Sylvester Aidan Barrett was an Irish Fianna Fail politician.
14 Facts About Sylvester Barrett
1.
2.
Sylvester Barrett served under Jack Lynch and Charles Haughey as Minister for the Environment and Minister for Defence.
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Sylvester Barrett was born in Darragh, near Ennis, County Clare, in 1926.
4.
Sylvester Barrett's father Frank, who was a founder-member of Fianna Fail, and his mother Delia Costello, both died in 1931.
5.
Sylvester Barrett studied engineering at University College Galway, though did not complete his studies.
6.
Sylvester Barrett was a cadet in the Irish Army and later worked as a rate collector and an auctioneer.
7.
Sylvester Barrett was elected to Dail Eireann on 14 March 1968 at the by-election in the Clare constituency, held following the death of Fine Gael TD William Murphy.
8.
Sylvester Barrett topped the poll at the general election the following year.
9.
Sylvester Barrett supported George Colley in the 1979 Fianna Fail leadership election.
10.
Charles Haughey was the eventual victor, but Sylvester Barrett was retained in the cabinet in the Environment position.
11.
In October 1982, when Charlie McCreevy put down a motion of no confidence in Haughey's leadership, Sylvester Barrett was the only Minister of State among the so-called Gang of 22 who supported it; Haughey survived, and did not dismiss Sylvester Barrett from office.
12.
Fianna Fail were out of government again, and Sylvester Barrett was appointed to the front bench as spokesperson on Defence.
13.
Sylvester Barrett remained there until 1984, when he won a seat in the Munster constituency at the European Parliament election and was replaced on the front bench by Noel Treacy.
14.
Sylvester Barrett did not contest either the 1987 general election or the 1989 European Parliament election, and retired from politics.