Gerard Brady Explained

Gerard Brady
Office:Minister for Education
Taoiseach:Charles Haughey
Predecessor:Charles Haughey
Successor:Gemma Hussey
Term Start:27 October
Term End:14 December 1982
Office2:Minister of State
Subterm2:Mar.–Oct. 1982
Suboffice2:Environment
Term Start3:June 1981
Term End3:November 1992
Constituency3:Dublin South-East
Term Start4:June 1977
Term End4:June 1981
Constituency4:Dublin Rathmines West
Birth Date:1 July 1936
Birth Place:Dublin, Ireland
Death Place:Dublin, Ireland
Party:Fianna Fáil
Spouse:Antoinette Brady
Children:4
Father:Philip Brady
Education:St. Mary's College, Rathmines
Alma Mater:Dublin Institute of Technology

Gerard Brady (1 July 1936 – 16 May 2020) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Education from October to December 1982.[1]

Brady was born in Dublin in 1936. He was educated at St. Mary's College in Rathmines and later at the College of Science and Technology and the College of Pharmacy in the city. Following his graduation he worked as an ophthalmic optician. Brady's first entry into the political scene was at local level when he was elected to Dublin City Council in 1974. At the 1977 general election he was elected to Dáil Éireann at his first attempt, succeeding his father Philip Brady as Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Rathmines West constituency.[2] He represented Dublin South-East from 1981 onwards.

He was appointed Minister of State at the Department of the Environment by Charles Haughey in March 1982. Following the resignation of Martin O'Donoghue as Minister for Education on 6 October that year, Haughey chose to make himself acting Minister for three weeks before appointing Brady to the post on 27 October. Less than a month later Fianna Fáil lost the November 1982 general election, and Gemma Hussey became the new Minister for Education on 14 December. Brady's Cabinet tenure is one of the shortest in history. He was reappointed to the opposition frontbench but was not given a ministerial job when the party returned to power in 1987, nor in 1989. He lost his seat at the 1992 general election to party colleague Eoin Ryan, and subsequently retired from political life.

Brady died on 16 May 2020, in Donnybrook, Dublin, aged 82.[3]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gerard Brady. Oireachtas Members Database. 15 January 2011. 7 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181107185624/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Gerard-Brady.D.1977-07-05. live.
  2. Web site: Gerard Brady. ElectionsIreland.org. 15 January 2011. 25 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180925065113/https://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=2852. live.
  3. News: Former Fianna Fáil minister Gerard Brady dies at the age of 82 . 17 May 2020 . The Irish Times . en.