Albert Reynolds
Albert Reynolds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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9th Taoiseach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 11 February 1992 – 15 December 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
President | Mary Robinson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tánaiste | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Charles Haughey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | John Bruton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of Fianna Fáil | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 6 February 1992 – 19 November 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Bertie Ahern | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Charles Haughey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Bertie Ahern | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Longford–Westmeath | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Roosky, County Roscommon, Ireland | 3 November 1932||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 21 August 2014 Donnybrook, Dublin, Ireland | (aged 81)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Resting place | Shanganagh Cemetery, Shankill, Dublin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Fianna Fáil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse |
Kathleen Coen (m. 1960) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 7, including Leonie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Education | Summerhill College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albert Martin Reynolds (3 November 1932 – 21 August 2014) was an Irish
During his first term as Taoiseach, he led a Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition. In his second term, he was head of one between Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party.
Early life
Albert Martin Reynolds
He was educated at
Early political life
Reynolds became interested in politics at the time of the Arms Crisis in 1970, a controversial episode in which two government ministers, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Neil Blaney and Minister for Finance Charles Haughey, were removed from the government over an attempt to send arms to Northern Ireland, where thousands of Catholic families had been driven from their homes, of whom 1,000 had fled across the border to the Republic. Blaney and Haughey were later acquitted in court.
In the wake of this case, Reynolds launched a political career from his background as a successful west-of-Ireland businessman. However, at 44 years of age when first an electoral candidate, he was considered a late starter. He stood for
Reynolds remained a backbencher until 1979. Pressure mounted that year on Lynch, the incumbent Taoiseach and
Fianna Fáil minister
Reynolds was rewarded for his staunch loyalty by joining the newly elected Taoiseach Charles Haughey's cabinet as
Fianna Fáil lost power following the
In 1987, Fianna Fáil returned to government, and Reynolds was appointed Minister for Industry and Commerce, one of the most senior positions in the cabinet, especially when the government's top priority was economic recovery. In 1988, Minister for Finance Ray MacSharry became Ireland's European Commissioner, and Reynolds succeeded MacSharry in the most powerful department in government.
Coalition (1989–1992)
The 1989 general election resulted in Fianna Fáil taking the unprecedented move of entering into a coalition with the four-year-old free-market-centric Progressive Democrats (PD). Reynolds headed the Fianna Fáil negotiation team with another minister, Bertie Ahern. A programme for government was finally agreed upon almost a month after the general election, and Reynolds returned as Minister for Finance in a coalition government that he described as a "temporary little arrangement".
The failure of Fianna Fáil candidate
Haughey's victory was short-lived, as a series of political errors would lead to his demise as Taoiseach. Controversy erupted over the attempted appointment of Jim McDaid as Minister for Defence, and McDaid resigned from the post before he was appointed. Worse was to follow when Seán Doherty, the man who as Minister for Justice had taken the blame for the phone-tapping scandal of the early 1980s, went on television on RTÉ to reveal that Haughey had known about and authorised the phone-tapping. Haughey denied all charges, but the PD government members stated that they could no longer continue in government with him as Taoiseach. Haughey told Desmond O'Malley, the PD leader, that he intended to resign shortly but wanted to choose his own time of departure. O'Malley agreed to this, and the government continued.
Taoiseach (1992–1994)
22nd government of Ireland (1992–1993)
This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2021) |
On 30 January 1992, Haughey retired as leader of Fianna Fáil at a parliamentary party meeting. Reynolds easily defeated his rivals Mary O'Rourke and Michael Woods in the party leadership election and succeeded Haughey as Taoiseach on 11 February 1992.
The ministers who had been sacked along with Reynolds at the end of 1991 were all appointed to cabinet, while eight members of Haughey's cabinet, including such long-serving Haughey loyalists as Ray Burke, Mary O'Rourke and Gerry Collins, were left out. Nine of the twelve junior ministers, many of whom were also Haughey supporters, were also dismissed. Reynolds promoted several long-time critics of Haughey, like David Andrews, Séamus Brennan and Charlie McCreevy, to senior ministerial positions. Reynolds also promoted younger TDs from rural constituencies, such as Noel Dempsey and Brian Cowen, to cabinet positions. One of Haughey's oldest political allies, Bertie Ahern, remained Minister for Finance, agreeing with Reynolds not to challenge him for the leadership.
X Case
On Reynolds's first day as Taoiseach, he had to deal with the "X Case", a constitutional case on whether a 14-year-old who had become
European Union
Reynolds negotiated considerable benefits for Ireland from the European Union regional aid budget in the aftermath of the Danish rejection of the Maastricht Treaty.[citation needed]
Beef Tribunal and 1992 election
A tribunal of enquiry into irregularities in the beef industry referred to as the "
23rd government of Ireland (1993–1994)
The 1992 general election campaign was a disaster for Fianna Fáil.[citation needed] The world was in recession, the Haughey era was a recent memory, and the Gulf War dominated international news, with Saddam Hussein in the news at the same time as the Beef Tribunal was discussing Reynolds's attempts to sell beef to the Iraqi regime.[citation needed] The fact that Reynolds seemed prepared to issue risky[how?] state-funded export insurance, effectively subsidising the Goodman business empire which now accounted for 12% of national GDP, when the country was in deep recession, shocked the electorate.[citation needed] Support for the party fell by 5%.[12][13] The Labour Party under Dick Spring ran a campaign independent of its traditional coalition partner Fine Gael. It was Fianna Fáil's worst election result since 1927,[citation needed] losing nine seats. Fine Gael lost ten seats, while the Labour Party had its best result, with 33 seats. In January 1993, Fianna Fáil and Labour formed a government with Reynolds as Taoiseach and Spring as Tánaiste.
Tensions with Labour
In 1993, Reynolds's Minister of Finance, Bertie Ahern, issued a
The report on the Beef Tribunal was published in July 1994. The Labour Party had threatened to leave the government if Reynolds was criticised. Reynolds was alleged to have juxtaposed and misquoted sections of the report in issuing a rebuttal before the report became public. Spring was furious that the report was not considered by the cabinet first.
Northern Ireland and foreign affairs
One of Reynolds's main achievements during his term as Taoiseach was in the peace process in the long-running conflict in Northern Ireland. Piecemeal negotiations had gone on during 1993 between Reynolds and British prime minister John Major, resulting in the Anglo-Irish agreement of 1993;[citation needed] on 15 December, the Downing Street Declaration was signed in London. Reynolds remained involved in discussions with Northern Ireland's nationalist parties and, along with John Hume, persuaded the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) to call a complete ceasefire on 31 August 1994.[14][third-party source needed] Major was quoted at the time as saying:
Let me now say something that may surprise you. Throughout the process, I was acutely conscious that IRA leaders were taking a risk, too: if Albert and I upset our supporters we might – as Albert put it, be 'kicked out'. That was true, but the IRA's supporters were more deadly than our backbench colleagues. And their leaders were taking a risk too, possibly with their own lives.[15]
In September 1994, Reynolds was left standing on the tarmac at Shannon Airport by Russian president Boris Yeltsin, who failed to emerge from his plane to meet awaiting Irish dignitaries.[16] Headlines around the world alleged that Yeltsin was too drunk to appear; a Russian official said that he was unwell and aides later suggested that he had had a heart attack.[17] Yeltsin later announced that he had overslept.[18]
Whelehan controversy and downfall
Reynolds had decided to reappoint Attorney General Harry Whelehan when the government was formed in 1992. When the position of
Spring led his ministers out of a cabinet meeting to consider the position of the Labour Party. The coalition appeared to be finished, but Reynolds still held out for the chance to patch things up. Reynolds went before the Dáil and said that if he had known "then" what he "knew now" about the incompetent handling of the case by the AG's office, he would not have appointed Whelehan to the judicial post.
However, Reynolds was damaged politically, appearing more interested in holding on to power than in the integrity of government actions. Spring decided that he could not go back into government with Reynolds, and led the Labour Party out of the coalition on 16 November 1994.
Succession
It was apparent that Reynolds no longer had enough support to govern, so he resigned as Taoiseach on 17 November 1994.[20]
On 19 November 1994, Reynolds resigned as party leader, and the Minister for Finance Bertie Ahern was
Post-Taoiseach period
On 4 February 1995, Reynolds was interviewed at length by
At the beginning of 1997, Bertie Ahern allegedly encouraged Reynolds to run for office in the coming election and offered him the position of "peace envoy" to Northern Ireland and his support[
Reynolds won the first round of voting with a comfortable margin. Still, supporters of O'Kennedy backed McAleese, who was successful and became the Fianna Fáil nominee and the eighth president of Ireland.
Reynolds retired from politics at the 2002 general election, after 25 years as a TD; he was quoted in 2007 to state: "I don't bear any grudges over Ahern".[22]
Reynolds was involved in a long-running libel action against British newspaper
In 1999, General Pervez Musharraf became President of Pakistan following a military coup. At the time, the White House did not recognise governments that came to power through a coup d'état. Business associates asked Reynolds to travel to Pakistan and meet Musharraf.
Musharraf asked Reynolds to act as an advisor to him and to contact US president
Mahon Tribunal
In 1993, Reynolds and Bertie Ahern, then Minister for Finance, wrote to developer Owen O'Callaghan seeking a substantial donation. O'Callaghan was then heavily lobbying for state support for a stadium project at
In November 2007, it was alleged at the Mahon Tribunal that Reynolds, while on government business in New York, collected a substantial sum of money for his Fianna Fáil party that did not get fully credited to the party. On the same trip, it emerged[30] in the tribunal that Reynolds had the government jet make an additional and unscheduled five-hour stopover in the Bahamas.
Reynolds received annual pension payments of €149,740.[31]
In July 2008, it was reported that Reynolds was medically unfit to give evidence at the Mahon Tribunal because of "significant cognitive impairment". Reynolds had on several previous occasions been due to give evidence concerning payments he allegedly received when he was Taoiseach.[32]
Illness and death
In December 2013, it was revealed by his son that Reynolds was in the last stages of
As Taoiseach he played an important part in bringing together differing strands of political opinion in Northern Ireland and as a consequence made an important contribution to the development of the peace process which eventually lead to the Good Friday Agreement.[8]
The funeral, held at Church of the Sacred Heart, in Donnybrook, on 25 August 2014, was attended by President
Legacy
His successor as Fianna Fáil leader, Bertie Ahern, who as Taoiseach was one of the negotiators of peace in Northern Ireland and had long been a political ally and friend, said on Reynolds's death:
I am deeply saddened to learn today of the death of Albert Reynolds. He was not afraid to take political risks to further the path of reconciliation. The Downing Street Declaration paved the way for the IRA ceasefire and all the positives which have flowed from the peace process for people North and South. So much of this achievement has its roots in Albert's courage, perseverance and his commitment to democratic politics.
The Archbishop of Dublin, who attended the service, commented on Reynolds's determined character:
In his life, in his responsibility for the political and economic destiny of those he was called to serve, Albert Reynolds was responsive and creative and determined in his desire to move forward in the search for peace and for a more just, secure and prosperous society.
Former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Brian Cowen expressed his sadness at the passing of their "close personal friend".
Michael O'Leary, the chief executive officer of Ryanair, said:
As my local TD in what was then the Longford-West Meath constituency, I had some interaction with him. We were certainly very proud of him down there. I think history will be very kind to him and it should be. In a relatively short period as Taoiseach he achieved a terrific transformation, both in the peace process and also setting Ireland on a period of very rapid economic growth. He wasn't perhaps the greatest politician in the world. He managed to blow up two coalitions in a relatively short period of time. But I think if you go back and you ask Irish people now if you could have visionary, dynamic and bold leadership like Albert Reynolds, or the 10 years of dither, fudge and buying off the various stakeholders that came after him under Bertie, I think everybody would go back and have Albert in a flash.[38]
References
- ISBN 978-0-86121-549-2.
- ^ Dalby, Douglas (21 August 2014). "Albert Reynolds Dies at 81; Peacemaking Irish Premier". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ^ "Obituary: Albert Reynolds". BBC News. 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ Mansergh, Martin. "Reynolds, Albert". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Kathleen Reynolds obituary: 'Best adviser and toughest critic' of Albert Reynolds". The Irish Times. 13 May 2021. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Albert Reynolds". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
- ^ "Albert Reynolds". Oireachtas Members Database. 24 October 2001. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
- ^ a b "Albert Reynolds passes away aged 81". Irish Sun. 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ^ "'81 plane hijacker reveals Fatima obsession". Irish Echo. 16 February 2011. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ "Albert Reynolds". Fianna Fáil. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Out for the count: Ireland. (general elections in Ireland)". The Economist. HighBeam Research. 5 December 1992. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ^ "27th Dáil 1992 General Election". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
- ^ "Dáil elections since 1918". ARK Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
- ^ Adams, Gerry (29 August 2014). "Taoiseach should emulate Albert Reynolds and act on North". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ a b McDonald, Henry (21 August 2014). "Albert Reynolds, former Irish taoiseach, dies aged 81". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Yeltsin stood up Reynolds in 1994". The Irish Times. 4 April 2007. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ "Yeltsin aide offers solution to mystery". The Irish Times. 4 August 1997. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ "1994: Sleepy Boris 'snubs' Irish leader". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ Brennock, Mark (2 June 2006). "Breakdown in communications leads to outrage and disarray". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009 – via OneinFour.org.
- ^ Oireachtas Library and Research Service (28 June 2016). "Caretaker governments and caretaker conventions" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
Box 1. Irish Caretaker Governments ... 1994 ...
- ^ "Albert Reynolds". Is This Your Life?. 4 February 1995. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Sheahan, Fionnan (18 January 2007). "I don't bear any grudges over Ahern: Reynolds". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
- ^ "Reynolds libel case resumes in the House of Lords". RTÉ News. 21 June 1999. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ "Defamation Bill 2006" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ "Defamation reform: are we there yet?". The Post. 10 December 2006. Archived from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ "Sunday Times loses latest stage of Reynolds libel battle". RTÉ News. 28 October 1999. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ "Reynolds defense". Archived from the original on 5 February 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2021 – via OPUK.
- ^ O'Brien, Paul (16 November 2007). "From North to Pakistan: Reynolds the peace broker". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008.
- ^ McEnroe, Juno (24 March 2012). "Reynolds 'abused power by seeking donations'". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
- ^ Quinlan, Ronald (2 December 2007). "Reynolds to go on attack at tribunal over Bahamas visit". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ Kelly, Fiach (10 November 2011). "Thanks big fellas: Ahern and Cowen get massive pensions". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
- ^ "Reynolds declared unfit to give evidence". RTÉ News. 30 July 2008. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ a b O'Mahony, John (21 August 2014). "Tributes pour in for the late Albert Reynolds". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ^ "Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds dies". RTÉ News. 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ^ Sheahan, Fionnán (25 August 2014). "Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds laid to rest after State Funeral". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Dublin comes to standstill for Albert Reynolds funeral". Ireland News. 25 August 2014. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ Lord, Miriam (25 August 2014). "An ordinary and extraordinary farewell to Albert Reynolds". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
- ^ Kelly, Louise; et al. (21 August 2014). "Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds dies aged 81". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
Bibliography
Writings
- Reynolds, Albert, My Autobiography (Dublin 2010)
Secondary sources
- Coakley, J & Rafter, K Irish Presidency: Power, Ceremony, and Politics (Dublin 2013)
- Kelly, S Fianna Fail, Partition and Northern Ireland, 1926–1971 (Dublin 2013)
- O'Donnell, Catherine, Fianna Fail, Irish republicanism and the Northern Ireland Troubles 1968–2005 (Kildare 2007)
- O'Reilly, Emily, Candidate: The Truth Behind the Presidential Campaign (Dublin 1991)
- Ryan, Tim, Albert Reynolds: The Longford Leader. The Unauthorised Biography (Dublin 1994)
External links
- Albert Reynolds at IMDb
- Appearances on C-SPAN