Who are the Healy-Raes? The family tree of Kerry's multi-generational political dynasty
The late Jackie Healy-Rae with his son and campaign manager Michael. Picture: Don MacMonagle
Colourful politician Jackie Healy-Rae was a Fianna Fáil member of Kerry County Council for decades, but broke with the party in 1997 when he failed to get a nomination to contest the general election in the Kerry South constituency and he previously said he was betrayed by the party.
He won a Dáil seat as an Independent and held it until 2011 when he retired.
He was best known for his one-liners in the Dáil, and the funding he secured for his support of the minority Fianna Fáil-led governments resulted in improved infrastructure across Kerry.
At the age of 83 in 2014, Jackie passed away, with his wake held in the Healy-Rae pub as hundreds of mourners queued for hours to pay their respects.
Michael Healy-Rae was elected at the 2011 general election when Jackie retired and had also spent time on Kerry County Council.
The father of five, aged 59, says one of the things thing he is proud of so far in his political career but something that he never received credit for was his campaigning to introduce changes to the registration-plate system for cars in 2012.
He said before the last general election that there is no place for a third Healy-Rae in the Dáil at this time and he will continue to divide the constituency with his brother Danny. Following the December 2024 election, Michael was appointed Minister of State with special responsibility for forestry, at the Department of Agriculture.
He dramatically resigned during a no-confidence motion over the Govenment's handling of the 2026 fuel protests. He later criticised his brother, Danny, for calling for Micheál Martin and Simon Harris to be replaced on the day before the vote of no confidence tabled by Sinn Féin.
Michael said his brother's comments had "cost Kerry" a government ministry.
Of his children, son Ian runs his plant-hire business, Kevin is a DJ, Rosie is a postwoman, and Juliette runs the shop with Michael's wife Eileen.
Michael's son Jackie, aged 30, was first elected to Kerry County Council in 2019.
He admits he felt pressure to win the seat as he did not want to be the first Healy-Rae to lose an election in over 20 years. He has ambitions to become a TD in the future.
Like his father, he says his ice-cream shop in Killarney, which opened in 2021, is struggling and may not reopen its doors.
He was convicted of an assault which occurred in 2017, which he denied.
Jackie Jnr served as Michael's special adviser in the department of agriculture from 2025 until he stood down from the Government in April 2026.
Known also for his one-liners, Danny Healy-Rae was elected a TD at the 2016 general election and was previously a member of Kerry County Council.
The father of six, aged 71, says his proudest political achievement is arranging to bring busloads of people for cataract surgery to Belfast.
He previously sat on the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee but lost his seat on the committee following his brother's resignation.
His sons Johnny and Dan run the plant-hire firm, while a third son Patie is an engineer. His three daughters Maura, Theresa, and Elaine are teachers.
Danny's son Johnny was first elected as a councillor in 2011 and was reelected in the last local elections.
The 38-year-old says he believes the family are their own biggest critics but are all very similar and aligned in their views, particularly on immigration. He says the family does not apologise for representing the people of Kerry at a national level.
He runs the plant-hire business with his brother Dan and says there are up to 70 people employed, including subcontractors.
He is passionate about infrastructure, particularly roads, and about access to healthcare.
The eldest daughter of Danny, Maura Healy-Rae was co-opted onto Kerry County Council in 2016 to fill the seat her father vacated when he was elected to the Dáil.
The 32-year-old also teaches at a school in Bandon, Co Cork. She appears to be more keen on becoming a TD than her brother, but not until her father departs.
She says there is no sibling rivalry with Johnny and they work well together and are reliant on one another. She says like any other family, they disagree and she may not say things like her father does, but adds that she admires how he speaks and said he has been a huge support to her.
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