16 Facts About Geraldine Kennedy

Geraldine Kennedy was born on 1 September 1951 and is an Irish journalist and politician who served as the first female editor of The Irish Times newspaper.

Geraldine Kennedy previously served as a Teachta Dala for the Dun Laoghaire constituency from 1987 to 1989.

Geraldine Kennedy studied at Dublin Institute of Technology and began her journalistic career with a regional newspaper, the Munster Express.

Geraldine Kennedy moved to the Cork Examiner after less than a year, but spent only a few years there before joining The Irish Times.

Early in 1987, Geraldine Kennedy successfully sued the incumbent Charles Haughey-led Fianna Fail government for illegally tapping her phone.

Geraldine Kennedy stood in the 1987 general election as a candidate for the newly formed Progressive Democrat party in Dun Laoghaire.

Geraldine Kennedy avoided party-political journalism for several years, but she returned to covering politics in the early 1990s, and became The Irish Times' political editor in 1999.

Geraldine Kennedy became the newspaper's first female editor upon the departure of Conor Brady in late 2002.

Geraldine Kennedy was paid more than the editor of Britain's top non-tabloid newspaper The Daily Telegraph, which has a circulation of about nine times that of The Irish Times.

In September 2006, Geraldine Kennedy approved the publication of an article in The Irish Times giving confidential details of investigations being made into payments purported to have been made in 1993 to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Geraldine Kennedy refused, upon request of the investigating Tribunal, to provide details of the source of the printed information.

Geraldine Kennedy responded that the documents had since been destroyed.

Geraldine Kennedy's refusal caused the Tribunal to seek High Court orders compelling her to provide details of the source.

Geraldine Kennedy announced on 12 March 2011 her intention to retire from The Irish Times by September, after a nine-year term as editor.

Geraldine Kennedy actually retired in June, and was succeeded by news editor, Kevin O'Sullivan, who succeeded her as editor on 23 June 2011.

Geraldine Kennedy has been awarded five honorary doctorates from Irish universities.