Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Liam Cosgrave,
Liam was
educ Synge St Christian Bros
and Castleknock College, Dublin.
He was a member of
South County Dublin Harriers
all his life, since school days.
BL King's Inns.
Barrister-at-law 1943.
Served in army during
"The Emergency" (WW2 in Ireland).
Fine Gael TD 1943-81:
His father W.T. Cosgrave was leader of
Fine Gael
(Leader of the Opposition) until 1944.
Liam followed him into politics and
was elected TD
in 1943 general election (age 23).
Fine Gael
TD for Dublin County 1943-48.
Fine Gael
TD for Dun Laoghaire 1948-81.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce
in the Inter-Party Government of 1948-51.
He mar 1952, Co.Kildare,
to Vera Osborne
[born 11 Mar 1926, dau of Joseph W. Osborne and Helen Cunningham].
See her
entry
in tree by Paddy Waldron.
They were married by Fr. Paddy Flanagan.
They moved into house
"Maryfield",
near his father's house,
Beechpark, Templeogue, Co.Dublin.
Minister for External Affairs 1954-57:
Liam was
Minister for External Affairs in
Fine Gael/Labour coalition, 1954-57.
Ireland joined
UN 1955.
Liam addressed UN General Assembly
1956.
Senior Counsel 1958.
His mother died 1959.
He and Vera moved into Beechpark in 1960
to take care of his father.
His father died 1965.
Leader of Fine Gael 1965-77.
Leader of the opposition 1965-73.
He sold
Beechpark 1969
[Knocklyon history].
They moved to
"Beechpark" bungalow near the old Beechpark.
|
Taoiseach 1973-77: Fine Gael and Labour won enough seats in 1973 election to form a coalition. Liam was Prime minister of Ireland (Taoiseach) in Fine Gael/Labour coalition, 1973-77. Negotiated the Sunningdale power-sharing agreement, Dec 1973. This was the only serious attempt to solve the Northern Ireland problem before the Good Friday power-sharing agreement of 1998. Sunningdale was brought down in 1974 by the loyalist strike, and bombs in Dublin and Monaghan. Nothing as ambitious was tried again for 20 years.
Liam famously voted against his own government's
Family Planning Bill in July 1974
to legalise the sale of
contraceptives.
(Contraception had been banned in 1935.
The ban was ruled unconstitutional in 1973.)
The Bill failed.
(Contraception was later legalised for married people in
1979
and for unmarried people in
1985.)
|
He was
TD until 1981 when he retired.
Succeeded as TD for Dun Laoghaire by his son Liam T. Cosgrave.
He had a long retirement and was the
longest lived Irish head of government ever.
(Though many
international heads of government
have lived longer.)
He lived until death at
"Beechpark" bungalow,
Scholarstown Rd, Templeogue.
Garda sentry box outside.
At age 91
he wrote a
tribute
to
Declan Costello
in the
Irish Times, 7 June 2011.
See Liam at
launch of plaque to his father, 2013.
See Liam at
launch of biography of his father, 2014.
Vera went into a nursing home for some time before death.
She died 15 Sept 2016, age 90 yrs.
Liam died 4 Oct 2017, age 97 yrs.
Funeral 7 Oct 2017, burial at Goldenbridge.
"Beechpark" bungalow
and extensive grounds were sold for re-development.
Liam and Vera
had issue:
Liam Cosgrave opens Marlay Park, Co.Dublin, on 29 June 1975.
Plaque at
Marlay Park, Dublin,
commemorating its opening by Liam Cosgrave in 1975.
Photo 2018.
See larger
and full size.
The Assassination of British Ambassador
Christopher Ewart-Biggs
in 1976.
From the
Reeling in the Years
series.
Liam Cosgrave
attacking English-born journalist
Bruce Arnold,
at the
Fine Gael Ard Fheis, shortly before the 1977 election.
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