Michael J. Noonan | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Defence | |
| In office 10 March 1987 – 12 July 1989 | |
| Taoiseach | Charles Haughey |
| Preceded by | Paddy O'Toole |
| Succeeded by | Brian Lenihan Snr |
| Minister of State | |
| 1989–1992 | Marine |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office June 1969 – June 1997 | |
| Constituency | Limerick West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1935-08-04)4 August 1935 Meanus,County Limerick, Ireland |
| Died | 17 September 2013(2013-09-17) (aged 78) County Limerick, Ireland |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 6 |
| Alma mater | University College Cork |
Michael Joseph Noonan (4 August 1935 – 17 September 2013) was an IrishFianna Fáil politician. He served asMinister for Defence from 1987 until 1989.[1]
Michael J. Noonan was born inMeanus,County Limerick in 1935. He was educated locally at Salesian College in Limerick before graduating fromUniversity College Cork with a Diploma in Rural Science.[2] Following his education, Noonan worked as a farmer before becoming involved in politics. He first entered local politics when he was elected toLimerick County Council in 1967, and remained a member of that council until 1991. He was elected toDáil Éireann on his first attempt as a Fianna Fáil TD for theLimerick West constituency at the1969 general election.[3]
Noonan supportedCharles Haughey in his successful bid at the1979 Fianna Fáil leadership election. He owned a 100-acre dairy farm in Crean, where Haughey formally opened an extension to themilking parlour in 1980.[2] In 1983, he was appointed as spokesperson on Agriculture.
Noonan was appointedMinister for Defence in 1987. He caused some controversy in this role, and got into conflict with theIrish Army over the issue of pay.[2] After the1989 general election Fianna Fáil went into coalition with theProgressive Democrats, and Noonan was the major casualty to accommodate the new ministers. He was appointedMinister of State at the Department of the Marine and remained in this office until February 1992, whenAlbert Reynolds becameTaoiseach, and Noonan was not re-appointed.[2]
He remained a controversial figure on the backbenches. He lost the Fianna Fáil whip twice during the27th Dáil. In March 1993, he lost the whip after suggesting that Taoiseach Albert Reynolds was not fit to lead the party because he was open to alteringArticles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland which laid a claim toNorthern Ireland as part of the national territory;[4] he was re-admitted to the parliamentary party in January 1995, afterBertie Ahern had succeeded as party leader and the party had gone into opposition.[5] He lost the whip a second time in October 1995 by abstaining in vote thedivorce referendum bill in the Dáil.[6] In a statement released after his expulsion he attacked Ahern, accusing him of "destroying" Fianna Fáil and described his leadership as a "dictatorship".[2] He was readmitted to the parliamentary party in May 1997, just before the dissolution of the 27th Dáil.[7] He retired from political life at the1997 general election.[3]
He died on 17 September 2013.[8]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister for Defence 1987–1989 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of State at the Department of the Marine 1989–1992 | Succeeded by |