MINISTER OF EDUCATION 1987 - 1991
‘I wanted with my two hands wide open to be a politician.’ Mary Banotti’s Something about Mary, Liberties Press, 2008
Minister for Education March 1987-1989, reappointed in 1989-1991
One of her key tasks was the development of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. She also oversaw the introduction of the Junior Certificate to replace the Inter Certificate. She also was responsible for the establishment of the Home-School Liaison Teachers. She brought forward legislation to allow the NIHEs in Limerick and Dublin to become universities – University of Limerick and Dublin City University.
She was Minister when the Educate Together schools, were given the go ahead as well as other multidenominational schools. During Ireland’s Presidency of Europe in 1990, Mary presided over the Council of Ministers of Education in Brussels. One of the programmes that became firmly established at that time was the Erasmus Programme. Another programme which was introduced was V-TOS and the setting up of Teacher Training Colleges around the country.
In 1991, Mary was appointed Minister for Health. Mary oversaw a publicity campaign and the introduction of preventative measures on cot death, following which cot deaths decreased.
Mary O'Rourke presents 'Liveline' (1992)
During her time as Minister, the Railway Safety Programme was implemented, and the Luas proposal was brought to Cabinet and the privatisation of Telecom Éireann (later Eircom) was completed.
The youngest child of two graduates of University College Galway, Mary Lenihan’s parents were from Clare and Sligo who had met during their undergraduate studies. Her father was Patrick J Lenihan from Clare who had attended the University to study Law. Her mother was Annie Scanlan. The politics of the Scanlan family was anti-treaty. Her father's family had supported Michael Collins and the Treaty, but Mary described he father later ‘fully embraced Fianna Fáil’. By the time Mary was born both sides of the family were closely linked to Fianna Fáil.
Mary was born in Athlone in 1937, where her parents had moved. Her father a civil servant, was asked by Seán Lemass, Minister of Industry and Commerce, to set up a textile factory, which became known as Gentex.
Mary had two older brothers Brian and Patrick (known as Paddy) and a sister Anne. From the outset the Lenihans home became a political centre; her father was a town councillor and later a county councillor. Mary’s earliest memory of being politicised was when she would meet local TD, Erskine Childers, at the train station and bring him across to the house. One of her vivid memories was a visit of Eamon de Valera coming to Athlone. Being too young she was unable to stay up but unknown to the adults she spent hours listening at the sitting room door, vowing that she would in future be in the middle of political life. When she was a school girl, she was a member of the youth branch of Fianna Fáil called Macra Fáil.
Following her primary education in St Peter’s Convent, Athlone, Mary was sent to the Loreto Convent, Bray where her mother had taught for a period of time before her marriage. Mary left school in 1954 at the age of seventeen. She then went to University College Dublin obtaining an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English and French. By that point her parents were hoteliers having bought the Hodson Bay Hotel. While Mary was working there at 18 she met Enda O’Rourke, who would become her husband. She returned to live in Athlone, her father wanted her to take over the running of the family hotel.
Mary Lenihan and Enda O’Rourke on their wedding day, 1960.
Mary O’Rourke Collection.
Mary and Enda O’Rourke married in 1960. Her father gave them a site as a wedding present in Arcadia in Athlone. Her son Feargal was born in August 1964. Unable to have another child, Mary and Enda adopted another son, who they named Aengus, in 1968. Mary had already returned to education. At the encouragement of her father and with the support of Enda, she went back to college. Maynooth was offering a Higher Diploma in Education. She got work at the local school. She took a year out to spend time with Aengus. When she returned to work it was to Summerhill, just outside Athlone and she began to work full-time teaching English and History. Mary O’Rourke, Just Mary, Gill & Macmillan, 2012.
In 1965 her father was elected as a TD (Fianna Fáil) for Longford-Westmeath. He served until his death in 1970. When her father died, Mary was asked to put her name forward for his seat. At the time Mary declined to run but for the next election she ran as a local candidate and was elected to the town council. This was followed five years later when Mary ran for the Fianna Fáil National Executive. Her eldest brother Brian was already a TD and a Cabinet Minister. Her other brother Paddy was also elected at that time.
In 1981, Mary made a successful bid for the Seanad and left teaching. In the General Election of November 1982, she ran for the Dáil and was elected – her first day in the Dáil was 14 December 1982.
Reynolds appointed her Junior Minister at the Department of Industry and Commerce. While there she brought the Consumer Credit Bill to the Dáil.
Mary was retuned in the general election of November 1992 when Fianna Fáil was in a coalition with Labour. This time her title was Minister of State for Labour with responsibility for Labour Affairs under Ruairi Quinn. There she had charge of Fás and its expansion to include community employment schemes. In 1994, Bertie Ahern became the Leader of Fianna Fáil. He appointed Mary as Deputy Leader.
Following the election in 1997, Mary took over the role as Minister for Public Enterprise, with responsibility for state enterprises. During her time in office the Railway Safety Programme was implemented, and the Luas proposal was brought to Cabinet and the privatisation of Telecom (later Eircom) completed.
She lost her seat in the General Election of 2002 but was the Taoiseach’s nominee for the Seanad and became Leader of the Seanad. During this time Mary’s husband Enda died.
Election Literature, Mary O’Rourke, 2007.
Alan Kinsella Collection Irishelectionliterature.com.
In 2007 Mary stood for election and returned with her highest ever vote. Fianna Fáil was again in power with the Greens and Independents. Mary became Chairperson of the All Party Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment and a member of the all-party committee on children.
In 2008, Brian Cowen became Taoiseach, and her nephew Brian Jnr became Minister for Finance. In 2009, it emerged that he had pancreatic cancer. In February 2011 Mary lost her seat. In March 2011 she was awarded a distinguished fellowship from the Institute of Technology, Athlone, an event attended by her family and her nephew who died the following June.
She remained in the public eye, writing her memoir Just Mary, A Memoir published by Gill and Macmillan in 2012. The book received the Listener’s Choice Award, in the Irish Book Awards. This was followed in 2016 with Letters of My Life. She has written extensively for the Press and been a regular commentator and contributor on both radio and TV. She appeared on programmes such as Celebrity Bainsteoir and Tonight with Vincent Browne.