Vera Cosgrave

Veronica Louise Cosgrave (née Osborne; 11 March 1926 – 15 September 2016) was an Irish public relations assistant and the wife of Liam Cosgrave, who served as Taoiseach from 1973 to 1977.

Vera Cosgrave
Cosgrave in 1976
Born	Veronica Louise Osborne (1926-03-11)11 March 1926 Naas, County Kildare, Ireland
Died	15 September 2016(2016-09-15) (aged 90) Tallaght, Ireland
Resting place	Goldenbridge Cemetery, Dublin, Ireland
Alma mater	Trinity College Dublin
Known for	Spouse of the Taoiseach (1973‍–‍1977)
Spouse	Liam Cosgrave ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	3, including Liam T.
Relatives	W. T. Cosgrave (father-in-law)

Early life

Veronica Louise Osborne was born in Naas, County Kildare, on 11 March 1926. Her mother was the former Helen Cunningham. Her father, Joseph W. Osborne, was a horse trainer based at Craddoxtown House. Her brother Paddy Osborne was also a horse trainer.^[1]

Political life

Osborne married Liam Cosgrave on 16 April 1952. At the time, Cosgrave was a government minister; he rose to the position of Leader of Fine Gael and Taoiseach in 1973. She accompanied him to the United States for a state visit in 1976, during the American Bicentennial.^[2][3] Vera Cosgrave also worked in public relations.^[4]

Personal life

Vera and Liam Cosgrave had three children, including Liam T. Cosgrave, a Fine Gael politician. She died in Dublin on 15 September 2016, aged 90 years.^[5] Her gravesite is at Goldenbridge Cemetery in Inchicore.^[6]