Former Ireland president Patrick Hillery, 84
Posted: Monday, April 14th, 2008 3:08 pmDr Patrick Hillery was President of Ireland from 1976 until 1990. Before that he had held several important ministries in Irish governments, including Foreign Affairs, and was the Republic of Ireland’s first Commissioner in the European Economic Community after accession in 1973.
Hillery became President after Cearbhall O Dalaigh had resigned following a verbal attack upon him by an inebriated Minister for Defence to which the Government failed to respond either by an apology or by dismissing the minister.
Unlike most former presidents Hillery was elected unopposed and so had not received public endorsement. This may have contributed to his lack of popular appeal. At the end of his two terms — he was re-elected unopposed in 1983 — it was being asked whether the presidency served any useful purpose.
In 1990 Mary Robinson campaigned successfully to succeed him on a platform of an active presidency and a change from the practice of treating it as a retirement post for senior politicians. … Read full obituary
