1. Joseph Austin Currie was an Irish politician who served as a Minister of State with responsibility for Children's Rights from 1994 to 1997.
17 Facts About Austin Currie
1. 2.
Austin Currie served as a Teachta Dala for the Dublin West constituency from 1989 to 2002, representing Fine Gael, and as a Member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland for East Tyrone from 1964 to 1972, representing the Nationalist Party and later the Social Democratic and Labour Party.
3.
Austin Currie was educated at the renowned St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon, and graduated in politics and history from Queen's University Belfast.
4.
Austin Currie became an active member in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.
5.
Austin Currie retained he seat in both the general election to the 11th House of Commons in November 1965 and the 12th House of Commons in February 1969.
6.
From 1973 to 1974, Austin Currie was elected as an SDLP member of the short-lived devolved Northern Ireland Assembly.
7.
Austin Currie contested the 1979 United Kingdom general election and 1986 by-election in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone seat, but was unsuccessful on both attempts.
8.
Austin Currie was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1982 for the same seat.
9.
Austin Currie was elected as a Fine Gael TD for Dublin West at the 1989 Irish general election.
10.
Austin Currie received 267,902 first preference votes and was eliminated on the first count.
11.
Austin Currie held this post until the appointment of a new Irish Government on 26 June 1997 following the 1997 Irish general election.
12.
At the 2002 general election Austin Currie contested the new constituency of Dublin Mid-West, and failed to be elected.
13.
Austin Currie continued to speak and campaign for civil rights across the island of Ireland and for causes he believed in, such as justice for the families of the Disappeared during the Troubles.
14.
Austin Currie met his wife Annita in 1961 while he was studying Modern History and Politics at Queens University Belfast, where she was a student.
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Austin Currie occasionally lectured and gave talks on issues relating to The Troubles, and for causes he believed in, such as justice for the families of the Disappeared during the Troubles.
16.
Austin Currie died on 9 November 2021 at the age of 82 at his residence in Derrymullen, County Kildare.
17.
Austin Currie is buried alongside his parents in the cemetery adjoining the church.