Brendan Daly (politician)

Brendan Daly (2 February 1940 – 6 July 2023) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a long-serving Teachta Dála (TD) for the Clare constituency, a government minister, and Senator.

Life and career
Daly was born on 2 February 1940 in Cooraclare, County Clare, and educated locally at CBS Kilrush school. His political career began at the 1973 general election, when he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD for Clare. He held his seat at six further general elections before losing it at the 1992 general election. He was returned at the 1997 general election but was defeated again in the 2002 general election.

Daly was a strong supporter of Charles Haughey during his period as Fianna Fáil leader. In 1980 Daly became Minister of State at the Department of Labour. In 1982 he joined the Cabinet as Minister for Fisheries and Forestry. When Fianna Fáil returned to power after the 1987 general election he once again became a minister, this time as Minister for the Marine in the 20th Government of Ireland.

Daly was not re-appointed a minister when Fianna Fáil entered into coalition with the Progressive Democrats after the 1989 general election, but was appointed Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility for Heritage Affairs and Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. He returned to the cabinet in February 1991 as Minister for Defence. In November Albert Reynolds and Pádraig Flynn were sacked from the government and Daly was appointed Minister for Social Welfare. His time in cabinet was short-lived; in February 1992, Haughey resigned as Taoiseach and was succeeded by Reynolds, who did not appoint Daly to cabinet. He was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs from February 1992.

Daly lost his Dáil seat in the election that year, retaining his position as Minister of State until the formation of a new government in January 1993. He contested the Seanad election on the Agricultural Panel, and was returned to the 20th Seanad.

Daly was re-elected to the Dáil at the 1997 general election but lost his seat at the 2002 general election. He stood for election to the 22nd Seanad on the Labour Panel, and was returned to the Seanad for a second time. He was unsuccessful again at 2007 general election, and did not contest the subsequent elections to the 23rd Seanad. He then retired from public life.

Brendan Daly was married to Patricia Carmody of Kilrush, County Clare, from the early 1970s until her death in 2014; they had three children. Daly died on 6 July 2023, aged 83.