16 Facts About Madeleine Taylor-Quinn

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn was born on 26 May 1951 and is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 1981 to 1982 and 1992 to 2002 and a Teachta Dala for the Clare constituency from 1981 to 1982 and 1982 to 1992.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn became a founder member of Young Fine Gael in 1977, and Joint Honorary secretary of Fine Gael from 1979 to 1982, the first woman officer in the party.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn was elected to Dail Eireann on her first attempt, at the 1981 general election, succeeding her father Frank Taylor, who had been a TD from 1969 to 1981.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn was County Clare's first-ever female TD, she took her seat in the 22nd Dail as Fine Gael leader Garret FitzGerald was elected Taoiseach, heading a Fine Gael-Labour Party coalition government.

The government fell in January 1982 when it was defeated in a vote on the budget, and at the February 1982 general election Taylor-Quinn lost her seat to Fine Gael's other candidate, Donal Carey.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn was then elected to the 16th Seanad as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn regained her Dail seat later that year, at the November 1982 general election, and was re-elected at the 1987 and 1989 general elections.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn lost her seat at the 1992 general election.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn stood again at the 1997 and 2002 elections, but was unsuccessful.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn stood as a Fine Gael candidate at the 2004 European Parliament election, for the North-West constituency, achieving over 22,000 votes in the Clare constituency, which was the highest vote of any candidate in any election in County Clare, but was defeated.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn again contested the Clare constituency at the 2007 general election, winning 3,592 first preferences.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn has held a number of frontbench positions in the Seanad, including Foreign Affairs, Arts, Culture, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Justice, Law Reform and Defence and served as deputy opposition leader.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn has served as a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Marriage Breakdown, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Women's Rights and the Select Committee on Judicial Separation, on which last she was chair.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn was a member of Clare County Council from 1979 to 2009 when she decided to retire from politics.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn was the Fine Gael group leader on the County Council until 2009.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn is married to George Quinn, and has two sons.