Dail/Political Dynasties & Descendents - the original claims to fame

CDfm · 10-02-2011 12:02am #1

This thread is a bit of fun, but, with a serious side. I don't know if it will work or not.

Dail seats sort of run in families and we may well know our local guys but what about those they inherited their seats from.

Enda Kenny is the son of Henry Kenny(1913-1975) TD from1954-1975 Parlimentary Secretary (Junior Minister) for Finance 1973 to 1975. Probably would have been a Minister but Fine Gael was in Coalition.

He was a Teacher, like his son, and won an All Ireland Medal for Mayo in 1936. Enda succeeeded him in 1975.

http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=20&MemberID=581&ConstID=147

It would be good to see if there were other factors at play too. Kenny senior would be classed as a GAA politician. Bertie Ahern always played the working man soccer fan. These things are important for a voter base.

http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=144.35;wap2

Claim to fame but was a bit of a boy

How Mayo football star and TD Henry Kenny, father of Enda Kenny, invited TDs to his own all-night 'wake' in the Dáil bar.

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Dail Stars - From Croke Park to Leinster House

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Explores the remarkable journey of how the GAA has been a breeding ground for Irish politicians for over a century.

In Dáil Stars, Conor McMorrow picks an All-Star team of politicians whose prowess on the playing field or in GAA administration has been matched by their success in Irish politics.
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Among the Dáil Stars featured are Eoin O'Duffy, Austin Stack, Jack Lynch, Dan Spring, Jimmy Deenihan, Martin Ferris, Henry Kenny and more.

http://www.terracetalk.com/picks/15/Dail-Stars--From-Croke-Park-to-Leinster-House

So I am not strictly looking for "Dail Dynasties"only as such but will stretch it to local boys from political families made good.

If Dad was a football star or Chairman of the IFA (Irish Farmers Association) then that could be a factor.

I don't know , which is why I am asking.

It is something that would be known locally but not to the rest of us.

brianthebard · 10-02-2011 12:16am

Don't know how much fun it will be, because personally this is an issue that truly disgusts me. Here is an article from the independent that covers a little bit of it;

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dail-family-trees-show-clans-who-rule-ireland-1990157.html

There is an even longer and more shocking list on wiki;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Families_in_the_Oireachtas

I always knew there were a lot of inherited seats but I had no idea it was so widespread. I would wonder if a majority of the tds who sat in the last dail hadn't inherited their seat or had a family member in the dail at some point?

CDfm · 10-02-2011 12:36am

The reason for including "wider criteria" is that the gene pool of political representation seems to be fairly small.

So if you include say someone whose father had a power base in the trade union movement or a farming organisation and was able to get canvassers on the ground -it may even be smaller still.

We should be interested in the origans of our ruling elite.

brianthebard · 10-02-2011 12:42am

I haven't gone through every td/family, but I think most of the families have a connection to 1916 or the war of independence, take the Bruton's for example; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bruton

Or in the case of kenny and m. martin's dad, sporting heroes in their locality have been the starting point for political career(s).

Just working down to the 'C's for instance you can see that Erskine Childers granddaughter is an MEP.

CDfm · 10-02-2011 1:02am

One I have come accross is Billy Kelleher TD FF cousin of Liam Burke TD FG Nephew of Tadgh Manley TD FG.

In turn Donal Kelleher , brother of Billy is a member of the National Milk Agency and IFA activist.

Enda Kenny's brother Henry is Chairman of Mayo County Council. Henry is also a teacher.

ixtlan · 10-02-2011 11:16am

There are a few factors involved in this "dynasty" system, and not all of them are bad/evil/corrupt.

Unfortunately we the people are still obsessed with local issues for TDs, and when favours are done for us, we feel we owe the TD in question a vote. If they retire we feel the debt transfers to their offspring, and are far more likely to vote for them, rather than an unknown candidate even from the same party. This is not the ways things should be, and maybe it's changing... slowly...

However, it is the case also, that a child of a TD has been steeped/immersed/indoctrinated with the whole concept of politics, and is far more likely to see it as a viable career. This happens in many job areas. I know some people have radically suggested banning children of TDs from running, but would you ban children of teachers becoming teachers? Children of actors becoming actors? Children of guards becoming guards? Children of doctors becoming doctors? I think not.

So, my view of it is that it's understandable that children of politicians want to become politicians. And that's fine, and in some ways commendable. As to whether they should be elected, that's something that is up to the electorate, and we need to be a bit smarter. The sins of the father should not transfer to the son, and the potholes fixed by the father should also not transfer.

ix.

CDfm · 10-02-2011 2:06pm

I am not saying political service is a bad thing or political dynasties.

We have learnt that there is a cadre of politicians in Ireland from which they are drawn, and it would appear that there is a cadre of heads & board members of Qango's and possibly too of civil servants and maybe trade union leaders.

So, on this basis we have an "elite or ruling class" which exists and may well exclude the brightest and the best by merit.

Our politicians may be the best at getting potholes fixed.

So my question really is about the "ruling elite" and the cadre from which it is drawn being a lot narrower than what we may think.

edolan · 11-02-2011 2:01am

James Connolly's son was a senator and only god knows how many of De Valera's relatives have been through tge Dail.

CDfm · 11-02-2011 2:08am

edolan wrote: »

James Connolly's son was a senator and only god knows how many of De Valera's relatives have been through tge Dail.

As was Michael Yeats , son of WB.

I can help you with Dev's from the Wiki link Brian posted

Éamon de Valera (1882–1975): FF TD Clare 1919–1959, President 1959–1973, (also FF MP Parliament of Northern Ireland 1921–1937)
his son Vivion de Valera (1910–1982): FF TD Dublin North West 1944–1981

his granddaughter Síle de Valera (born 1954): FF TD Dublin County Mid 1977–1981, Clare 1987–2007, MEP Dublin 1979–1984

his grandson Éamon Ó Cuív (born 1950): FF Senator 1989–1992, FF TD Galway West 1992–

delta_bravo · 13-02-2011 1:03pm

The longest hereditary seat at the moment is that of the Collins' in Limerick. They have had a TD since 1948.

Its funny people giving out about the Seanad being the equivalent of our House of Lords. The Dail is probably the closest thing we have to the house of Lords considering how many seats have been passed down from father and mother to son and daughter

Dail/Political Dynasties & Descendents - the original claims to fame

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