| Office | Minister for Fisheries |
|---|---|
| Taoiseach | Liam Cosgrave |
| Term start | 9 February 1977 |
| Term end | 5 July 1977 |
| Predecessor | Position restructured |
| Successor | Brian Lenihan |
| Office 1 | Minister for Lands |
| Taoiseach 1 | Liam Cosgrave |
| Term start 1 | 2 December 1976 |
| Term end 1 | 9 February 1977 |
| Predecessor 1 | Tom Fitzpatrick |
| Successor 1 | Position restructured |
| Office 2 | Minister for Defence |
| Taoiseach 2 | Liam Cosgrave |
| Term start 2 | 14 March 1973 |
| Term end 2 | 2 December 1976 |
| Predecessor 2 | Jerry Cronin |
| Successor 2 | Liam Cosgrave |
| Office 3 | Teachta Dála |
| Term start 3 | October 1961 |
| Term end 3 | June 1981 |
| Term start 4 | May 1954 |
| Term end 4 | March 1957 |
| Constituency 4 | Louth |
| Office 5 | Senator |
| Term start 5 | 22 May 1957 |
| Term end 5 | 4 October 1961 |
| Constituency 5 | Agricultural Panel |
| Birth date | 29 October 1923 |
| Birth place | Monasterboice, County Louth, Ireland |
| Death date | 26 November 2000 (aged 77) |
| Death place | Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland |
| Party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse | Olivia Macken (m. 1949) |
| Education | Castleknock College |
Patrick Sarsfield Donegan (29 October 1923 – 26 November 2000) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a government minister from 1973 to 1977. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1954 to 1957 and 1961 to 1981. He also served as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 1957 to 1961.[1]
He was born on 29 October 1923 in Monasterboice, County Louth, son of Thomas Francis Donegan, a publican and farmer, and Rose Ann Donegan (née Butterly).[2] He was educated at a Christian Brothers School in Drogheda, County Louth, and at the Vincentian Castleknock College, Dublin.
Donegan was elected as a Fine Gael TD for the Louth constituency at the 1954 general election.[3] He lost his seat at the 1957 general election, but was elected to Seanad Éireann as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel. He regained his Dáil seat at the 1961 general election.
In the Fine Gael–Labour Party coalition government which took office after the 1973 general election Donegan was appointed as Minister for Defence. In October 1976, Donegan made a speech on an official visit to the opening of new kitchen facilities in an army barracks at Mullingar, County Westmeath in which he described as a "thundering disgrace" President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh's refusal to sign the Emergency Powers Bill 1976. Ó Dálaigh had instead exercised his powers under Article 26 of the Constitution to refer it to the Supreme Court.[4] The Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave, refused Donegan's resignation. On 21 October, Fianna Fáil proposed a motion in the Dáil calling on the minister to resign, which was defeated.[5] Ó Dálaigh viewed the refusal to remove the minister as an affront to his office by the government and resigned on 22 October 1976.
In December 1976, Donegan was appointed as Minister for Lands.[6] In February 1977, this office was restructured as the Minister for Fisheries.[7] He served in cabinet until the government lost office after the 1977 general election.
Donegan retired from politics at the 1981 general election, and died in 2000. Tributes in the Dáil were led by John Bruton as Fine Gael leader.[8] He was buried in his home town of Monasterboice, County Louth.
References
- ^ "Patrick S. Donegan". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived 8 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
- ^ White, Lawrence William. "Donegan, Patrick Sarsfield". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- ^ "Patrick S. Donegan". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived 25 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
- ^ "Politicians pay tribute to Paddy Donegan". RTÉ News. 26 November 2000. Archived 25 July 2003 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
- ^ "Call for Resignation of Minister: Motion". Dáil Debates – Vol. 293 No. 2. 21 October 1976. Archived 1 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Ministerial Appointments: Statement by the Taoiseach". Dáil Debates – Vol. 294 No. 9. 2 December 1976. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- ^ "Transfer of Departmental Functions: Statement by Taoiseach". Dáil Debates – Vol. 296 No. 7. 8 February 1977. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy". Dáil Debates – Vol. 527 No. 1. 29 November 2000. Retrieved 21 August 2024.