21 Facts About Tony Gregory

Tony Gregory was an Irish independent politician, and a Teachta Dala for the Dublin Central constituency from 1982 to 2009.

Tony Gregory's mother, born in 1904 in Croghan, County Offaly, had moved to Dublin to work as a waitress, while his father, born in the North Strand area of Dublin, worked as a warehouseman in Dublin Port.

Tony Gregory won a Dublin Corporation scholarship to the Christian Brothers' O'Connell School.

Tony Gregory later went on to University College Dublin, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree and later a Higher Diploma in Education, funding his degree from summer work at the Wall's ice cream factory in Acton, London.

Tony Gregory became involved in republican politics, joining Sinn Fein and the IRA in 1964.

Tony Gregory sided with the Officials in the 1970 split within Sinn Fein.

Tony Gregory left the party after Costello's assassination in 1977, stating in a Hot Press interview, published after his death, that he had "agreed to join on paper, but had never got involved with the political organisation itself".

Tony Gregory was briefly associated with the Socialist Labour Party.

Tony Gregory contested the 1979 local elections for Dublin City Council as a "Dublin Community Independent" candidate.

In return for supporting Haughey as Taoiseach, Tony Gregory was guaranteed a massive cash injection for his inner-city Dublin constituency, an area beset by poverty and neglect.

Fianna Fail lost power at the November 1982 general election, and a lot of the promises made in the Tony Gregory Deal were not implemented by the incoming Fine Gael-Labour Party coalition.

Tony Gregory was involved in the 1980s in tackling Dublin's growing drug problem.

Tony Gregory confronted the government's handling of the problem as well as senior Gardai, for what he saw as their inadequate response to the problem.

Tony Gregory co-ordinated with the Concerned Parents Against Drugs group in 1986, who protested and highlighted the activities of local drug dealers, and defended the group against accusations by government Ministers Michael Noonan and Barry Desmond that it was a front for the Provisional IRA.

Tony Gregory however believed that the solution to the problem was multi-faceted and worked on a number of policy level efforts across policing, service co-ordination and rehabilitation of addicts.

Tony Gregory spent two weeks in Mountjoy Prison after refusing to sign a bond to keep the peace.

Tony Gregory remained a TD from 1982 and, although he never held a government position, remained one of the country's most recognised Dail deputies.

Tony Gregory always refused to wear a tie in the Dail chamber stating that many of his constituents could not afford them.

Tony Gregory died on 2 January 2009, aged 61, following a long battle with cancer.

Colleagues of Tony Gregory supported his election agent, Dublin City Councillor Maureen O'Sullivan at the Dublin Central by-election in June 2009.

Tony Gregory's brother criticised the launch event as he was not able to speak at it.