Seán Treacy (politician) explained

Office:Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann
Term Start:10 March 1987
Term End:26 June 1997
Predecessor:Tom Fitzpatrick
Successor:Séamus Pattison
Deputy1:Denis Jones
Term Start1:14 March 1973
Term End1:5 July 1977
Predecessor1:Cormac Breslin
Successor1:Joseph Brennan
Office2:Teachta Dála
Term Start2:October 1961
Term End2:June 1997
Constituency2:Tipperary South
Office3:Member of the European Parliament
Term Start3:20 June 1981
Term End3:12 May 1984
Constituency3:Munster
Birth Date:22 September 1923
Birth Place:Clonmel, Ireland
Death Place:County Tipperary, Ireland
Nationality:Irish

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]

Political career

Author R. M. Douglas wrote that Treacy was a party member of fringe Fascist group Ailtirí na hAiséirghe during the 1940s.[4] 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.[5] 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]

Notes and References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=Re8pAQAAMAAJ&q=Seán+Treacy+22+sep+1923 Profile of Seán Treacy
  2. News: Former ceann comhairle Seán Treacy dies aged 93. The Irish Times. 24 March 2018.
  3. Web site: Seán TREACY History of parliamentary service MEPs European Parliament. www.europarl.europa.eu. en. 25 March 2018.
  4. Book: Douglas, R. M.. 2009. Architects of the Resurrection: Ailtirí na hAiséirghe and the Fascist 'New Order' in Ireland. Manchester University Press. 978-0-7190-7998-6. 250.
  5. Web site: Seán Treacy. Oireachtas Members Database. 18 March 2009.
  6. News: Kane . Conor . 27 March 2018 . Former ceann comhairle Treacy (93) mourned as 'a great loss to Ireland' . Irish Independent. 26 July 2019 .
  7. Web site: Nomination of Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (25th Dáil). 10 March 1987. 18 January 2020. Houses of the Oireachtas. 6 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191106011827/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1987-03-10/4/. live.
  8. Web site: Seán Treacy. ElectionsIreland.org. 18 March 2009.
  9. News: Former Ceann Comhairle Sean Treacy dies aged 94. Hosford. Paul. TheJournal.ie. 24 March 2018.
  10. News: Ireland has suffered 'great loss', funeral of Seán Treacy told. The Irish Times. 26 March 2018.