Mick Lanigan | |
|---|---|
| Senator | |
| In office 17 February 1993 – 12 September 2002 | |
| In office 27 October 1977 – 1 November 1989 | |
| Constituency | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| In office 1 November 1989 – 17 February 1993 | |
| Constituency | Nominated by the Taoiseach |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1938-01-30)30 January 1938 (age 87) County Kilkenny, Ireland |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
Michael Lanigan (born 30 January 1938) is a retiredIrish company director andFianna Fáil politician fromCounty Kilkenny. He was asenator from 1977 to 2002,[1] and was noted in theSeanad for his interest in foreign affairs, particularly humanitarian issues and thePalestinian cause.
At the1977 general election, Lanigan stood in theCarlow–Kilkenny constituency but failed to win a seat to the21st Dáil.[2] In the subsequent elections to the14th Seanad, he was elected on theIndustrial and Commercial Panel.[2]
Lanigan stood again for theDáil at the1981 general election andNovember 1982 general elections in Carlow–Kilkenny, but was unsuccessful on both occasions. He was re-elected on the Industrial and Commercial Panel to each successive Seanad until his defeat at the 1989 elections, when he wasnominated by the Taoiseach,Charles Haughey, to the19th Seanad.[2]
He was re-elected on the Industrial and Commercial Panel in 1993 to the20th and in 1997 to the21st Seanad. He retired at the 2002 election to the22nd Seanad.[1]
Lanigan was leader of the opposition Fianna Fáil group in the 17th Seanad (1983–1987), and wasLeader of the Seanad in the18th Seanad (1987–1989). He was reappointed as Leader in the 19th Seanad in 1989, but resigned (along with all the Fianna Fáilwhips) in May 1990 after the government lost a series of votes when no Fianna Fáil senators were present in the chamber.[3] He later served as Chairman of theOireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs.[4]
Lanigan was noted as a supporter of an independentPalestinian state. Lanigan founded the Friends of Palestine in the Oireachtas.[5] In December 2003 he was awarded theOrder of Bethlehem by Palestinian PresidentYasser Arafat.[6] The Order, which is the highest honour bestowed on behalf of the Palestinian people, was made at a ceremony inRamallah in which Arafat commended Lanigan for having supported the Palestinian cause "when it was not popular to do so".[7]
Lanigan continues to be involved with the Palestinian cause, in his capacity as chairman of Irish Medical Aid for Palestine. The organisation works with all sectors of Palestinian society and with sister organisations from outside Palestine for the improvement of health in Palestine.[8] In addition, Lanigan is a member of the Oxfam Ireland Members council.[9]
His son, also called Mick, was a member ofKilkenny Borough Council andKilkenny County Council from 1999 to 2009.[10]
Lanigan was an accomplished athlete. He was successful in the 100 metre hurdles at the Catholic International Student Games, before going on to win further national and international honours on the track. Lanigan was one of the founding members of the Kilkenny City Harriers athletics club in 1953.[11]