- Donogh O'Malley
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Donogh O'Malley Minister for Education In office
13 July 1966 – 10 March 1968Preceded by George Colley Succeeded by Brian Lenihan Minister for Health In office
21 April 1965 – 13 July 1966Preceded by Seán MacEntee Succeeded by Seán Flanagan Personal details Born Limerick, Ireland Died 10 March 1968 (aged 47)
Limerick, IrelandNationality Irish Political party Fianna Fáil Spouse(s) Hilda Moriarty Religion Roman Catholic http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-2009899/Gerard-Stembridge-UNSPOKEN.html Donogh Brendan O'Malley (January 1921 – 10 March 1968) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A Teachta Dála (TD) for Limerick East from 1954 until 1968, he also served as Minster for Health and Minister for Education.
Contents
Early and private life
Donogh O'Malley was born in Limerick in 1921. Born into a wealthy, middle-class family, he was educated by the Jesuits at Crescent College and later at Clongowes Wood College in County Kildare. O'Malley later studied at University College Galway where he was conferred with a degree in engineering in 1943. He then returned to Limerick where he worked as an engineer before becoming involved in politics.
O'Malley married Dr. Hilda Moriarty (1922-1991) in August 1947 and together the couple had two children, Daragh and Suzanne. O'Malley's wife has become famous in poetry as the object of Patrick Kavanagh’s desire in the poem Raglan Road.
Early political career
O'Malley was born into a highly politicised family who supported Cumann na nGaedheal until a falling out with the party in the early 1930s. O'Malley first became involved in local politics as a member of Limerick Corporation. He became Mayor of his native city in 1961, the third O'Malley brother to hold the office. Desmond O'Malley was Mayor from 1941 until 1943 and Michael O'Malley held the office from 1948 until 1949.
O'Malley was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála at the 1954 general election; Fianna Fáil were not returned to government on that occasion. The new Dáil deputy spent the rest of the decade on the backbenches, however, his party was returned to power in 1957. Two years later Seán Lemass took over from Éamon de Valera as Taoiseach and the modernizing process began. Lemass introduced younger cabinet ministers as the old guard, who had served the party since its foundation in 1926, began to retire. In 1961 O’Malley joined the government as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance, one of the most senior junior ministerial positions. O'Malley was part of a newer, brasher style of politician that was emerging in the 1960s. He was a colourful and charming character and his heavy drinking exploits with fellow ministers Charles Haughey and Brian Lenihan have become part of Irish political folklore. On one occasion O’Malley was reputed to have destroyed a chip shop causing £500 worth of damage. Another incident attributed to O’Malley involved him driving the wrong way down O’Connell Street in Dublin.
Cabinet career
Following Fianna Fáil's return to government following the 1965 general election O'Malley joined the cabinet as Minister for Health. He spent just over one year in this position before he was appointed Minister for Education, a position where he will be forever remembered for his dynamism as a minister.
Having succeeded another dynamic young minister, Patrick Hillery, O'Malley acted swiftly to introduce the recommendations that were made in an official report regarding education. Shortly after he was appointed he announced that from 1969 all schools up to Intermediate Certificate level would be free and that free buses would bring students from rural area to the nearest school. O’Malley seems to have made this decision himself without consulting other ministers, however, he did discuss it with Lemass. Jack Lynch, who as Minister for Finance had to find the money to pay for it, was certainly not consulted and was dismayed at the announcement. In spite of this O’Malley’s proposals were hugely popular with the public and it was impossible for the government to go back on its word.
As minister O'Malley also extended the school transport scheme and commissioned the building of new non-denominational comprehensive and community schools in areas where they were lacking. He also introduced Regional Technical Colleges (RTCs), now called Institutes of Technology, in areas where there was no third level college in proximity. The best example of this successful policy is Limerick, now a university, where O'Malley is credited with taking the steps to ensure the university came into existence. His plan to merge Trinity College, Dublin and University College Dublin aroused huge controversy and was not successful, despite being supported by his cabinet colleague Brian Lenihan. Access to third level education was also extended as the old scholarship system was replaced by a system of means-tested grants which gave easier access to less well-off students.
Death
O’Malley's package of reforms made him one of the most innovative and popular members of the government and he was affectionately known as 'the School Man' for his work in the area of education. His sudden death in Limerick on 10 March 1968, before his vision for the education system was completed, came as a great shock to the Irish public. He was buried with a full Irish state funeral.
Following O'Malley's death, his wife wanted to run for the seat left vacant by her deceased husband. Her campaign was supported by the actor Richard Harris, however, in the end the nomination went to O'Malley's nephew, Desmond O'Malley, and he was duly elected in the subsequent by-election.
In FictionThe politician Dom in Gerald Stembridge's novel Unspoken, published in 2011 is based on O'Malley. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-2009899/Gerard-Stembridge-UNSPOKEN.html[1].
See also
References
- This page incorporates information from the Oireachtas Members Database
Civic offices Preceded by
Patrick KellyMayor of Limerick
1961Succeeded by
Frank GlasgowPolitical offices Preceded by
Joseph BrennanParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance
1961–1965Succeeded by
Jim GibbonsPreceded by
Seán MacEnteeMinister for Health
1965–1966Succeeded by
Seán FlanaganPreceded by
George ColleyMinister for Education
1966–1968Succeeded by
Brian LenihanLemass Cabinet (1965–1966) Frank Aiken · Neil Blaney · Kevin Boland · Joseph Brennan · Erskine H. Childers · George Colley · Seán Flanagan · Charles Haughey · Patrick Hillery · Michael Hilliard · Brian Lenihan · Jack Lynch · Donogh O'Malley · Micheál Ó Móráin
Lynch Cabinet (1966–1969) Frank Aiken · Neil Blaney · Kevin Boland · Joseph Brennan · Erskine H. Childers · George Colley · Pádraig Faulkner · Seán Flanagan · Charles Haughey · Patrick Hillery · Michael Hilliard · Brian Lenihan · Donogh O'Malley · Micheál Ó Móráin
Categories:- 1921 births
- 1968 deaths
- Alumni of University College Galway
- Fianna Fáil politicians
- Members of the 15th Dáil
- Members of the 16th Dáil
- Members of the 17th Dáil
- Members of the 18th Dáil
- Teachtaí Dála
- Mayors of Limerick (city)
- Old Clongownians
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