Mark Clinton

Mark A. Clinton (7 February 1915 – 23 December 2001) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Agriculture from 1973 to 1977. He served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Leinster constituency from 1979 to 1989. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1961 to 1981.^[1]

Mark Clinton
Clinton in 1975
Minister for Agriculture
In office 14 March 1973 – 5 July 1977
Taoiseach	Liam Cosgrave
Preceded by	Jim Gibbons
Succeeded by	Jim Gibbons
Member of the European Parliament
In office 1 July 1979 – 20 May 1989
Constituency	Leinster
Teachta Dála
In office June 1977 – June 1981
Constituency	Dublin County West
In office June 1969 – June 1977
Constituency	Dublin County North
In office October 1961 – June 1969
Constituency	Dublin County
Personal details
Born	(1915-02-07)7 February 1915 Kells, County Meath, Ireland
Died	23 December 2001(2001-12-23) (aged 86) Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland
Political party	Fine Gael
Spouse	Dorothy Gleeson ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	7
Alma mater	Salesian Agricultural College Albert Agricultural College

Biography

Clinton was born to a farming family at Moynalty, Kells, County Meath, on 7 February 1915.^[2] He was known as an accomplished Gaelic footballer in his youth and played on the Meath county team defeated by Kerry in the 1939 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. He served as a member of Dublin County Council from 1955 and represented various County Dublin constituencies as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála (TD) from 1961 until his retirement from Dáil Éireann in 1981.^[3]

In 1973, he joined the Irish Government of Liam Cosgrave as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries in the National Coalition. Clinton is best remembered as the Agriculture Minister who negotiated Ireland's entry into the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy, a development which brought billions of pounds to Irish farming and agri business. He served in government until 1977 and retired from the Dáil in 1981. Clinton also served in the European Parliament for the Leinster constituency from 1979 to 1989 and his political experience was recognised by his election as vice-president of that assembly.

Mark Clinton died in a Dublin nursing home, on 23 December 2001, aged 86.