Mary O'Rourke was an Irish Fianna Fail politician who served as Leader of the Seanad and Leader of Fianna Fail in the Seanad from 2002 to 2007, Deputy leader of Fianna Fail from 1994 to 2002, Minister for Public Enterprise from 1997 to 2002, Minister for Health from 1991 to 1992 and Minister for Education from 1987 to 1991.
25 Facts About Mary O'Rourke
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Mary O'Rourke served as a Minister of State from 1992 to 1994.
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Mary O'Rourke served as a Teachta Dala from 1982 to 2002 and 2007 to 2011.
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Mary O'Rourke served as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 1981 to 1982 and from 2002 to 2007, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.
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Mary O'Rourke's brother Brian Lenihan was a senior government minister and Tanaiste.
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Mary O'Rourke worked as a secondary school teacher before she began her political career.
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Mary O'Rourke began her political career in local politics, serving on Athlone Urban District Council between 1974 and 1987 and on Westmeath County Council between 1979 and 1987.
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Mary O'Rourke was elected to Seanad Eireann in 1981 as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel.
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Mary O'Rourke stood unsuccessfully for the Dail at the February 1982 general election but was re-elected to the Seanad.
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In November 1991 cabinet reshuffle, Mary O'Rourke became Minister for Health.
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Mary O'Rourke contested the subsequent leadership election along with Michael Woods and Albert Reynolds.
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Reynolds defeated the other two contenders and Mary O'Rourke was dropped from her ministerial position but was appointed to a junior ministry as Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Commerce with responsibility for Trade and Marketing.
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In January 2006, Mary O'Rourke received the party nomination to stand at the 2007 general election.
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The wreath was placed there because Mary O'Rourke was not speaking at a rally against the fees.
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In July 2010, Mary O'Rourke conceded that she did not expect the party to be in power after the next general election.
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On RTE Radio's Today with Pat Kenny programme, Mary O'Rourke said the government was making tough decisions to steer the country through the financial crisis and this would make it easy for the opposition.
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Mary O'Rourke said there was a general air of "crossness" within the Fianna Fail party over their standing in the polls, but nobody was harbouring leadership ambitions to challenge Brian Cowen.
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Mary O'Rourke pointed to the common approach of the two parties to Northern Ireland, Europe and the current financial crisis.
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Mary O'Rourke contested the 2011 general election but was defeated.
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Mary O'Rourke criticised former Taoiseach Brian Cowen, saying that he should have resigned after his infamous "congested" radio interview.
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Mary O'Rourke supported the attack on Cowen by her nephew, former Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, who said he was "disappointed" by Cowen's performance and he had to provide the leadership when the Taoiseach did not.
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Mary O'Rourke married Enda O'Rourke in 1962, and they had two sons.
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One of them, Aengus Mary O'Rourke, has been a member of Westmeath County Council since 2014.
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The other, Feargal Mary O'Rourke, became Managing Partner of PriceWaterHouseCoopers in Ireland in 2015 and is considered the "grand architect" of the double Irish tax system, a major contributor to Ireland's economic success in attracting US multinationals to Ireland.
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Mary O'Rourke died in Deansgrange, Dublin on 3 October 2024, at the age of 87.