1. Donogh Brendan O'Malley was an Irish Fianna Fail politician and rugby union player who served as Minister for Education from 1966 to 1968, Minister for Health from 1965 to 1966 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance from 1961 to 1965.
Donogh O'Malley served as a Teachta Dala for the Limerick East constituency from 1954 to 1968.
Donogh O'Malley is best remembered as the Minister who introduced free secondary school education in the Republic of Ireland.
Donogh O'Malley later studied at University College Galway, where he was conferred with a degree in civil engineering in 1943.
Donogh O'Malley later returned to Limerick, where he worked as an engineer before becoming involved in politics.
Donogh O'Malley played rugby at provincial level for Munster, Leinster and Connacht and at club level for Bohemians and Shannon RFC.
Donogh O'Malley's wife is famous as Patrick Kavanagh's ideal love in the poem "On Raglan Road".
Donogh O'Malley first became involved in local politics as a member of Limerick Corporation.
Donogh O'Malley became Mayor of Limerick in 1961, the third O'Malley brother to hold the office.
Donogh O'Malley was a strong electoral performer, topping the poll in every general election he ran in.
Donogh O'Malley was first elected to Dail Eireann as a Fianna Fail TD for Limerick East at the 1954 general election; Fianna Fail was not returned to government on that occasion.
Donogh O'Malley spent the rest of the decade on the backbenches; however, his party was returned to power in 1957.
In 1961, Donogh O'Malley joined the government as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance.
Donogh O'Malley was part of a new, brasher style of politician that emerged in the 1960s, sometimes nicknamed "the men in the mohair suits".
Donogh O'Malley spent just over a year in this position before he was appointed Minister for Education, a position in which he displayed renowned dynamism.
Donogh O'Malley introduced Regional Technical Colleges, now called Institutes of Technology, in areas where there was no third level college.
The best example of this policy is the University of Limerick, originally an Institute of Higher Education, where Donogh O'Malley is credited with taking the steps to ensure that it became a university.
Shortly after Donogh O'Malley was appointed, he announced that from 1969 all education up to Intermediate Certificate level would be without cost, and free buses would bring students in rural areas to their nearest school.
Donogh O'Malley seems to have made this decision himself without consulting other ministers; however, he did discuss it with Lemass.
On 10 September 1966, Donogh O'Malley addressed a dinner of the National Union of Journalists in which he publicly revealed the scheme.
Donogh O'Malley's proposals were hugely popular with the public, and it was impossible for the government to go back on his word.
In 1967 Donogh O'Malley appointed Justice Eileen Kennedy to chair a committee to carry out a survey and report on the reformatory and industrial school systems.
Donogh O'Malley's reforms made him one of the most popular members of the government; he was affectionately known as 'the School Man' for his work in education.
Donogh O'Malley was buried with a full Irish state funeral.
Hilda Donogh O'Malley ran as an Independent candidate in that election; after what proved a bitter campaign against her nephew, she failed to get the fourth seat in Limerick East by just 200 votes.