John O'Leary (Kerry politician)

John O'Leary was born in Dunrine in the Parish of Kilcummin, Killarney in 1933. He was educated at Coolick National School and St. Brendan's College, Killarney. He joined the Staff of Kerry county Council in Feb. 1952 and worked in Housing, Accounts and Health Sections over the next 10 years. In July 1962 he was appointed as Acting Town Clerk, Killarney Urban District Council and later appointed Staff Officer in the Health and Hospitals Section of Kerry County Council. When the new Planning Department of the Council was launched John O'Leary was put in charge of this until his resignation and election to Dáil Eireann in Dec. 1966. He was an Irish Fianna Fáil party politician and who served for more than thirty years as TD for Kerry South.

John O'Leary was first elected to the 18th Dail in the December 1966 by-election to succeed Honor Crowley, and re-elected for nine successive terms, in the 1969, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1982, 1987, 1989, and 1992 elections for Kerry South.

John O'Leary was first elected to the 18th Dail in the December 1966 by-election to succeed Honor Crowley.

John was re-elected, heading the Poll in the General Election in June 1969. Subsequent to this he was appointed to the Dáil Select Committee on Procedures and Privileges from 1969-1973. He also represented the Government at the 1st World Conference on the Environment in Stockholm in April 1972.

John was one of five T.D.'s to attend the funerals of the victims of Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972.

Re-elected again at the head of the Poll in the February 1973 election. John was appointed to membership of the Council of Europe from 1973-1975 on the nomination of the Fianna Fail Leader Jack Lynch and from 1975 - 1977 John served as opposition spokesperson on Physical Planning and the Environment.

Elected as a member of Kerry County Council in 1974, gaining the 3rd seat for Fianna Fáil in the Killarney area. Again John represented Fianna Fáil at the 2nd World Conference on the Environment held in Kingston, Jamaica in April 1976.

John was re-elected again at the head of the Poll in the General Election of June 1977. In December 1977 John was appointed Minister of State at the Department of the Environment where he was allocated special responsibilities for Planning, Roads, Water Safety, Housing, Traffic, Water and Sewerage Schemes at the Department of the Environment. He resigned membership of Kerry County Council in January 1978 and was replaced by P.J. Cronin.

John was not reappointed as Minister following the election of Charles J. Haughey as Taoiseach in December 1979.

He was re-elected in the June 1981 General Election on a Party Three Candidate Strategy in Kerry South.

He was again re-elected in the February 1982 General Election - again on a Party Three Candidate Strategy in Kerry South.

John was again re-elected at the head of the Poll in the November 1982 General Election. He was appointed by Party Leader Charles J. Haughey as a member of the New Ireland Forum in 1983 and again in 1984.

John stood again for the Kerry County Council Elections in 1985 and won a fourth seat for the party in the Killarney area.

In the March 1987 General Election John was again elected at the head of the Poll before the 3rd Fianna Fail candidate was eliminated, leaving a pool of over 10,000 votes for John O'Donoghue to gain a 2^nd seat for the party. John was subsequently appointed to a number of Joint Oireachtas Committees.

Re-elected to Kerry County Council in the June, 1991 elections.

Re-elected to Dail Eireann in the November 1992 election and selected as Vice Chairman of the all-party Foreign Affairs Joint Committee of the Oireachtas and to the all-party Finance Committee.

John retired as a Member of Kerry County Council in March 1996 nad as a Member of Dail Eireann before the 1997 general election.

Fianna Fáil selected his son Brian to contest the seat. However, it was won by Jackie Healy-Rae who ran as an independent candidate when he was not selected by Fianna Fáil.