19 Facts About Brendan McGahon

Brendan McGahon was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dala for the Louth constituency from 1982 to 2002.

Brendan McGahon was born in Dundalk, County Louth, and was educated at St Mary's College in Dundalk.

Brendan McGahon, was one of the inaugural members of Dundalk Urban District Council when it was created along with other Irish local authorities by the British Government in 1898.

Brendan McGahon was a leading member of the Irish Parliamentary Party.

Brendan McGahon started a local newspaper, the Dundalk Democrat which was supportive of the IPP.

Brendan McGahon was later succeeded on the council by his son, OB.

Brendan McGahon married Celine Lundy, a widow from Newry, County Down, and took over the running of the family newspaper business in the 1960s.

Brendan McGahon played soccer for Dundalk FC in the Premier Division for a number of years.

Brendan McGahon succeeded his cousin Hugh, on Dundalk Town Council and on Louth County Council at the 1979 local elections.

Brendan McGahon was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1981 general election and at the February 1982 general election.

Brendan McGahon was first elected to Dail Eireann for Louth at the November 1982 general election, defeating incumbent Fine Gael TD, Bernard Markey.

Brendan McGahon was re-elected at the next five general elections.

Brendan McGahon took another huge risk a few years later when he gave evidence in the High Court is support of the Sunday Times, which was being sued for libel by Thomas Murphy for accusing him of directing an IRA bombing campaign in Britain.

Local gardai were ordered not to get involved in that case but Brendan McGahon was not deterred from giving evidence that helped the newspaper to defend the claims being made against it by Murphy.

Brendan McGahon argued that those aged under 21 years of age should not be able to drive or drink, he was a member of the World anti-Communist League and opposed the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Brendan McGahon was on good personal terms with members of the Oireachtas such as Michael D Higgins and David Norris despite holding fundamentally opposed views to them.

Brendan McGahon did not contest the 2002 general election and retired from politics.

Brendan McGahon's son Conor was a Louth County Councillor from 1991 to 1999 and his brother Johnny was a Louth County Councillor from 1995 to 2004.

Johnny's nephew John Brendan McGahon was elected to Louth County Council at the 2014 local elections and to Seanad Eireann in 2020.