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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
September 2002 – May 2007
ConstituencyAgricultural Panel
Personal details
Born
Martin George Southcote Mansergh

(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 formerFianna Fáilpolitician who served as aMinister of Statefrom 2008 to 2011. He served as aTeachta Dála(TD) for theTipperary Southconstituency from 2007 to 2011. He was aSenatorfor theAgricultural Panelfrom 2002 to 2007.[1]

He played a leading role in developingFianna Fáilpolicy onNorthern Ireland.

Early and personal life[edit]

Mansergh was born on 31 December 1946 inWoking,Surrey, England to Diana Mary (née Keeton) and ProfessorNicholas Mansergh,aTipperary-born Irish historian.[2]Although born in England, Mansergh's forefathers were part of theAnglo-IrishProtestant Ascendancyand arrived in Ireland withOliver Cromwell.He was raised in England and lived in theCambridgeshiretown ofLittle Shelford.He was educated atThe King's School, CanterburyandChrist Church, Oxford,studyingPolitics, Philosophy and Economicsand obtaining a Doctorate in philosophy for a study of pre-revolutionary French history. Mansergh is a member of theChurch of Ireland.He sat on the board ofBolton Libraryfor several years.[3][4]

Career[edit]

He entered theDepartment of Foreign Affairs,being appointed a Third secretary in 1974 and became a First Secretary in 1977. Later recruited byTaoiseachCharles 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 theIrish Governmentand met regularly with intermediary FatherAlec Reid.[citation needed]

Mansergh was a key member of the team which formed theFianna Fáil–Labour Partycoalition in 1992[5]and was also involved in the formation of theFianna Fáil–Progressive Democratscoalition in 1997.[6]As a senior adviser[6]to successiveTaoisigh,Mansergh has played a key role in theNorthern Ireland peace processover the last twenty years. He ran for Fianna Fáil as a Dáil candidate in the Tipperary South constituency at the2002 general electionbut failed to be elected with 14.2% of the poll.[7]However, Mansergh was elected to the22nd Seanadby theAgricultural Panelin July of that year. At the2007 general electionhe again ran for Fianna Fáil as aDáilcandidate in the Tipperary South constituency, this time being elected with 15.7% of the poll.[8]He was formerly a member of theIrish Council of State.[citation needed]

Until 2006 he wrote a weekly column forThe Irish Times,but resigned because of the upcoming general election. In May 2008, he was appointed bythe governmentofBrian CowenasMinister of State at the Department of Financewith special responsibility for theOffice of Public WorksandMinister of State at the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourismwith 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 theirCeltic Tigerstyle 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 the2011 general election.[1]

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

He was elected a member of theRoyal Irish Academyin May 2018.[15][16]

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

Media image[edit]

Mansergh has been a strong supporter of formerTaoiseachBertie Ahern,whose financial affairs were investigated by theMahon Tribunal.He has been accused by some commentators of being insulting, condescending and petulant to opposition politicians.[18]In February 2008, on theRTÉ Radio 1showMorning 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, SenatorEugene Regandissented, 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 withFr Alec Reid,places him in charge of drawing up a roadmap to peace in Northern Ireland.[20]

Honours and awards[edit]

Along with FrAlec Reidand the ReverendRoy Magee,he was awarded the 1995Tipperary International Peace Award,[21]now described as "Ireland's outstanding award for humanitarian work".[22]Carlow Collegeawarded its inauguralSt. ColumbanusMedalin November 2018, to Mansergh, in recognition of his contribution to thepeace process in Ireland.[23]

Works[edit]

  • Mansergh, Martin,The Legacy of History for Making Peace in Ireland,ISBN978-1-85635-389-2,ISBN1-85635-389-3

References[edit]

  1. ^ab"Martin Mansergh".Oireachtas Members Database.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2018.Retrieved19 January2014.
  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 fromthe original(audio)on 29 October 2013.Retrieved4 July2012.
  4. ^"A respected adviser of Fianna Fail taoisigh".The Irish Times.
  5. ^Rafter, Kevin (2002).Martin Mansergh: A Biography.New Island.ISBN978-1-904301-05-9.
  6. ^abRafter 2002.
  7. ^"Martin Mansergh".ElectionsIreland.org.Archivedfrom the original on 11 June 2009.Retrieved2 October2009.
  8. ^"General election 2007 – Tipperary South".ElectionsIreland.org.Archivedfrom the original on 3 February 2009.Retrieved2 October2009.
  9. ^"Appointment of Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (30th Dáil)".Houses of the Oireachtas.13 May 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 28 October 2020.Retrieved7 January2021.
  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.Retrieved4 May2021.
  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 theGovernment of Ireland.Retrieved fromIrish Statute Bookon 12 April 2021.
  12. ^"Appointment of Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (30th Dáil)".Houses of the Oireachtas.22 April 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 18 December 2020.Retrieved28 September2019.
  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.Retrieved4 May2021.
  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 theGovernment of Ireland.Retrieved fromIrish Statute Bookon 12 April 2021.
  15. ^"RIA website".26 June 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 3 September 2018.Retrieved2 September2018.
  16. ^"28 New Members elected to Royal Irish Academy".Royal Irish Academy.25 May 2018.Retrieved27 November2021.
  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.Archivedfrom the original on 14 November 2011.Retrieved28 December2008.
  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.Retrieved18 November2021.
  21. ^"Tipperary Peace Convention".Tipperary Peace Convention.Archivedfrom the original on 1 July 2010.Retrieved25 May2015.
  22. ^Ralph Riegel (21 August 2013)."Mandela, Clinton and Geldof among the former winners".Irish Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 26 May 2015.Retrieved25 May2015.
  23. ^Former Tipperary TD and Minister Martin Mansergh to be honoured as a peacemakerArchived9 May 2019 at theWayback MachineTipperary Live, October 18, 2018.

External links[edit]

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