Seán Daniel Treacy (22 September 1923 – 23 March 2018) was an Irish Labour Party politician who served as Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 1973 to 1977 and 1987 to 1997. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary South constituency from 1961 to 1997. He also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Munster constituency from 1981 to 1984.[1][2][3][4]
Seán Treacy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann | |
| In office 10 March 1987 – 26 June 1997 | |
| Deputy | |
| Preceded by | Tom Fitzpatrick |
| Succeeded by | Séamus Pattison |
| In office 14 March 1973 – 5 July 1977 | |
| Deputy | Denis Jones |
| Preceded by | Cormac Breslin |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Brennan |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office October 1961 – June 1997 | |
| Constituency | Tipperary South |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 20 June 1981 – 12 May 1984 | |
| Constituency | Munster |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 September 1923 Clonmel, Ireland |
| Died | 23 March 2018 (aged 94) County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Political party | Labour Party |
| Spouse |
Catherine Treacy
(m. 1951; died 2004) |
Political career
editAuthor R. M. Douglas wrote that Treacy was a party member of fringe Fascist group Ailtirí na hAiséirghe during the 1940s.[5] However, by the 1960s Treacy had moved to the ideological left, albeit he was still considered to be socially conservative.[2] Treacy was first elected to the Dáil at the 1961 general election, as a Labour Party TD for the Tipperary South constituency. He was re-elected there in seven subsequent elections, and returned automatically in three more owing to his having been elected by the Dáil as Ceann Comhairle. He was elected to that office first after the 1973 general election for one term, then after the 1987 general election for three.[4] As Ceann Comhairle, he was a member of the Irish Presidential Commission during the presidential vacancies of 1974 and 1976.
He served as an MEP from 1981 to 1984, replacing Eileen Desmond who resigned as an MEP when she was appointed Minister for Health and Minister for Social Welfare.
He was expelled from the Labour Party in 1985 for voting against the family planning bill, which would have liberalised the sale of contraception in the Republic of Ireland. He was elected as an Independent TD at the 1987 general election.[6] After that election, he was elected as Ceann Comhairle by the Dáil. One of his first acts was to exercise his casting vote in favour of the nomination of Charles Haughey as Taoiseach.[7] Treacy retired from politics at the 1997 general election, the only Ceann Comhairle to retire from the position at an election, rather than exercising his right of automatic re-election.[8]
He died in Waterford on 23 March 2018, at the age of 94.[9] His funeral, which was attended by President Michael D. Higgins, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and former Minister Martin Mansergh, was held on 26 March 2018.[10]
References
edit- ^ Profile of Seán Treacy
- ^ a b "Former ceann comhairle Seán Treacy dies aged 93". The Irish Times. 24 March 2018.
- ^ "Seán TREACY | History of parliamentary service | MEPs | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Seán Treacy". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
- ^ Douglas, R. M. (2009). Architects of the Resurrection: Ailtirí na hAiséirghe and the Fascist 'New Order' in Ireland. Manchester University Press. p. 250. ISBN 978-0-7190-7998-6.
- ^ Kane, Conor (27 March 2018). "Former ceann comhairle Treacy (93) mourned as 'a great loss to Ireland'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ "Nomination of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (25th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 10 March 1987. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "Seán Treacy". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
- ^ Hosford, Paul (24 March 2018). "Former Ceann Comhairle Sean Treacy dies aged 94". TheJournal.ie.
- ^ "Ireland has suffered 'great loss', funeral of Seán Treacy told". The Irish Times. 26 March 2018.
External links
edit- Personal profile of Seán Treacy in the European Parliament's database of members