George Colley

Infobox Politician
name=George Colley


birth_date = birth date|1925|10|18|df=y
birth_place = Dublin, Ireland
death_date = death date and age|1983|09|17|1925|10|18|df=y
death_place = London, England
office = Tánaiste
term_start = 5 July 1977
term_end = 30 June 1981
predecessor = Brendan Corish
successor = Michael O'Leary
party = Fianna Fáil
office2 = Minister for Finance
term_start2 = 5 July 1977
term_end2 = 11 December 1979
predecessor3 = Charles Haughey
successor3 = Richie Ryan
term_start3 = 9 May 1970
term_end3 = 14 March 1973
predecessor2 = Richie Ryan
successor2 = Michael O'Kennedy:"For the British soldier, see George Pomeroy Colley"George Colley ( _ga. Seoirse Ó Colla; 18 October 1925 – 17 September 1983), was an Irish politician. He was first elected as a Fianna Fáil TD in 1961 and at each election until his death in 1983. During his career Colley served as Minister for Education (1965–1966), Minister for Industry & Commerce (1966–1970), Minister for Finance (1970–1973 & 1977–1979), Minister for Transport (1979–1980) and Minister for Energy (1980–1981). He was appointed Tánaiste in 1977 and was twice defeated for the leadership of Fianna Fáil in 1966 and 1979.

Early life

George Colley was born in Dublin on 18 October 1925. He was the son of Harry Colley, a Fianna Fáil TD, a veteran of the Easter Rising and a former adjutant in the Irish Republican Army. He was educated at St. Joseph's Christian Brothers School in Fairview, in Dublin, where one of his classmates was his arch rival, Charles Haughey. Colley studied law at University College Dublin and qualified as a solicitor in the mid 1940s. He remained friends with Haughey after leaving school and ironically, encouraged him to become a member of Fianna Fáil in 1951. Haughey was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1957 General Election, ousting Colley's father, Henry, in the process. This put some strain on the relationship between the two young men.

Colley himself was elected to the Dáil at the 1961 general election, reclaiming his father's old seat. Furthermore, he was elected in Dublin North East, the same constituency as Haughey, thereby accentuating the rivalry. Thereafter Colley progressed rapidly through the ranks of Fianna Fáil. He became a member of the Dáil at a time when a change from the older to the younger generation was taking place. This was facilitated in no small part by the Taoiseach, Seán Lemass.

Colley was rewarded by being appointed a Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Lands in 1964. Following the re-election of the government in 1965 he joined the government as Minister for Education. Colley was promoted to the position of Minister for Industry & Commerce in 1966.

1966 leadership election and aftermath

In November 1966 Seán Lemass resigned as Taoiseach. Colley immediately threw his hat into the ring and identified himself as a candidate in the subsequent leadership election. His childhood, and now his political rival, Charles Haughey, also announced his intention to stand.

Colley's rise through politics was remarkable, particularly since after only five years in the Dáil, he was in a position to challenge for the leadership of Fianna Fáil. He was the favoured candidate of party elders such as Seán MacEntee and Frank Aiken, the latter managed Colley's campaign and was annoyed with Lemass's quick decision to retire before Colley had built up his support. He was considered to be in the same mould as the party founders, concerned with such issues as the peaceful re-unification of the country and the Irish language cause. A third candidate, Neil Blaney, also indicated his wishes to run for the leadership if a suitable candidate could not be found. However, both Haughey and Blaney withdrew when the Minister for Finance, Jack Lynch, announced his candidacy. Colley however did not back down and the leadership issue went to a vote for the first time in the history of the Fianna Fáil party.

On 9 November 1966, the election of the new leader took place. Lynch easily beat Colley by 59 votes to 19. When the new Taoiseach announced his new cabinet no hard feelings were shown between the two men. Colley retained the Industry & Commerce portfolio in the subsequent reshuffle of the cabinet.

In 1969 he took charge of the Gaeltacht portfolio also, an area where Colley had a personal interest. In the wake of the Arms Crisis in 1970 a major reshuffle of the cabinet took place. Four ministers, Charles Haughey, Neil Blaney, Kevin Boland and Micheál Ó Móráin, were either sacked, resigned or simply retired from the government due to the scandal that was about to take place. Colley was rewarded for his loyalty to Lynch over the previous four years by being appointed Minister for Finance, the second most important position in the government. The most important event of his tenure as Minister was the transition to decimalisation of the Irish currency in 1971.

Fianna Fáil were out of power between 1973 and 1977 when it returned to power with a massive parliamentary majority in Dáil Éireann. Colley returned to the position of Minister for Finance in a government that would come to be dominated by economic matters and internal divisions with the party. Colley was seen as the "heir-apparent" with the party leadership to succeed as Taoiseach and leader of the party, particularly since he was also named as Tánaiste. However, the return of Charles Haughey to the cabinet as Minister for Health & Social Welfare threatened Colley's ambitions.

In December 1979 Jack Lynch unexpectedly resigned as Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader. It is said that Colley encouraged Lynch to retire one month earlier than planned because he felt that he had the necessary numbers to win a leadership contest and that the quick decision would catch Charles Haughey and his supporters off guard. The battle that the party was denied 13 years earlier was now a reality.

1979 leadership election

The support for both candidates was about even throughout the leadership contest. Colley had the backing of the majority of the Cabinet and the Party hierarchy, while Haughey relied on backbench support. On Friday 7 December 1979 the secret ballot vote was taken. On the night before, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Michael O'Kennedy, came out and announced his support for Haughey. This was believed to have swung the vote in favour of Colley's rival. When the vote was taken Haughey beat Colley by 44 votes to 38.

For the second time Colley was defeated for the leadership of Fianna Fáil. Colley remained as Tánaiste, but demanded and got a veto on Haughey's ministerial appointments to the Departments of Justice and Defence. Colley was sacked as Minister for Finance and refused to become the Minister for Foreign Affairs, preferring instead a domestic portfolio, becoming Minister at the new Department of Energy. During his tenure he suspended the Nuclear Energy Board's plans for Carnsore Point on hold.

Later career

Following the February 1982 General Election Colley demanded the veto again on the Defence and Justice appointments of Haughey, however this time he was refused. When it was revealed he was not to be appointed Tánaiste in favour of Ray MacSharry he refused to serve in the Cabinet. His cabinet career effectively came to an end. During the early 1980s there were several attempts to remove Haughey as leader. Colley relinquished his leadership ambitions and supported Desmond O'Malley and the "Gang of 22" in many of the unsuccessful leadership heaves against Haughey.

While receiving treatment for a heart condition at Guys Hospital in London, he died suddenly on 17 September 1983, aged 57.

He was survived by his wife, three sons and four daughters, one of whom, Anne Colley became a TD, as a member of the Progressive Democrats.

ee also

*Families in the Oireachtas

Political career

Navboxes
title=George Colley
list1=