Jack Lynch

John Mary Lynch , called Jack Lynch , ( Irish Seán Ó Loingsigh (born August 15, 1917 in Cork , † October 20, 1999 in Dublin )) was an Irish politician and two-time Taoiseach (Prime Minister).

Professional and sporting career

After graduating from high school, he worked for the Dublin Dairy Service and later the County Cork Court . From 1941 he completed an evening law degree at University College Cork and the Kings's Inn in Dublin. After graduating in 1945, he worked as a barrister .

In addition, Lynch was a famous Irish sportsman of his time in football and hurling between 1929 and 1951. He was the captain of the Cork Glen Rovers team that won the annual All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship from 1941 to 1944 and 1946 .

Political career

MP

Lynch began his political career in 1948 with the election to the House of Commons ( Dáil Éireann ). There, he represented until 1981 the interests of the conservative - nationalist dominated Fianna Fáil in the constituency Cork and became a close associate of Eamon de Valera .

Promotion to Minister

When de Valera became Prime Minister again on June 13, 1951, he appointed Lynch as Parliamentary Secretary of State. He held this office until the end of his term on June 2, 1954.

After the re-electoral victory of Fianna Fáil under de Valera against the ruling Fine Gael of Prime Minister John A. Costello , Lynch was first Minister for the Gaelic-speaking districts ( Gaeltacht ) in the cabinet of de Valera on March 20, 1957 . He was then Minister of Education from 1957 to 1959.

After de Valera was elected President of Ireland , he was succeeded as Prime Minister Seán Lemass , Minister of Industry and Trade on June 23, 1959 and then Minister of Finance from 1965 to 1966.

Taoiseach

Term of office 1966–1973, Northern Ireland conflict and accession to the EC

When Lemass announced his resignation from the office of prime minister in 1966, an inner-party conflict broke out, which ultimately led to Lynch being elected as a compromise candidate on November 10, 1966 as chairman of Fianna Fáil and prime minister.

During his tenure in August 1969, bloody three days of street fighting broke out in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, between British Protestant police and Catholic insurgents. Lynch said in a government address at the time: "The Irish government can no longer stay calm and watch innocent people get injured and possibly worse things happen." However, the Northern Irish Catholic militants waited in vain for the rescue by the small Irish army. A government crisis broke out in 1970 after the then Treasury Secretary Charles J. Haughey and Agriculture Secretary Neil Blaney were accused of transferring government funds to the IRA and thereby enabling arms purchases. On May 6, 1970, Haughey and Blaney were released by Lynch.

1972 led a referendum on joining the European Communities on January 1, 1973. However, Fianna Fáil was defeated in the parliamentary election by Fine Gael and Lynch was replaced on March 14, 1973 by Liam Cosgrave in the office of Prime Minister.

Term of office 1977–1979, budget crisis and resignation

Four years later, the Fianna Fáil won a record election victory under its chairman Lynch, so that on July 5, 1977 he succeeded Cosgrave as Prime Minister. In the second half of 1979 he was also President of the Council of the European Union .

However, wasteful increases in spending by the 1978 budget led to skyrocketing deficits and inflation . Attempts to make up for this deficit through higher taxes prompted voter protests. On December 11, 1979, Lynch finally resigned from the positions of party chairman and prime minister in favor of the minister of health and social welfare, Charles Haughey.

Speeches and publications

Biographical sources and background information

personal data
SURNAME	Lynch, Jack
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Lynch, John Mary (real name); Loingsigh, Seán Ó (Irish)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Irish politician and prime minister
DATE OF BIRTH	August 15, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH	Cork
DATE OF DEATH	October 20, 1999
Place of death	Dublin