Fintan Coogan, Jnr

Fintan Coogan (born 2 June 1944)cite web |url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1&HouseNum=21&MemberID=221&ConstID=208 |title=Fintan (Junior) Coogan |work=Oireachtas Members Database |accessdate=2008-02-15] is a Fine Gael politician from Galway in Ireland. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for five years, a senator for five years, and was twice Mayor of Galway.

Family and early life

The son of Fintan Coogan, Snr, a long-serving TD and councillor, Coogan was educated at St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Galway and graduated from University College Galway with a BA degree and a H.Dip.Ed. A lecturer in behavioural science at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, he has also served on the boards of Galway Airport and of the Great Southern Hotels Group.

He is married with 3 daughters and one son.cite web |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20011127153813/http://www.finegael.ie/constituencies/firstmem/cooganfintangalwest.htm |title=Senator Fintan Coogan |year=2001 |work=Fine Gael website |publisher=The Internet Archive |accessdate=2008-02-15]

Political career

Coogan followed his father into politics, becoming a member of Galway County Council and Galway City Council, and when his father died in 1984 he was appointed to succeed him as a member of the Western Health Board.cite web |url=http://www.whb.ie/TheBoard/HistoryoftheBoard-1970to2000/file,473,en.PDF |title=Providing Health services for 30 Years |work=Western Health Board |accessdate=2008-02-15]

Coogan unsuccessfully contested the February 1982 general election in Galway West constituency, failing to regain the seat previously held by his father. However he won a seat in Dáil Éireann at the November 1982 general election, giving Fine Gael a rare second seat in Galway west. He defeated at the 1987 general election by Labour candidate Michael D. Higgins, whom he had ousted in 1982. He stood again in the 1989 and 1992 general elections, but never returned to the Dáil.cite web |url=http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=372 |title=Fintan Coogan(2) |work=ElectionsIreland.org |accessdate=2008-02-15]

In 1997, he was elected to the 21st Seanad on the Administrative Panel, but was defeated in the 2002 election to the 22nd Seanad. Fine Gael had suffered heavy losses in the 2002 general election, and the party chose to prioritise younger politicians who appeared to the strong candidates for the next election to the Dáil. [cite web |url=http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2002/0720/1017357855009.html |title=Young candidates defeat former TDs in contest for Administrative panel |author=Marie O'Halloran |date=20 July 2002 |work=The Irish Times |accessdate=2008-02-15]

Coogan was mayor of Galway city from 1988 to 1989, and 1994 to 1995.cite web |url=http://www.galwaycity.ie/AllServices/YourCouncil/MayorofGalwayCity/ |title=Mayor of Galway City |publisher=Galway City Council |accessdate=2008-02-15] He remained a city councillor until his defeat in the 2004 elections, [cite web |url=http://electionsireland.org/counts.cfm?election=2004L&cons=123 |title=Local Elections, 11 June 2004: Galway No 1 (East & North Ward) |work=ElectionsIreland.org |accessdate=2008-02-15] although at the 1999 local elections he was not selected as a candidate by his local party, and was imposed by the party's national executive — and held his council seat with a majority of just two votes over his Progressive Democrats opponent, fish wholesaler Gary Creaven. The recounts extended over two nights, and when victory was confirmed Coogan said "On the third day, he rose again", prompting an "Irish Times" article under the headline "City's Lazarus claims resurrection status as he defeats provider of fish". [cite web |url=http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/1999/0615/99061500066.html |title=City's Lazarus claims resurrection status as he defeats provider of fish |author=Lorna Siggins |date=15 June 1999 |work=The Irish Times |accessdate=2008-02-15]

In a January 2008 comparison of the council elected in 2004 with its predecessor, the local "Galway Advertiser" newspaper gave Coogan a rating of 5 out of 10, noting that "at times he made good contributions but frequently appeared disinterested". [cite web |url=http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie/content/index.php?aid=10272 |title=Which council is really the worst council ever? |author= |date=15 January 2008 |work=Galway Advertiser |accessdate=2008-02-15]

References

See also

*Families in the Oireachtas

Persondata
NAME= Coogan, Fintan Jnr
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Fine Gael politician from Galway, Ireland
DATE OF BIRTH= Birth date and age|1944|6|2|df=y
PLACE OF BIRTH= Galway, Ireland
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=