | John Kelly | ||||||||||||||||||
| In office 3 January 1973 – 14 March 1973 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Jack Lynch | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Patrick Hillery | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Garret FitzGerald | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Transport and Power | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 2 July 1969 – 3 January 1973 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Jack Lynch | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Erskine Childers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Michael O'Kennedy | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Education | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 26 March 1968 – 2 July 1969 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Jack Lynch | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jack Lynch | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Pádraig Faulkner | ||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Justice | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office 3 November 1964 – 26 March 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | Seán Lemass Jack Lynch | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Seán Lemass | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mícheál Ó Móráin | ||||||||||||||||||
| Parliamentary Secretary | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1961–1964 | Justice | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1961–1964 | Lands | ||||||||||||||||||
| Teachta Dála | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office June 1977 – 1 November 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | Dublin West | ||||||||||||||||||
| In office June 1977 – June 1981 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | Dublin County West | ||||||||||||||||||
| In office June 1969 – June 1973 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | Roscommon-Leitrim | ||||||||||||||||||
| In office October 1961 – June 1969 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | Roscommon | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 November 1930 Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 1 November 1995 (aged 64) Castleknock, Dublin, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Fianna Fáil | ||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Anne Devine (m. 1958) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 7, including Brian and Conor | ||||||||||||||||||
| Parent |
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| Relatives |
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| Education | Marist College, Athlone | ||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater |
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He was a member of a family political dynasty; his father, Patrick Lenihan, and sister both followed him into Dáil Éireann; his sister Mary O'Rourke sitting in cabinet with him. Two of his sons, Brian Lenihan Jnr and Conor Lenihan, became TDs in the 1990s. Brian Lenihan Jnr served as Minister for Finance and Conor was Minister of State in the government of Taoiseach Brian Cowen. Two phrases associated with Lenihan Snr, No problem and On mature recollection, entered the Irish political lexicon.