Jimmy Deenihan

Infobox Politician
name=Jimmy Deenihan
honorific-suffix = TD

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width=120px
term_start=
term_end=
predecessor=
successor=
birth_date=birth date and age|1952|9|11|df=y
birth_place= Lixnaw, County Kerry
constituency=Kerry North
party=Fine Gael
office=Teachta Dála
spouse=
website=

(James) Jimmy Deenihan (born 11 September 1952) is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for Kerry North and Fine Gael Spokesperson for Defence. Deenihan also played Gaelic football with Kerry in the 1970s and 1980s.

Early & private life

Jimmy Deenihan was born in Finuge, Lixnaw, County Kerry in 1952. He was educated at St. Michael's College, in Listowel and later at the National College of Physical Education in Limerick. He also spent time in college in England. Deenihan later worked as a teacher in Tarbert Comprehensive Secondary School near Listowel.

Playing career

Infobox GAA player
code= Football
sport = Gaelic football


name = Jimmy Deenihan
irish = Séamus Ó Duibhneacháin
fullname =
placeofbirth =
countryofbirth =
dob =
nickname =
county = Kerry
province = Munster
club = Finuge
clposition = Corner-back
clubs =
clyears =
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Kerry
icposition = Right corner-back
icyears = 1973-1982
icapps(points) =
icprovince = 7
icallireland = 5
allstars =
clupdate =
icupdate =

Club

Deenihan had much success at club and divisional level with his local teams. At under-age level he won an under-14 North Kerry Championship with Finuge in 1963. Five years later in 1968 he won an under-16 North Kerry Championship with the famous Listowel Emmet’s club. With Finuge Deenihan also won a North Kerry Senior League title in 1970, as well as a North Kerry Senior Championship title in 1987. With his local divisional team, Feale Rangers, he won two senior county championship medals in 1978 and 1980.

Inter-county

By the late 1960s Deenihan was a key part of Kerry’s inter-county set-up and was playing on the county’s minor team. In 1970 he won a Munster minor medal, however, he never won an All-Ireland medal. Deenihan later moved on to the county’s under-21 team, where he won back-to-back Munster titles in 1972 and 1973, as well as an All-Ireland title in 1973.

By this stage Deenihan was also a member of the Kerry senior football team. He won his first National Football League medal in 1973, however, Cork were the kingpins in the Munster Championship. Two years later in 1975 Deenihan captured his first Munster Championship and All-Ireland medals at senior level, under the new management of the legendary Mick O'Dwyer. It was the beginning of a glorious era for Kerry football and Deenihan played a key role in orchestrating much of the success.

In 1976 Deenihan won his second Munster title, however, Dublin gained revenge for the previous year by defeating Kerry in the All-Ireland final. 1977 was another frustrating year as Kerry won another set of National league and Munster titles but lost out to Dublin yet again, this time in the All-Ireland semi-final. By 1978 Kerry were ready for success. They easily won another Munster title and breezed into the All-Ireland final to face Dublin The game itself is remembered for Mikey Sheehy’s cheeky goal which he scored by lobbing the ball over the head of Paddy Cullen. The final score was 5-11 to 0-9 and Deenihan had finally secured a second All-Ireland medal. In 1979 Deenihan captured a fifth provincial title before later capturing a third All-Ireland medal following another emphatic victory over Dublin.

In 1980 Kerry breezed through the Munster Championship once again and later defeated Roscommon to win a third consecutive All-Ireland title. In 1981 Deenihan was appointed captain of the Kerry senior football team. It was a very special year as he collected his seventh consecutive Munster Championship medal before later leading Kerry out in a fourth All-Ireland final appearance. On the day the men from ‘the Kingdom’ easily defeated Offaly to give Deenihan his fifth All-Ireland medal. He rounded off the year by being presented with an All-Star award. At the start of 1982 Deenihan won a third National League medal when he captained Kerry to victory over Cork. Later that summer he broke his leg in training. He remained out of the game for eight months, meaning the injury effectively ended his inter-county career. Deenihan’s last appearance in a Kerry jersey was in May 1983 when he played a challenge game at the opening of the Tarbert GAA field.

Deenihan also won Railway Cup medals with Munster in 1975, 1976, 1978, 1981 and 1982.

Political career

Just as Deenihan’s inter-county football career was drawing to a close, his political career was just beginning. He was appointed to Seanad Éireann shortly after his retirement in 1982 as a nominee of Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald. Deenihan later became involved in local politics as a member of Kerry County Council. He was elected to Dáil Éireann for the first time in 1987 general election and was re-elected at the four subsequent general elections

Deenihan has held a number of Front Bench portfolios with Fine Gael, including Youth & Sport (1988-1992) and Tourism & Trade (1992-1994). In 1994 Fine Gael came to power and he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry. In 1997 he became Party Spokesperson for the Office of Public Works. In 2002 he received a position as Opposition Spokesperson for Arts, Sport & Tourism. In the aftermath of the 2007 general election, he became party Spokesperson for Defence, after being elected atop the poll in his Kerry North Constituency with 12697 votes [See the elections Ireland website - [http://http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=3537] ] .

External links

* [http://jimmydeenihan.finegael.ie/Representatives/common/index.cfm/TD_Key/21 Jimmy Deenihan's page on the Fine Gael website]
* [http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=3537 Jimmy Deenihan's electoral history] (ElectionsIreland.org)

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