Mark Killilea Jnr

For his father, seeMark Killilea Snr.

Mark Killilea Jnr
Killileac.1980s
Minister of State
1979–1981	Posts and Telegraphs
Member of the European Parliament
In office 31 March 1987 – 11 June 1999
Constituency	Connacht–Ulster
Teachta Dála
In office June 1981–February 1982
Constituency	Galway West
In office June 1977–June 1981
Constituency	Galway East
Senator
In office 13 May 1982 – 25 April 1987
In office 5 November 1969 – 16 June 1977
Constituency	Labour Panel
Personal details
Born	(1939-09-05)5 September 1939 Tuam,County Galway,Ireland
Died	31 December 2018(2018-12-31)(aged 79) Tuam, County Galway, Ireland
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse	Anne Severs ​ (m.1966)​
Children	10
Occupation	Farmer

Mark KillileaJnr (5 September 1939 – 31 December 2018) was a farmer, auctioneer and agricultural contractorwho served as an IrishFianna Fáilpolitician. In a 30-year political career, served as aTeachta Dála(TD) andMember of the European Parliament(MEP) and also as a Senator.

Biography

Mark Killilea was born inTuam,County Galwayin 1939. He married Anne Severs in 1966. His fatherMark Killilea Snrwas aFianna FáilTD and a founder-member of the party. Killilea Jnr was educated locally and first held political office in August 1969, when he was elected toSeanad Éireannon theLabour Paneland re-elected in 1973. He failed to be elected toDáil Éireannon his first attempt when he stood inGalway North-Eastat the1973 general election,but at the1977 general electionhe won a seat in the newGalway Eastconstituency.The election was a landslide for Fianna Fáil and in particular showed the popularity of the party leaderJack Lynch.

However, after just two years Lynch's fortunes had changed. Along withJackie Fahey,Tom McEllistrim,Seán DohertyandAlbert Reynolds,Killilea was one of the so-called "gang of five" that lobbied the parliamentary party for support forCharles Haugheyin the event of the retirement of Lynch's retirement. This group was determined that the leadership should not pass toGeorge Colley,Lynch's apparent successor. Haughey went on to win theleadership contestand becomeTaoiseachin December 1979.

Killilea's loyalty to Haughey was rewarded by his being appointedMinister of State at the Department of Posts and Telegraphsafter Haughey became Taoiseach. He held this position until Fianna Fáil's defeat at the1981 general election—at which, after changes in constituency boundaries, he switched to theGalway Westconstituency.

He lost his Dáil seat there at theFebruary 1982 general election,but was elected to the Seanad where he served until 1987. In an incident in 1982, Senator Killilea led someWorkers' PartyTeachtaí Dáil into the Dáil chamber through thepress gallery,when all other entrances to the chamber had been locked due to the running of a Dáil vote, (nomination ofCharles Haugheyto the office ofTaoiseach).AfterRay MacSharryretired from theEuropean Parliamentin 1987, Killilea was appointed as his replacement in theConnacht–Ulsterconstituency. Killilea held the seat at the1989and1994European Parliament elections, and was elected asQuaestorby his fellow MEPs in 1996. He retired from politics at the1999 European Parliament election.

Untold Secretsallegations

In 2021, an Irish documentary made by Teresa Lavina,Untold Secrets,reported the testimony of Anne Silke, a survivor of theTuam Mother and Baby Home,that she had been physically assaulted by Killilea Jnr on several occasions while in the foster care of his parentsMark Killilea Snrand his wife. She said several instances saw Killilea Jnr lash her with a horsewhip until she was bloody.Donagh Killilea, a son of Killlilea Jnr said that the allegations by Silke were "unverified" and "inaccurate".

External links

• Personal profile of Mark Killileain theEuropean Parliament's database of members