Description
Independence: Pat Phelan An important collection of fourteen charcoal portraits of prominent Fianna Fail politicians from the period 1974-78, all signed by the artist and almost all signed by the sitters. 48 X 38cms 1. Charles J. Haughey (1925-2006) Charles Haughey was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1957, and served as Minister for Justice (1961-1964); Minister for Agriculture (1964-1966); Minister for Finance (1966-1970) and Minister for Health & Social Welfare (1977-1979). He served three terms as Taoiseach: December 1979 to June 1981, March 1982 to December 1982 and March 1987 to February 1992. ( Not signed by sitter) 2. John P. Wilson (1923-2007) John Wilson was first elected as a TD in 1973 and served in Dáil Éireann until 1992. Wilson served as Minister for Education, Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, Minister for Tourism and Transport and was appointed Tánaiste by Charles Haughey, serving in that post between November 1990 and his retirement in January 1993. 3. Thomas Lincoln Mullins (1904-1978) Thomas Mullins was first elected to Dáil Éireann as TD for the Cork West constituency at the June 1927 general election and was re-elected at the September 1927 general election. He didn't contest the 1932 election and pursued a career as a journalist. In 1957 the then Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera nominated him to the 9th Seanad where he served until 1973, being Leader of the House from 1961 'til 1973. 4. Brian P. Lenihan (1930-1995) Lenihan contested his first general election, unsuccessfully, in 1954 and was appointed to Seanad Éireann in 1957 by Taoiseach Éamon de Valera. In 1961 he was elected TD for the Roscommon-Leitrim constituency. In his long and varied career in the Dáil he served as Minister for Justice, Minister for Education, Minister for Transport and Power, Minister for Defence, Minister for Foreign Affairs on three occasions and was Tánaiste in the late 1980's under C.J. Haughey. 5. Sylvester Barrett (1926-2002) Sylvester Barrett was born in Darragh, near Ennis, County Clare, his father having been a founder member of the Fianna Fail party. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann on 14 March 1968 at the Clare by-election in the Clare constituency. After Fianna Fáil's landslide victory at the 1977 general election as Minister for the Environment. He served as Minister for Defence from 1980 -1982 and retired from politics in 1989. 6. Neil T. Blaney (1922-1995) The eldest of a family of eleven, Neil Blaney's father, Neal had been a commander of the Old IRA in Donegal during the War of Independence and the Civil War. Neil Blaney was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1948 as a Fianna Fáil TD representing Donegal East. He served as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries; Minister for Local Government and Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. Blaney was expelled from the Fianna Fail party by Jack Lynch in 1972 for 'Conduct unbecoming' but contested all subsequent elections for Independent Fianna Fail and held his seat until his death in 1995. 7. Patrick John Hillery (1923-2008) First elected at the 1951 general election as a Fianna Fáil TD for Clare, he remained in Dáil Éireann until 1973. During this time he served as Minister for Education (1959-1965), Minister for Industry & Commerce (1965-1966), Minister for Labour (1966-1969) and Minister for Foreign Affairs (1969-1973). In 1973 he was appointed Ireland's first European Commissioner, with the Social Affairs portfolio, until 1976 when he became 6th President of Ireland. He served two terms in the presidency being succeeded by Mary Robinson in 1990. 8. Vivion de Valera (1910 -1982) He was the eldest child of the former Taoiseach and President, Éamon de Valera and Sinéad de Valera. He was called to the Bar in 1937 and served with the Irish army during the 'Emergency', retiring in 1945 with the rank of Major. He was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin North West and served in Dáil Éireann until 1981. He was also managing director of the Irish Press Ltd from 1959 until 1981. 9. Seán MacEntee (1889-1984) In a career that spanned over forty years as a Fianna Fáil TD, MacEntee was one of the most important figures in post-independence Ireland. He served in the governments of Éamon de Valera and Seán Lemass in a range of ministerial positions, including Finance, Industry & Commerce and Health. He was a member of every Fianna Fail cabinet from 1932 to April 1965. 10. Seán Flanagan (1922 -1993) Séan Flanagan played senior Gaelic football for Mayo. He captained the All-Ireland final winning sides of 1950 and 1951 and won five Connacht senior championship medals in all. He also won two National Football League titles in 1949 and 1954. While still a footballer, Flanagan entered into a career in politics. He was elected a Fianna Fáil TD for Mayo East at the 1951 General Election. He served as Minister for Health and Minister for Lands under Taoiseach Jack Lynch. He retained his seat at each subsequent election until he lost his seat in 1977. However he was elected to the European Parliament in 1979 and again in 1984 before retiring from politics in 1989. 11. Robert 'Bobby' Molloy (b.1936) Bobby Molloy was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the 1965 General Election for the Galway West constituency. In 1968 he was also elected Mayor of Galway. In 1969 he was appointed to the Cabinet as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education. From 1970 to 1973 he served as Minister for Local Government. When Fianna Fáil returned to power in 1977 he became Minister for Defence in the final government of Jack Lynch. In 1986 Molloy resigned from Fianna Fáil and joined the newly formed Progressive Democrats. In 1989 the party entered into coalition with Fianna Fáil, with Molloy becoming Minister for Energy. Following the 1997 General Election Molloy helped in the negotiations for forming the coalition government between the PDs and Fianna Fáil. On that occasion he became Minister of State at the Department of the Environment. He retired from politics in 2002. 12. Patrick 'Paddy' Smith (1901-1982) Born in Cootehill, County Cavan, Paddy Smith was involved in the 1916 Easter Rising and later in the Old IRA, during the War of Independence. An opponent of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1922, Smith was first elected to the Dáil in the 1923 general election at age 22 as a Republican TD for the Cavan constituency. He was also a founder-member of the Fianna Fáil political party in 1926. During his time as TD he served in the Cabinets of Éamon de Valera and Seán Lemass. He resigned from the government as Minister for Agriculture in 1964 in protest at the government's response to certain farming issues. He held the distinction of being the longest-serving member of Dáil Éireann, having been a member for almost 54 years. Smith retired from politics at the 1977 general election at the age of 76. 13. Seán Lemass (1899 - 1971) A veteran of the 1916 Easter Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War, Lemass was first elected as a Sinn Féin TD for the Dublin South constituency in a by-election on 18 November 1924 and was returned at each election until the constituency was abolished in 1948, when he was re-elected for Dublin South Central until his retirement in 1969. He was a founder-member of Fianna Fáil in 1926, and served as Minister for Industry and Commerce, Minister for Supplies, and Tánaiste in successive Fianna Fáil governments. He served as Taoiseach between June 1959 and November 1966 and was regarded by many in Fianna Fáil as the finest Taoiseach in the history of the Irish state and as "the architect of modern Ireland." 14. Joseph Brennan (1912 - 1980) Joe Brennan was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Donegal West constituency at the 1951 general election and was re-elected at each election until his death. As constituency boundaries were changed, he represented Donegal South West from 1961-1969, Donegal-Leitrim from 1969-1977, and Donegal from 1977-1981. Brennan joined the Cabinet of Sean Lemass in 1965 when he became Minister for Posts & Telegraphs. The following year he became Minister for Social Welfare. Following the 1969 general election he became Minister for Labour. In the wake of the Arms Crisis in 1970 he also took on the Social Welfare portfolio. In 1977 Brennan became Ceann Comhairle, a position he held until his death in 1980. Provenance: Abbeville, Kinsealy
