Tributes paid to former Tánaiste
Warm tributes were paid today to former Tánaiste and Labour Party leader Michael O’Leary, who died after a long political and legal career.
Mr O’Leary drowned in a swimming pool while on holiday in France last night just days after retiring as a district court judge on his 70th birthday on Monday.
During a 22-year parliamentary career, he served as a minister in the Fine Gael-Labour National Coalition government and Tánaiste in Garret FitzGerald’s first coalition government in 1981/82.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he had learnt with great sadness of the death of his former constituency colleague in Dublin Central.
“During his time in the Dáil from 1965 to 1987 he was a distinguished politician who was very much part of the process of liberalisation in Irish society,” Mr Ahern said.
“Michael O’Leary was not just a politician. He was a man of many parts.
“As the political tide ebbed away from him in the 1980s, he embarked on a new career in the law, qualifying as a barrister. In 1997 he became a Judge of the District Court.
“In private he was one of the wittiest and most entertaining men one could meet and he enjoyed a considerable gift as a mimic.”
Current Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte said Mr O’Leary had a distinguished career in various areas of public life over four decades.
“From student leader, to trade union official, to politician and eventually to the judiciary, he had a constant commitment to the principle of public service,” Mr Rabbitte said.
“Michael was a formidable politician who was elected party leader at a very difficult time for the Labour Party.
“Despite subsequent differences and his departure from the Labour Party, he retained the respect and affection of party colleagues.”
Mr Rabbitte said Mr O’Leary would be especially remembered for his pioneering work as Minister for Labour in the 1973/77 Fine Gael-Labour government.
“In that period he was responsible for the implementation of many of the new obligations imposed on this country arising from our membership of the EU, such as the introduction of equal pay legislation,” he said.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said Mr O’Leary brought huge energy to his political work as he expressed his deepest sympathy to Mr O’Leary’s family on behalf of his party.
“I have fond memories of working alongside Michael in the Parliamentary Party following his decision to join Fine Gael in 1982,” he said.
“Following his political career, Michael O’Leary went on to serve with distinction as a judge of the District Court.”
Justice Minister and Progressive Democrat Party President Michael McDowell said Ireland owes a great debt of gratitude to Mr O’Leary for his courageous and innovative career in public life.
“Michael O’Leary is a man who combined patriotism and good humour. All of his friends will miss him greatly,” he said.
Born on June 8 1936 in Cork, the son of a publican, Mr O’Leary was educated at Presentation College, University College Cork and Columbia University, New York.
He became involved in labour politics and was employed in the Irish Trade and General Workers Union (ITGWU).
Mr O’Leary was first elected to the Dáil in 1965 as a Labour candidate.
He was initially strongly opposed to the idea of a coalition with Fine Gael but accepted the post of Minister for Labour in the coalition government with Fine Gael in 1973.
Mr O’Leary was elected leader of the Labour Party to succeed Frank Cluskey in 1981 and in the government of 1981 to 1982 he became Tánaiste and Minister for Energy.
Shortly after the fall of that government he resigned as leader of the party and joined Fine Gael and was elected to the Dáil as a candidate of that party.
He moved back to his native Cork and practised as a barrister before being appointed a district court judge in 1997 following his failure to be elected in the 1992 general election.
