Liam Cunningham (politician) explained

Liam Cunningham
Office:Parliamentary Secretary
Suboffice:Local Government
Subterm:1970–1973
Office1:Teachta Dála
Term Start1:October 1961
Term End1:29 February 1976
Constituency1:Donegal North-East
Term Start2:May 1951
Term End2:October 1961
Constituency2:Donegal East
Party:Fianna Fáil
Birth Date:25 January 1915
Birth Place:County Donegal, Ireland
Death Place:County Donegal, Ireland

Liam Cunningham (25 January 1915 – 29 February 1976) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was born in County Donegal in 1915. A qualified national school teacher, Cunningham was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal East constituency at the 1951 general election.[1] At the time the senior Fianna Fáil TD was Neil Blaney who would subsequently become a Government Minister. From 1961 onwards, he was elected for the Donegal North-East constituency.

After the events of the Arms Crisis Blaney was sacked as Minister for Agriculture by the Taoiseach Jack Lynch. In the resulting reshuffle Cunningham was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government on 9 May 1970.[2] This was something of a surprise at the time and was attributed to an attempt by the party leadership to pressurise Blaney within the Donegal North-East constituency. Cunningham remained a Parliamentary Secretary until Fianna Fáil lost power at the 1973 general election.[3]

When Blaney launched the Independent Fianna Fáil organisation, most of the Fianna Fáil public representatives in the area joined the new organisation. Cunningham remained loyal, however, and was comfortably re-elected at the 1973 general election.[4] He remained a TD until his death on 29 February 1976. In a considerable political shock the resulting by-election was won by Paddy Keaveney of Independent Fianna Fáil.[4]

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Liam Cunningham. Oireachtas Members Database. 12 April 2009.
  2. Web site: Appointment of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries – Dáil Éireann (19th Dáil). 13 May 1970. Houses of the Oireachtas. 5 January 2021. 17 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200217102106/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1970-05-13/29/. live.
  3. Web site: Nineteenth Dáil . 6 April 2022. www.gov.ie . 30 November 2017 . en.
  4. Web site: Liam Cunningham. ElectionsIreland.org. 12 April 2009.