Brendan Corish

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Brendan Corish (Irish: Breandán Mac Fheorais; 19 November 1918 – 17 February 1990) was an Irish Labour Party politician, and leader of his party from 1960 to 1977. He was Tánaiste of Ireland from 1973 to 1977.

Brendan Corish was born in Wexford in 1918. He was educated locally at the local Christian Brothers school in the town and, in his youth, he was a member of the 1st Wexford Scout troop (Scouting Ireland (CSI)). He joined the clerical staff of Wexford County Council at a young age. He was elected to the 12th Dáil for the Wexford constituency in a by-election on 4 December 1945 caused by the death of his father, Richard Corish. He was returned to the 13th Dáil in the 1948 general election, and was returned at every subsequent general election until his retirement in 1982.

With the election of the First Inter-Party Government in the 1948 general election, Corish was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers for Local Government and Defence, serving until the defeat of the government in the 1951 general election. When the Second Inter-party Government was formed after the 1954 general election, Corish was appointed Minister for Social Welfare.

In 1960 Corish succeeded William Norton as Labour Party leader. He introduced new policies which made the party more socialist in outlook. However, the party moved carefully because 'socialism' was still considered a dirty word in 1960s Ireland. Corish claimed that Ireland would be 'Socialist in the Seventies'. To a certain extent he was right because Fine Gael and the Labour Party formed a coalition government between 1973 and 1977. Corish became Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Social Welfare.

In 1977, the Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave called a general election, and Fianna Fáil was returned to power in a landslide victory. Corish resigned as leader of the Labour Party. He retired from politics completely at the February 1982 general election.

Brendan Corish died on 17 February 1990 in County Wexford at the age of 71.

[edit] References

• This page incorporates information from this member's entry in the Oireachtas Members Database

Brendan Corish Political offices Preceded by Eamonn Kissane Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence 1948–1951 Succeeded by Donnchadh Ó Briain Preceded by Erskine H. Childers Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government 1948–1951 Succeeded by Office abolished Preceded by James Ryan Minister for Social Welfare 1954–1957 Succeeded by Paddy Smith Preceded by William Norton Leader of the Labour Party 1960–1977 Succeeded by Frank Cluskey Preceded by Erskine H. Childers Tánaiste 1973–1977 Succeeded by George Colley Preceded by Pádraig Faulkner Minister for Health 1973–1977 Succeeded by Charles Haughey Preceded by Joseph Brennan Minister for Social Welfare 1973–1977 v • d • e Deputy Prime Ministers of Ireland Tánaistí na hÉireann Seán T. O'Kelly · Seán Lemass · William Norton · Seán MacEntee · Frank Aiken · Erskine H. Childers · Brendan Corish · George Colley · Michael O'Leary · Ray MacSharry · Dick Spring · Peter Barry · Brian Lenihan, Snr · John Wilson · Bertie Ahern · Mary Harney · Michael McDowell · Brian Cowen · Mary Coughlan Vice-Presidents of the Executive Council Kevin O'Higgins · Ernest Blythe · Seán T. O'Kelly v • d • e Leaders of the Labour Party Thomas Johnson (1922–1927) · Thomas J. O'Connell (1927–1932) · William Norton (1932–1960) · Brendan Corish (1960–1977) · Frank Cluskey (1977–1981) · Michael O'Leary (1981–1982) · Dick Spring (1982–1997) · Ruairi Quinn (1997–2002) · Pat Rabbitte (2002–2007) · Eamon Gilmore (2007–)