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Patrick John Hillery (born May 2, 1923) was the sixth President of Ireland (1976-1990). He was born in Miltown Malbay in County Clare in the then Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland). Though not himself political (he worked as a doctor and County Coroner) he agreed under pressure from Clare's senior Fianna Fáil TD, party leader and former Taoiseach, Eamon de Valera, to become his running mate in the 1951 General Election. He won a seat, becoming a TD, remaining in Dáil Éireann until 1973 during which time he served as Minister for Education (1959-1965), Minister for Industry & Commerce (1965-1966), Minister for Labour (1966-1969) and Minister for External Affairs (1969-1973). In 1973 he became Ireland's first EEC Commissioner.
Dr. PATRICK HILLERY
President of Ireland
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| Rank: | 6th |
| Term of Office: | 3 December 19761976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 12 UN Security Council votes 11-1 to admit the Palestinian Liberation Organization January 15 Would-be Gerald Ford presidential assassin Sara Jane Moore is s - 2 December 1990Events January January 3 Former leader of Panama Manuel Noriega surrenders to American forces. January 7 The Leaning Tower of Pisa is closed to the public due to safety concerns. January 9 Lt Gen Bazilio Olara Okello The man who led the coup aginst Dr Apo |
| Number of Terms: | 2 |
| Predecessor: | Cearbhall Ó DálaighCearbhall O Dalaigh ( 12 February 1911 21 March 1978) pronounced 'karol o dawl-ie'. In English his name translated as Carroll O'Daly, but he was invariably called by his Irish name in both Irish and English. served as fifth President of Ireland, from 1974 |
| Successor: | Mary RobinsonMary Robinson is also the name of an English poet. See Mary Robinson (poet Mary Robinson (born 21 May 1944) was the first female President of Ireland, serving from 1990 to 1997. She defeated Fianna Fail's Brian Lenihan in the 1990 presidential election, b |
| Date of Birth: | 2 May, 1923 |
| Place of Birth: | Clare, Ireland |
| First Lady: | Maeve Hillery |
| Profession: | doctor, politician |
| Nominated by: | (1976) Fianna Fáil
(1983) own nomination |
| Other candidates: | none |
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Though de Valera's running mate, he remained on the backbenches until de Valera's retirement in 1959. The new Taoiseach, Sean Lemass, began the process of retiring de Valera's ministers, many of whom had first become ministers way back in the de Valera cabinet of 1932. Lemass brought in a new generation of politicians to government; Jack Lynch (who actually begun his ministerial career in the last de Valera governments of the 1950s), Brian Lenihan, Donagh O'Malley, Charles J. Haughey, Neil Blaney etc. Key among them was Paddy Hillery (as he was generally called).
