MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE
JUNE 1981 – MARCH 1982
'‘She devoted her life to politics and her girls, never losing faith in the power of political democracy to change people’s lives.’
Eileen’s daughter, Paula Desmond said of her mother.Minister for Health and Social Welfare June 1981 - March 1982.
Eileen Desmond was the second woman since the foundation of the State in 1922 to hold a senior cabinet post and the Labour Party’s first senior minister. She created the National Combat Poverty Agency and also achieved a 25% increase in the social welfare allowance.
Agnes Eileen Christine Harrington was born in Kilcoleman, Ballinspittle parish at the Old Head of Kinsale on 29 December 1932. Her parents were Michael & Ellen Harrington, née Walsh. Her father was a postman and a part time fisherman and her mother was the local seamstress.
The Harringtons lived in a council cottage on an acre, surrounded by views of the sea. She had one sibling, a sister Patricia (known as Pat) who was 18 months younger. Eileen’s father went blind when she was eleven, from glaucoma, and Eileen later recalled that from that point onwards she felt a deep sense of familial responsibility.
Eileen was one of only 2 girls in her year in the local national school to go on to second level education, cycling 8 miles to and from the Convent of Mercy in Kinsale each day. She then moved to St Vincent’s School, an all Irish school in Cork city. She was one of two girls who sat the leaving certificate in 1949. Her competitive spirit motivated her to successfully complete her exams despite doing so through Irish for the first time
Eileen, third from left back row.
She obtained a position with the Civil Service – keenly sought after in those days - and moved to Dublin. She was in the Posts and Telegraphs Department, General Post Office (the GPO) at the age of 17. She said ‘Dublin was a long way from Cork in 1949.’ She was very happy in Dublin and studied for a Diploma in Social Science at night. Witnessing the poverty that was prevalent in Dublin at this time, this led to her to develop an awareness of political and social issues and a strong sense of justice and fairness.
In 1951, Eileen was twenty-one when she met the local Cork T.D. Dan Desmond, when he offered her a lift home for Christmas. 19 years her senior, he had served in Dáil Éireann since 1945 and had been returned in every election thereafter. He had begun his public life as the Secretary of the Federation of Rural Workers. He was well liked, and everyone recalled his kindness. His election slogan was 'the man who does the work.'
In July 1956 the couple married in Ballinspittle. Courtesy of the Paula Desmond Collection
In July 1956, the couple married in Ballinspittle and lived on the Main Street in Carrigaline in County Cork. Arising from the 'marriage bar' in the civil service, Eileen had to give up her job and she undertook to assist her husband, Dan, with his political work. He was Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. Dan had tuberculosis and suffered ill health.
Their first child a daughter Honor was born in February 1958. While she was still a baby, Eileen also suffering from TB, spent fourteen months in the sanatorium, St. Stephen’s Hospital in Glanmire, Cork.
The couple had a second child, a girl, born in June 1963. They named her Paula.
Courtesy of the Paula Desmond Collection
Dan died suddenly on 9 December 1964 in St Stephen's Hospital in Glanmire. According to newspaper reports ‘although he had been indisposed for some time past … his death came as a shock.’
This left Eileen widowed at the age of 32, with a 6 year and a 17-month-old. There was no pension for the wives of TDs at this time and her choices were straightforward: to re-join the civil service or to stand for election. She gave her first church gate speech in December 1964. She recalled that she stood in her black widow’s weeds, and thought people came to look her, but stayed on to listen to her.
On 11th January 1965, the Irish Times reported ‘widow to contest’. Eileen ran for and won the by-election caused by her husband’s death. At her election she stated: 'I will endeavour to carry out obligations placed on me in the same conscientious manner as did my late husband in his public life.'
Courtesy of the Paula Desmond Collection
Eileen was elected to the 17th Dáil. Her victory caused the Taoiseach, Seán Lemass, to dissolve the Dáil. She served from 10 March-18 March 1965.
Following an intense election campaign, she topped the poll and was elected for the second time that year.
Eileen’s mother, Ellen, lived with the family and assisted with the care of the children. Ellen helped to supplement the family income by running a shop in Carrigaline. She also took on the role of making their home an open house for anyone who needed help.
Courtesy of the Paula Desmond Collection
Courtesy of the Paula Desmond Collection
In the General Election of 18 June 1969, Eileen ran unsuccessfully for the 19th Dáil, losing by a few hundred votes. According to the Irish Press, some believed that she lost her seat because of the ‘militantly feminist speech she gave on television’. Mrs Desmond did not agree with this. She believes the sole reason she lost her seat was the re-drawing of boundaries. Speaking from her home in Carrigaline, she told the Irish Press: ‘Of course I am disappointed, but you have to accept the verdict of the electorate. Until the next time, I’m sure I will be back.
1969-1973 She was elected to the 12th Seanad and appointed to the Industrial & Commercial Panel.
Courtesty of the Paula Desmond Collection
Courtesty of the Paula Desmond Collection
Courtesty of the Paula Desmond Collection
She was re-elected as a TD in the 20th Dáil in the General Election of March 1973. She came the Labour Party spokesperson on Justice. In 1975 during this term in office her mother died.
Eileen was elected as a Labour Party candidate in the Mid Cork constituency to the 21st Dáil on 16 June 1977.
In 1979, Eileen was elected to the European Parliament and she also served, at this time, on Cork County Council until 1981,(as was permitted). She resigned from Europe to contest the General Election in 1981. She was elected to Dáil Éireann.
She was elected to the European Parliament in 1979 for Munster, achieving 53,614 votes. Eileen really relished her time as M.E.P because, for the first time in her life, she was part of a large, and powerful Left. The Socialist Group dominated the Parliament and it was a huge change from always being part of a small party which could never hold power - and thereby implement policy - in its own right.
Credit RTE
Courtesy of the Paula Desmond Collection
Having served previously as the Chairperson of the Women’s Representative Council (1974-1978), on her return to Dáil Éireann, Eileen saw that she had ‘a special role in the Dáil to eliminate the discrimination that exists against women.’ Interviewed by Geraldine Kennedy, she said she would like to concentrate on legislative work: ‘the imbalance which has been reflected in our laws over the past 50 years reflects the general imbalance in society. '
During the 1978-1979 campaign for decent pay for nurses Eileen also was involved in influencing the then Minister for Health, Charlie Haughey, to improve the working conditions of nurses and elevating nursing to the standard of a profession. She heard from her sister Patricia, who was a nurse, a first-hand account of their working conditions.
Credit: Paula Desmond Collection
In 1981, Eileen contested the Dáil election, at the request of the Labour Leader and she was elected to the 22nd Dáil 11 June 1981 for Mid Cork. Fine Gael and Labour coalition came to power and Eileen became Minister of Health and Social Welfare in July 1981. She was the first women in that Ministry and the first women in the history of the State to attain a senior cabinet position. Her portfolio was the most senior to be held by a woman to date.
Courtesy of the Paula Desmond Collection
June 1981 Irish Photo Archive
June 1981 Irish Photo Archive
Eileen was elected as a Labour Party candidate in the Cork South Central constituency to the 23rd Dáil on 18 February 1982.
She was subsequently elected as a Labour Party candidate in the Cork South Central constituency to the 24th Dáil on 24th November 1982.
She took part as party of the Labour Party delegation as part of the New Ireland Forum 1983-1984.
CredIt: RTE 1983
Eileen became a Member of the Council of Europe in 1984. That year she celebrated her 21st anniversary of being elected to public office.
Her daughter Honor qualified as a barrister in 1980 and moved to Bermuda in 1986. Honor’s son, Max, was born there in 1991. Her other daughter, Paula had a daughter Feena in 1984. Eileen’s grand-children were a huge source of delight to her and she travelled to see Max in Bermuda as often as she could.
In 1987, Eileen retired on health grounds. As she stated herself ‘whatever you need in politics, you need good health.' She was only 53 years old. By 1989, Eileen's health had improved.
She remained very involved in local politics. Her daughter Paula was elected to Cork County Council in 1985. In 2002, Paula became the first Lord Mayor of County Cork. As Paula said later: 'Growing up with mum was growing up with politics.'
Eileen returned to education in her retirement and went to University College Cork as a mature student - her daughter, Paula, recalled that she ‘loved it.’
On 6th January 2005, Eileen died at Cork University Hospital – 41 years after her beloved husband Dan.