48 Facts About Albert Reynolds

Albert Martin Reynolds was an Irish Fianna Fail politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fail from 1992 to 1994.

Albert Reynolds held various cabinet positions between 1979 and 1991, including Minister for Finance from 1988 to 1991.

Albert Reynolds later moved into the showband scene, going on to own several dance halls in his local area.

Albert Reynolds became wealthy during the 1960s when dance halls proved to be extremely popular.

Albert Reynolds invested his money in numerous businesses, including a pet food company, a bacon factory, a fish exporting operation, and a hire purchase company.

Albert Reynolds had business interests in local newspapers and a cinema.

Albert Reynolds developed a network of business contacts both nationally and internationally.

Albert Reynolds married Kathleen Coen in 1962, and had a total of seven children with her.

Albert Reynolds became interested in politics during the Arms Crisis, a controversial episode in which two government ministers, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Neil Blaney and Minister for Finance Charles Haughey, were removed from the government over an attempt to send arms to Northern Ireland in 1970.

Albert Reynolds became a member of the so-called "gang of five" politicians of a strong rural background, with Jackie Fahey, Mark Killilea Jnr, Tom McEllistrim, and Sean Doherty, which aligned itself to Charles Haughey and supported him in the subsequent leadership contest.

Albert Reynolds was rewarded for his staunch loyalty by joining the newly elected Taoiseach Charles Haughey's cabinet as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.

Albert Reynolds was appointed Minister for Transport, making his brief one of the largest and most wide-ranging in the government.

Albert Reynolds returned to government as Minister for Industry and Energy.

Albert Reynolds was responsible for developing the Dublin to Cork gas pipeline.

That government fell in late 1982, and Albert Reynolds was back on the opposition benches.

Albert Reynolds gave him his support at all times, and Haughey stayed in power.

In 1988, the Minister for Finance Ray MacSharry became Ireland's European Commissioner, and Albert Reynolds succeeded MacSharry in the position.

Albert Reynolds headed the Fianna Fail negotiation team with another minister, Bertie Ahern.

Albert Reynolds easily defeated his rivals Mary O'Rourke and Michael Woods in the party leadership election and succeeded Haughey as Taoiseach on 11 February 1992.

Albert Reynolds promoted several long-time critics of Haughey, like David Andrews, Seamus Brennan and Charlie McCreevy, to senior ministerial positions.

Albert Reynolds promoted younger TDs from rural constituencies, such as Noel Dempsey and Brian Cowen, to cabinet positions.

Albert Reynolds tried to find a middle ground but alienated both the Catholic Church and those who sought abortion rights.

Albert Reynolds negotiated considerable benefits for Ireland from the European Union regional aid budget in the aftermath of the Danish rejection of the Maastricht Treaty.

Albert Reynolds then sought a dissolution of the Dail from the president, Mary Robinson.

Albert Reynolds was alleged to have juxtaposed and misquoted sections of the report in issuing a rebuttal before the report became public.

Albert Reynolds remained involved in discussions with Northern Ireland's nationalist parties and, along with John Hume, persuaded the Provisional Irish Republican Army to call a complete ceasefire on 31 August 1994.

In September 1994, Albert Reynolds was left standing on the tarmac at Shannon Airport by Russian president Boris Yeltsin, who failed to emerge from his plane to meet awaiting Irish dignitaries.

Albert Reynolds had decided to reappoint Attorney General Harry Whelehan when the government was formed in 1992.

The coalition appeared to be finished, but Albert Reynolds still held out for the chance to patch things up.

Albert Reynolds went before the Dail and said that if he had known "then" what he "knew now" about the incompetent handling of the case by the AG's office, he would not have appointed Whelehan to the judicial post.

However, Albert Reynolds was damaged politically, appearing more interested in holding on to power than in the integrity of government actions.

Spring decided he could not go back into government with Albert Reynolds, and led the Labour Party out of the coalition on 16 November 1994.

On 19 November 1994, Albert Reynolds resigned as party leader, and the Minister for Finance Bertie Ahern was unanimously elected the sixth leader of Fianna Fail.

Albert Reynolds's favoured successor, Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, withdrew from the leadership contest on the morning of the vote.

At the beginning of 1997, Bertie Ahern allegedly encouraged Albert Reynolds to run for office in the coming election and offered him the position of "peace envoy" to Northern Ireland and his support as a candidate for the presidency.

Albert Reynolds was still interested in being a candidate for the presidency, along with two other Fianna Fail candidates, Michael O'Kennedy and Mary McAleese.

Albert Reynolds won the first round of voting with a comfortable margin.

Albert Reynolds retired from politics at the 2002 general election, after 25 years as a TD; he was quoted in 2007 to state: "I don't bear any grudges over Ahern".

Albert Reynolds was involved in a long-running libel action against British newspaper The Sunday Times over an article published in 1994, which alleged that Albert Reynolds had deliberately and dishonestly misled the Dail regarding matters in connection with the Brendan Smyth affair that brought down the coalition government.

Musharraf asked Albert Reynolds to act as an advisor to him and to contact US president Bill Clinton to reassure the White House as to the intentions of the new government of Pakistan.

Albert Reynolds claimed in later interviews that because of the trust built with Musharraf, he would be asked to arrange peace talks between India and Pakistan.

Albert Reynolds called Reynolds, who called former president Clinton, who quickly reached his successor George W Bush to communicate the Pakistani position.

In July 2008, it was reported that Albert Reynolds was medically unfit to give evidence at the Mahon Tribunal because of "significant cognitive impairment".

Albert Reynolds had on several previous occasions been due to give evidence concerning payments he allegedly received when he was Taoiseach.

In December 2013, it was revealed by his son that Albert Reynolds was in the last stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Albert Reynolds was buried at Shanganagh Cemetery with full military honours.

Albert Reynolds was not afraid to take political risks to further the path of reconciliation.

Albert Reynolds managed to blow up two coalitions in a relatively short period of time.