Former Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet minister Mary O’Rourke has died at the age of 87.
First elected as a TD for Longford-Westmeath in November 1982, Ms O’Rourke would go on to serve as the minister for education, health and public enterprise.
She was the party’s deputy leader and a central figure in the Fianna Fáil government from 1997 to 2002.
She lost her seat in that year’s election, having championed the privatisation of Telecom Éireann. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern would nominate her to the Seanad, from where she would regain her Dáil seat in 2007. She retired from the Dáil in 2011.
While in the Seanad, Ms O’Rourke served as leader until her re-election to the Dáil.
Ms O’Rourke’s family was steeped in Fianna Fáil history. She was the youngest of four children and was part of the Lenihan political dynasty.
As a schoolgirl, she was a member of the youth branch of Fianna Fáil. She married her husband, Enda, in 1960 and they had two children, Feargal and Aengus, and six grandchildren. Enda died in 2001.
Her brother, Brian Lenihan, served as Tánaiste from 1987 to 1990 and was also a minster for defence, agriculture and fisheries. Their father, Patrick Lenihan, was also a Fianna Fáil TD for Longford-Westmeath in the late 1960s.
Ms O’Rourke’s nephew, and Mr Lenihan’s son, Brian Lenihan Jnr was also deputy leader of the party in 2011. He served as Finance Minister from 2008 until 2011 at the height of the banking crisis in Ireland. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died in 2011.
Her political journey began when Ms O’Rourke topped the poll in the Westmeath local elections in 1979 where she remained a councillor until 1987.
She was elected to the Seanad in 1981 and it was then that she left her career as a teacher. She was first elected to the Dáil in 1982 where she was a front bench spokesperson on education.
During her political career, she held ministerial portfolios in education, health and public enterprise. In education, Ms O’Rourke oversaw the introduction of the Junior Cert replacing the Inter Certificate.
She also brought forward legislation to allow the National Institutes for Higher Education to become universities resulting in the establishment of the University of Limerick and Dublin City University.
When Ms O’Rourke stood for election in 2007, she was returned with her highest-ever vote but lost her seat in 2011.
Following her retirement from politics, she wrote two books and became a regular contributor on TV and radio.
Tributes were led by her son, Feargal, who said that over the last two months, his mother has been in “sparkling form”.
“To many she was a former teacher, politician, broadcaster, author but to myself and Aengus, she was our mum. She loved us to bits, taught us to respect everyone, to be honest, to work hard and study hard, to love our family,” his statement said.
He commended the staff in the Fern Dean nursing home in Deansgrange in Dublin who cared for Ms O’Rourke after she almost died at Christmas in 2021.
“The last seven or eight weeks she has been in sparkling form — reading the paper and enjoying the visits of family and friends,” he said.
The post on X was accompanied by a photo of Ms O’Rourke taken last month on what would have been her 64th wedding anniversary.
“Reunited now with dad, the love of her life,” it was captioned.
On Thursday, Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl took a moment in the Dáil to announce Ms O’Rourke’s passing calling her a “highly regarded and colourful” woman and extending sympathies to her family.
Taoiseach Simon Harris paid tribute to the former Fianna Fáil TD, describing her as “a force to be reckoned with” in both a political and personal level.
In a statement, Mr Harris said: “She had a wicked sense of humour and a fantastic turn of phrase.”
“However, Mary was a deft operator and her career, spanning three decades, saw her reach the top of Irish politics and take on the boy’s club, with win.”
Mr Harris said the 87-year-old was “a grassroots politician in every sense of the word”, adding that she “has written poignantly about the love and support of her husband and partner in life, Enda, and of the loss and grieving of his death. She sparked a conversation that many people found great comfort in”.
“To all of Mary’s many friends and supporters in her beloved Athlone and beyond, I send my deepest sympathies as Taoiseach,” he added.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien took to X to pay tribute to Ms O’Rourke saying that she was unique and one-of-a-kind.
“She has left a lasting legacy and served the country that she loved with great distinction,” he said.
