Jack Lynch

John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979, Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, Minister for Finance from 1965 to 1966, Minister for Industry and Commerce from 1959 to 1965, Minister for Education 1957 to 1959, Minister for the Gaeltacht from March 1957 to June 1957, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Lands and Parliamentary Secretary to the Government from 1951 to 1954. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1948 to 1981.[1]

Quick facts: Jack Lynch, 5th Taoiseach, President, Tánaist... ▼

Jack Lynch
Lynch in 1979
5th Taoiseach
In office 5 July 1977 – 11 December 1979
President	Patrick Hillery
Tánaiste	George Colley
Preceded by	Liam Cosgrave
Succeeded by	Charles Haughey
In office 10 November 1966 – 14 March 1973
President	Éamon de Valera
Tánaiste	Frank Aiken Erskine H. Childers
Preceded by	Seán Lemass
Succeeded by	Liam Cosgrave
Leader of the Opposition
In office 14 March 1973 – 5 July 1977
President	Éamon de Valera Erskine H. Childers Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh Patrick Hillery
Taoiseach	Liam Cosgrave
Preceded by	Liam Cosgrave
Succeeded by	Garret FitzGerald
Leader of Fianna Fáil
In office 10 November 1966 – 7 December 1979
Deputy	Joseph Brennan George Colley
Preceded by	Seán Lemass
Succeeded by	Charles Haughey
Minister for Finance
In office 21 April 1965 – 10 November 1966
Taoiseach	Seán Lemass
Preceded by	James Ryan
Succeeded by	Charles Haughey
Minister for Industry and Commerce
In office 23 June 1959 – 21 April 1965
Taoiseach	Seán Lemass
Preceded by	Patrick Hillery
Succeeded by	Charles Haughey
Minister for Education
In office 20 March 1957 – 23 June 1959
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera
Preceded by	Richard Mulcahy
Succeeded by	Patrick Hillery
Minister for the Gaeltacht
In office 20 March 1957 – 26 June 1957
Taoiseach	Seán Lemass
Preceded by	Patrick Lindsay
Succeeded by	Mícheál Ó Móráin
Parliamentary Secretary
1951–1954	Government
1951–1954	Lands
Teachta Dála
In office June 1977 – June 1981
Constituency	Cork City
In office June 1969 – June 1977
Constituency	Cork City North-West
In office February 1948 – June 1969
Constituency	Cork Borough
Personal details
Born	John Mary Lynch (1917-08-15)15 August 1917 Cork, Ireland
Died	20 October 1999(1999-10-20) (aged 82) Donnybrook, Dublin, Ireland
Resting place	St. Finbarr's Cemetery, Cork, Ireland
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse	Máirín O'Connor ​ (m. 1946)​
Education	Christian Brothers, Cork North Monastery
Alma mater	University College Cork King's Inns

He was the third leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 until 1979, succeeding the hugely influential Seán Lemass. Lynch was the last Fianna Fáil leader to secure (in 1977) an overall majority in the Dáil for his party. Historian and journalist T. Ryle Dwyer has called him "the most popular Irish politician since Daniel O'Connell."[2]

Before his political career Lynch had a successful sporting career as a dual player of Gaelic games. He played hurling with his local club Glen Rovers and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1936 until 1950. Lynch also played Gaelic football with his local club St Nicholas' and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1936 until 1946.

In a senior inter-county hurling career that lasted for fourteen years he won five All-Ireland titles, seven Munster titles, three National Hurling League titles and seven Railway Cup titles. In a senior inter-county football career that lasted for ten years Lynch won one All-Ireland title, two Munster titles and one Railway Cup title. Lynch was later named at midfield on the Hurling Team of the Century and the Hurling Team of the Millennium.