---
title: Taoiseach Micheál Martin on former Minister Micheal O’Kennedy
description: Taoiseach Micheál Martin on former Minister Micheal O’Kennedy
---

[Latest News ](https://www.fiannafail.ie/news)

# [Taoiseach Micheál Martin on former Minister Micheal O’Kennedy](https://www.fiannafail.ie/news/taoiseach-micheál-martin-on-former-minister-micheal-okennedy)

 Written by [Nicole Chesser](https://www.fiannafail.ie/news/author/nicole-chesser) | 16 April 2022

> I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Minister, European Commissioner, TD, and Senator Michael O’Kennedy.
> 
>  
> 
> Few people have left such a rich, or long, political legacy, or dedicated so much to Irish public life.
> 
>  
> 
> Fighting his first election in 1965, Michael served the people of Tipperary North with great commitment as a TD from 1969, and many times more until 2002.
> 
>  
> 
> A man of great integrity and friendly demeanour, Michael had a front row seat for the formative years of modern Ireland.
> 
>  
> 
> A Senior Counsel, he had a keen legal mind, and brought great wit, intelligence and determination to several Ministerial roles spanning three decades.
> 
>  
> 
> This experience was crucial whether serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Finance, Labour, Agriculture, Transport, Economic Planning and Development, or Public Service.
> 
>  
> 
> Michael was also a strong voice for Ireland on the international stage, serving as European Commissioner in the early 1980s, before returning to the Dail to serve his beloved Tipperary North once again.
> 
>  
> 
> He also served ably as a Senator, in 1965, and again from 1993 to 1997, in an extraordinary 37-year career in national politics.
> 
>  
> 
> I want to express my deepest sympathies to the O’Kennedy family at this very difficult time, especially to his wife Breda and children Brian, Orla and Mary.  

[View full post](https://www.fiannafail.ie/news/taoiseach-micheál-martin-on-former-minister-micheal-okennedy)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Nicole Chesser"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2022-04-19T15:57:49.857Z",
  "datePublished" : "2022-04-16T12:35:05Z",
  "headline" : "Taoiseach Micheál Martin on former Minister Micheal O’Kennedy",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 330,
    "url" : "https://7358484.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7358484/Micheal%20Okennedy.jpg",
    "width" : 620
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.fiannafail.ie/news/taoiseach-micheál-martin-on-former-minister-micheal-okennedy",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Latest News"
  }
}
```