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Martin Mansergh

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Martin Mansergh
Minister of State
2010–2011Tourism, Culture and Sport
2008–2011Finance
2008–2010Arts, Sport and Tourism
Teachta Dála
In office
May 2007 – February 2011
ConstituencyTipperary South
Senator
In office
12 September 2002 – 24 May 2007
ConstituencyAgricultural Panel
Personal details
Born (1946-12-31) 31 December 1946 (age 77)
Surrey, England
NationalityIrish
Political partyFianna Fáil
Alma materChrist Church, Oxford

Martin George Southcote Mansergh (born 31 December 1946) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Minister of State from 2008 to 2011. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary South constituency from 2007 to 2011. He was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 2002 to 2007.[1]

He played a leading role in developing Fianna Fáil policy on Northern Ireland.

Early and personal life

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Mansergh was born on 31 December 1946 in Woking, Surrey, England to Diana Mary (née Keeton) and Professor Nicholas Mansergh, a County Tipperary-born Irish historian.[2] Although born in England, Mansergh's forefathers were part of the Anglo-Irish Protestant Ascendancy and arrived in Ireland with Oliver Cromwell. He was raised in England and lived in the Cambridgeshire town of Little Shelford. He was educated at The King's School, Canterbury and Christ Church, Oxford, studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics and obtaining a Doctorate in philosophy for a study of pre-revolutionary French history. Mansergh is a member of the Church of Ireland. He sat on the board of Bolton Library for several years.[3][4]

Career

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He entered the Department of Foreign Affairs, being appointed a Third secretary in 1974 and became a First Secretary in 1977. Later recruited by Taoiseach Charles Haughey, he worked for the Fianna Fáil party thereafter, serving under three Fianna Fáil leaders as Director of Research, Policy and Special Advisor on Northern Ireland where he was involved in discussions between the nationalist parties and the Irish Government and met regularly with intermediary Father Alec Reid.[citation needed]

Mansergh was a key member of the team which formed the Fianna Fáil–Labour Party coalition in 1992[5] and was also involved in the formation of the Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition in 1997.[6] As a senior adviser[6] to successive Taoisigh, Mansergh has played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace process over the last twenty years. He ran for Fianna Fáil as a Dáil candidate in the Tipperary South constituency at the 2002 general election but failed to be elected with 14.2% of the poll.[7] However, Mansergh was elected to the 22nd Seanad by the Agricultural Panel in July of that year. At the 2007 general election he again ran for Fianna Fáil as a Dáil candidate in the Tipperary South constituency, this time being elected with 15.7% of the poll.[8] He was formerly a member of the Irish Council of State.[citation needed]

Until 2006 he wrote a weekly column for The Irish Times, but resigned because of the upcoming general election. In May 2008, he was appointed by the government of Brian Cowen as Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works and Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism with special responsibility for the Arts.[9][10][11]

In January 2009, he offered to quit his junior ministry post to save money and called on people to retain their Celtic Tiger style optimism and self-respect. He said: "We're not going to get anywhere by completely throwing overboard our self respect. We have achieved a tremendous amount in the past 20 years – they were the best 20 years in our history. There will be cycles – we rose very high and we are where we are now. We have to work our way out of this intelligently". However, he was re-appointed to his positions when Cowen reduced the number of junior ministers from 20 to 15.[12][13][14]

He lost his seat at the 2011 general election.[1]

He is vice-chair of the government's Expert Advisory Group on the Decade of Centenaries.[citation needed]

He was elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy in May 2018.[15][16]

He has been a frequent contributor to The Irish Catholic.[17]

Media image

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Mansergh has been a strong supporter of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, whose financial affairs were investigated by the Mahon Tribunal. He has been accused by some commentators of being insulting, condescending and petulant to opposition politicians.[18] In February 2008, on the RTÉ Radio 1 show Morning Ireland, Mansergh insisted that Ahern's difficulties were no more than a spot of "inflight turbulence," with a safe landing in sight. When Fine Gael's tribunal expert, Senator Eugene Regan dissented, Mansergh became quite agitated, questioning why Regan wanted to question Ahern's finances declaring to Regan that: "You should have respect for your betters!"[19]

Mansergh is mentioned by name in the TV series, Charlie, where Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, in a conversation with Fr Alec Reid, places him in charge of drawing up a roadmap to peace in Northern Ireland.[20]

Honours and awards

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Along with Fr Alec Reid and the Reverend Roy Magee, he was awarded the 1995 Tipperary International Peace Award,[21] now described as "Ireland's outstanding award for humanitarian work".[22] Carlow College awarded its inaugural St. Columbanus Medal in November 2018, to Mansergh, in recognition of his contribution to the peace process in Ireland.[23]

Works

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  • Mansergh, Martin, The Legacy of History for Making Peace in Ireland, ISBN 978-1-85635-389-2, ISBN 1-85635-389-3

References

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  1. ^ a b "Martin Mansergh". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  2. ^ Martin Mansergh interviewed by Tommy Graham, "In the Service of the State". History Ireland. 12 (3): 43–46. Autumn 2004.
  3. ^ Ellis, Ian (8 October 2010). "Canon Ian Ellis Interviews Minister Martin Mansergh TD". Church of Ireland Gazette. Archived from the original (audio) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  4. ^ "A respected adviser of Fianna Fail taoisigh". The Irish Times.
  5. ^ Rafter, Kevin (2002). Martin Mansergh: A Biography. New Island. ISBN 978-1-904301-05-9.
  6. ^ a b Rafter 2002.
  7. ^ "Martin Mansergh". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  8. ^ "General election 2007 – Tipperary South". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  9. ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (30th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 13 May 2008. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2008 (43): 562–563. 16 May 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  11. ^ Arts, Sport and Tourism (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2008 (S.I. No. 267 of 2008). Signed on 17 June 2008. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 12 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (30th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 22 April 2009. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2009 (49): 833–834. 19 June 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  14. ^ Arts, Sport and Tourism (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2009 (S.I. No. 227 of 2009). Signed on 19 May 2009. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 12 April 2021.
  15. ^ "RIA website". 26 June 2018. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  16. ^ "28 New Members elected to Royal Irish Academy". Royal Irish Academy. 25 May 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  17. ^ The Irish Catholic
  18. ^ "The Big House Award for Maintaining Standards and Putting Manners on the Lower Orders". The Irish Times. 27 December 2008. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  19. ^ "RTÉ Radio interview link". RTÉ News. 22 February 2008.
  20. ^ O'Doherty, Caroline (19 January 2015). "History rewritten as to why Charles Haughey left office in 'Charlie'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Tipperary Peace Convention". Tipperary Peace Convention. Archived from the original on 1 July 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  22. ^ Ralph Riegel (21 August 2013). "Mandela, Clinton and Geldof among the former winners". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  23. ^ Former Tipperary TD and Minister Martin Mansergh to be honoured as a peacemaker Archived 9 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine Tipperary Live, October 18, 2018.
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