Tony Gregory TD .RIP

therewillbe · 02-01-2009 2:16pm #1

Just heard that Tony Gregory has passed away.A pretty decent man and TD for Dublin's Inner City.

Julesie · 02-01-2009 2:18pm

Link?

mike65 · 02-01-2009 2:19pm

:eek:

God thats a shock to me, was he ill?

Nodin · 02-01-2009 2:20pm

therewillbe wrote: »

Just heard that Tony Gregory has passed away.A pretty decent man and TD for Dublin's Inner City.

A decent man. Shame there wasn't more like him.

Johnnio13 · 02-01-2009 2:21pm

The missus was looking after him before Christmas - she will be upset.
Do you have a link?
I can't find any news on it.

sink · 02-01-2009 2:22pm

I can't see anything about it on the news sites. I wasn't even aware he was ill.

mike65 · 02-01-2009 2:23pm

Its on P.ie, might not have been made public yet.

Tannylan · 02-01-2009 2:26pm

R.I.P Tony:( true Dub

Nodin · 02-01-2009 2:26pm

Julesie wrote: »

Link?

Only thing I've seen is that his date of death has been put on his wiki page...no news source or the like...

CiaranC · 02-01-2009 2:27pm

mike65 wrote: »

Its on P.ie, might not have been made public yet.

Whats P.ie?

Scootay · 02-01-2009 2:27pm

It's been mentioned on Newstalk but the websites seem to be slow as usual.

RIP Tony. He'll be sadly missed.

mike65 · 02-01-2009 2:36pm

CiaranC wrote: »

Whats P.ie?

www.politics.ie

FatherTed · 02-01-2009 2:40pm

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/independent-td-tony-gregory-dies-1590790.html

Friday January 02 2009

The Independent TD Tony Gregory has died after a long illness.

He has been a TD for Dublin Central since 1982 and achieved national prominence when he supported Charles Haughey in what became known as "Gregory's Deal".

Tony Gregory was born in Dublin in 1947 and worked as a secondary school teacher before becoming involved in politics.

He joined Dublin City Council in 1979, and was a former member of Official Sinn Fein and the Irish Republican Socialist Party.

In 1982 he was elected to the Dail as an Independent TD.

It was in that year that he achieved national prominence through what became known as the "Gregory Deal" - he agreed to support Fianna Fail leader Charles Haughey in exchange for a cash injection to his deprived inner city Dublin constituency.

He was also a keen campaigner on local issues including drugs and social justice.

Although he never held a Cabinet position, Deputy Gregory has long been one of the most recognised members of Dail Eireann.

road_high · 02-01-2009 2:45pm

Forgive my morbidity but what did he die of? Was it cancer?
Second TD to die recently, Seamas Brennan RIP

Johnnio13 · 02-01-2009 2:46pm

Cancer. Been sick for ages.

Darragh29 · 02-01-2009 2:48pm

http://www.breakingnews.ie/

jank · 02-01-2009 2:48pm

God this is a shock.
A true work horse for dublin's inner city community. Very sadly missed as there are few like him in the dail.

kenco · 02-01-2009 2:50pm

RIP

While I did not agree with a lot of his politics his heart was in the right place and he served his constituency well.

He is a loss that wont easily be replaced...

sdanseo · 02-01-2009 2:51pm

Never knew the poor fella was sick.

He was one of those TD's that commanded most respect out of the lot of them from me when seeing him on TV or the like. RIP.

Darragh29 · 02-01-2009 2:53pm

I didn't even know he was sick.

gandalf · 02-01-2009 2:56pm

Like Kenco wouldn't have agreed with all of his politics but he was an unselfish politician which is a rarity. He was a TD for the benefit of society and the community he came from. A real loss to the Dail that is bereft of standards and honesty.

RIP Mr. Gregory.

Gary ITR · 02-01-2009 3:00pm

I'm not just saying this because he has died, but Tony Gregory was one of the good ones. Stood up for what he believed in and always did what was best for his constituency. A legend of a man, RIP

mike65 · 02-01-2009 3:02pm

He did set a bad precedent with "the Gregory Deal" it must be said.

cjmcork · 02-01-2009 3:07pm

Onkle wrote: »

I'm not just saying this because he has died, but Tony Gregory was one of the good ones. Stood up for what he believed in and always did what was best for his constituency. A legend of a man, RIP

I second that - I'm in Cork and unless it's a minister, we wouldn't generally hear about independents...........but my parents really admired him - he had, oh, what do you call it - rare amongst politicans now..........oh yes, principles..............a great loss to the Dail and the country

Draupnir · 02-01-2009 3:10pm

mike65 wrote: »

He did set a bad precedent with "the Gregory Deal" it must be said.

How so? I personally feel that Tony Gregory did about the most genuine and honest thing that could be expected of a politician in that situation, and that was to maintain his commitment to his locality and community which had elected him.

jhegarty · 02-01-2009 3:10pm

mike65 wrote: »

He did set a bad precedent with "the Gregory Deal" it must be said.

He wasn't there to set a precedent , he was there to represent the people who elected him.

And while I did'nt agree with some of his politics he was doing exactly what the people elected him wanted, while all around him where lining their own pockets.

RIP

mike65 · 02-01-2009 3:14pm

Draupnir wrote: »

How so? I personally feel that Tony Gregory did about the most genuine and honest thing that could be expected of a politician in that situation, and that was to maintain his commitment to his locality and community which had elected him.

Bad cos every cute hoore "independent" (so called) could write a shopping list and present it as terms for voting to keep various minority/narrow margin administrations in power.

Draupnir · 02-01-2009 3:18pm

mike65 wrote: »

Bad cos every cute hoore "independent" (so called) could write a shopping list and present it as terms for voting to keep various minority/narrow margin administrations in power.

I don't think it is fair to use Gregory as the example or precedent for this kind of situation, since that type of situation existed long before the "Gregory Deal" and really, Tony Gregory never went in search of that situation in the same way that the "cute hoore independents" you are talking about do.

RIP to the best TD that the Northside of Dublin has every seen.

murphaph · 02-01-2009 3:22pm

If the political parties were full of Tony Gregorys we'd live in a utopian society. Great shame indeed.

jacool · 02-01-2009 3:45pm

he served the locals who elected him to the best of his abilities, and even if he had to row in with Charlie, what he got inner city Dublin could not have been achieved by anyone else. the only miniscule black mark against him in my book is that he remained one of the politicians who was an ex-muinteoir who kept his position open, even though he was in An Dáil since 1982.

Otherwise he was the kind of politician you would hope to be looking after your interests.

R.I.P.

lostexpectation · 02-01-2009 4:11pm

Draupnir wrote: »

I don't think it is fair to use Gregory as the example or precedent for this kind of situation, since that type of situation existed long before the "Gregory Deal" and really, Tony Gregory never went in search of that situation in the same way that the "cute hoore independents" you are talking about do.

RIP to the best TD that the Northside of Dublin has every seen.

no practical difference he helped keep haughey in power.

parkerpi · 02-01-2009 4:32pm

Its certainly very sad. Possibly the most respected TD in the Dail. I take it there will be a by election? How long do/can they wait in these situations? Will Bertie run again?

jmayo · 02-01-2009 4:39pm

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0102/gregoryt.html

I know he didn't look great the last while, but I never thought he would pass away so quickly.
I will admit I may not have agreed with some of his policies or indeed the independent TD holding government to ransom, but at least you knew he had principles, that he cared and did his best for those that were less fortunate and those that elected him.

Nobody can ever accuse him of acting like some of those independents that followed, with their prepared shopping lists, so that they can jump back into bed with their former party colleagues.

RIP.

mike65 · 02-01-2009 4:40pm

parkerpi wrote: »

Will Bertie run again?

Only if he wants to get stoned.

Stephen · 02-01-2009 4:43pm

parkerpi wrote: »

Its certainly very sad. Possibly the most respected TD in the Dail. I take it there will be a by election? How long do/can they wait in these situations? Will Bertie run again?

Well, considering Seamus Brennan's seat is still vacant I reckon they'll put it off for as long as possible. The government know they wouldn't have a hope of winning the seat if there was a by-election now.

parkerpi · 02-01-2009 4:48pm

Yes, I assumed they would want to put it off for as long as possible, but I assume there must be a legal or constitutional limit on how long a seat can be vacant?

Badabing · 02-01-2009 4:51pm

RIP Tony Gregory, it should make Dublin Central very intresting next time with the 2 top vote getters not there. It might make Joe Costello consider run again as he would have a free run on the left vote.

Raskolnikov · 02-01-2009 4:51pm

I know that the man's seat is still warm, but if Fine Gael managed to take the old Brennan and Gregory seats, could they topple the government?

parkerpi · 02-01-2009 4:52pm

Thats basically what I'm getting at, yes.

Zebra3 · 02-01-2009 4:53pm

RIP.

samsemtex · 02-01-2009 5:23pm

Between himself and Seamus Brennan it appears to be the good natured honest ones that are being taken. Maybe the fact that they actually care about their constituents that causes their stress. Plenty more pricks in that Dail that id prefer see taken than Tony.

RIP

lostexpectation · 02-01-2009 5:31pm

whats all this praise for former shinner,wp,irsp and socialist???

Draupnir · 02-01-2009 5:40pm

lostexpectation wrote: »

no practical difference he helped keep haughey in power.

I don't want to get involved in an argument with you, your other post in this topic shows your narrow mindedness and ill informed position.

However, Gregory did what he did for the good of his community (of which my family and I are members). You can only ask that much of your public representatives. Having met and spoken to Gregory on many, many occassions I can only say that his intentions were always selfless and in line with what you expect of a public representative.

turgon · 02-01-2009 5:41pm

lostexpectation wrote: »

whats all this praise for former shinner,wp,irsp and socialist???

I wouldnt mind you attacking his current credentials, but spouting a list of things he was involved in his past whats that about? People change you know.

Raskolnikov · 02-01-2009 5:43pm

lostexpectation wrote: »

whats all this praise for former shinner,wp,irsp and socialist???

That's one of the most idiotic comments I've read on the politics forum.

I'm none of the above, by the way,

lostexpectation · 02-01-2009 5:48pm

he still saw himself as socialist didn't he, which were told is a dangerous and dead ideology

mike65 · 02-01-2009 5:50pm

I think peeps didn't spot the ironic tone.

Draupnir · 02-01-2009 5:50pm

lostexpectation wrote: »

he still saw himself as socialist didn't he, which were told is a dangerous and dead ideology

Broaden your mind, many people are many things, they are not all the same.

lostexpectation · 02-01-2009 6:03pm

but he was probably a backer of unions, and partnership and public service unions position etc things people were spitting about on other threads.

as national politcian he had detrimnental effect on the country by denying his seat to somebody who could crack down on these wasters.

Húrin · 02-01-2009 6:08pm

shyte. I wanted him to be Mayor of Dublin, if it ever is a meaningful office in the future. He wasn't even that old.

- a sad Dubliner

02-01-2009 6:11pm

Tony Gregory RIP.
A sound man,I remember meeting him once some moons ago as part of a boating trip he was planning for inner city kids.

He played his politics Role very well and is indeed a sad loss

Tony Gregory TD .RIP

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