Seán Doherty (Roscommon politician)

Seán Doherty
CathaoirleachofSeanad Éireann
In office 1 November 1989 – 23 January 1992
Preceded by	Tras Honan
Succeeded by	Seán Fallon
Minister for Justice
In office 9 March 1982 – 14 December 1982
Taoiseach	Charles Haughey
Preceded by	Jim Mitchell
Succeeded by	Michael Noonan
Minister of State
1980–1981	Justice
Teachta Dála
In office November 1992–May 2002
Constituency	Longford–Roscommon
In office June 1981–June 1989
Constituency	Roscommon
In office June 1977–June 1981
Constituency	Roscommon–Leitrim
Senator
In office 20 October 1989 – 11 January 1992
Constituency	Administrative Panel
Personal details
Born	(1944-06-29)29 June 1944 Cootehall,County Roscommon,Ireland
Died	7 June 2005(2005-06-07)(aged 60) Letterkenny,County Donegal,Ireland
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse	Maura Nangle ​ (m.1974)​
Children	4
Alma mater	University College Dublin King's Inns

Seán Doherty(29 June 1944 – 7 June 2005) was an IrishFianna Fáilpolitician who served asCathaoirleachofSeanad Éireannfrom 1989 to 1992,Minister for Justicefrom March 1982 to December 1982 andMinister of State for Justicefrom 1980 to 1981. He served as aTeachta Dála(TD) from 1977 to 1989 and 1992 to 2002. He was aSenatorfor theAdministrative Panelfrom 1989 to 1992.

Background

Born and raised inCootehallnearBoyle, County Roscommon,he was educated at national level inCounty Leitrimand then atUniversity College DublinandKing's Inns.

In 1965, Doherty became a member of theGarda Síochánaand served as a Detective inSligobefore joining theSpecial BranchinDublinin the early 1970s.

Doherty came from a family which had a long tradition of public service and political involvement in County Roscommon. In 1973, Doherty took a seat onRoscommon County Council,which was vacant after the death of his father.

Doherty married Maura Nangle, who is the sister of Irish musicianCarmel Gunning.Together they had four daughters, Rachel Doherty was a councillor on Roscommon County Council.

Political career

After serving for four years as a local representative on Roscommon County Council, Doherty was elected as a Fianna FáilTDfor theRoscommon–Leitrimconstituency at the1977 general election.

Support of Charles Haughey

In 1979, Doherty was a key member of the so-called "gang of five" which supportedCharles Haughey's attempt to take over the leadership of the party. The other members wereAlbert Reynolds,Mark Killilea Jnr,Tom McEllistrimandJackie Fahey.

Haughey was successful in theleadership contestand Doherty was rewarded by being appointed Minister of State at the Department of Justice from 1979 to 1981. In the short-lived 1982 Fianna Fáil government, Doherty entered the Cabinet asMinister for Justice.In this post, he became involved in a series of controversies.

Dowra affair

The brother of Seán Doherty's wife Maura,GardaThomas Nangle,was charged with assaulting James McGovern, a native ofCounty Fermanagh,in a public house in December 1981. On 27 September 1982, hours before the case was due to be heard in theDistrict CourtinDowra,a small village in northwestCounty Cavan,McGovern was arrested by the Special Branch of theRUCon the basis of entirely false Garda intelligence that he was involved in terrorism. The case against Nangle was dismissed because the principal witness, McGovern, failed to appear in court. The solicitor representing Nangle was Kevin Doherty, Seán Doherty's brother.This 'questionable' use of Garda/RUC Special Branch liaison, set up under the 1985 HillsboroughAnglo-Irish Agreement,prevented meetings between theGarda Commissionerand the RUC chief constable for almost three years.

Phone tapping

After Doherty left office it was revealed inThe Irish Timesthat he ordered thetapping of three journalists' home telephones.The newspaper also disclosed that he had been interfering in the workings of the Garda and the administration of justice for both political and personal reasons. He immediately resigned from the party; however, he rejoined in 1984. At the1989 general election,he lost his seat inDáil Éireannto the independent candidateTom Foxe.

Seanad Éireann

He was also an unsuccessful candidate in the elections on the same day to theEuropean Parliament,but he was later elected instead toSeanad Éireannas a Senator for theAdministrative Paneland became theCathaoirleach(Chairman) of the19th Seanad.

End of Haughey term

Plaque at theHells Kitchen Railway Museum(Castlerea).

In January 1992, the phone tapping scandal returned to haunt Fianna Fáil. Doherty announced in a television interview that he had shown transcripts of the conversations to Charles Haughey while Haughey wasTaoiseachin 1982. Doherty had previously denied this. Haughey denied the claim also, but was forced to resign from office, and then resigned as leader of Fianna Fáil. Doherty then regained his seat at the1992 general electionand held it until his retirement at the2002 general election.

Death

Seán Doherty died atLetterkennyGeneral Hospital as a result of abrain haemorrhageon 7 June 2005 while on a family holiday inCounty Donegal.