Jim Mitchell (19 October 1946 - 2 December 2002) was a senior Irish politician who served in the cabinets of Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald (1981-82; 1982-87). He was deputy leader of the Fine Gael party from 2001 until 2002. October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... A politician is an individual involved in politics to the extent of holding or running for public office. ... The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet. ... Dr. Garret FitzGerald (Irish name: Gearóid MacGearailt) (born February 9, 1926) was the seventh Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; July 1981 to February 1982, and December 1982 to March 1987. ... Fine Gael (IPA , though often mispronounced (approximate English translation: Family of the Irish) is the second largest political party in Ireland. ...

Jim Mitchell began his political involvement at the age of 11 when he supported Sean MacBride, leader of the radical republican Clann na Poblachta in the 1957 general election. He joined Fine Gael in 1967, becoming that party's candidate in a by-election in 1970. He sought a party nomination to run in the 1973 Irish general election. However he agreed not to contest the seat to allow Declan Costello, a senior figure in his party and son of former Taoiseach John A. Costello, to be elected. Costello went on to serve as Attorney-General in the 1973-1977 National Coalition of Fine Gael and Labour. Seán MacBride (26 January 1904 – 15 January 1988) was a senior Irish politician, barrister, revolutionary & statesman. ... Clann na Poblachta (literally meaning Family of the Republic) was an Irish republican political party founded by former IRA Chief of Staff Sean MacBride in 1946. ... The Irish general election of 1957 was held on March 5, 1957, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on February 4. ... Fine Gael (IPA , though often mispronounced (approximate English translation: Family of the Irish) is the second largest political party in Ireland. ... A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ... The Irish general election of 1973 was held on February 28, 1973. ... Declan Costello (born August 1, 1926) was an Irish politician from the Fine Gael Party, who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for twenty years as as Attoney-General for four. ... The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet. ... John Aloysius Costello (20 June 1891 – 5 January 1976), a successful barrister, was one of the main legal advisors to the government of the Irish Free State after independence, Attorney-General of Ireland from 1926-1932 and Taoiseach from 1948-1951 and 1954-1957. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General or Attorney-General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... Fine Gael (IPA , though often mispronounced (approximate English translation: Family of the Irish) is the second largest political party in Ireland. ...

Mitchell was elected to Dublin Corporation in 1974. In 1976, aged 29, he became the youngest ever Lord Mayor of Dublin. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Dáil Éireann in the 1973 general election in Dublin South West and lost again in the 1976 by-election in the same constituency, to Labour's Brendan Halligan. Dublin Corporation is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between the twelfth century and 1 January 2002. ... The Mansion House The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the symbolic head of the city government in the capital of Ireland. ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... The Irish general election of 1973 was held on February 28, 1973. ... Dublin South West is a parliamentary constituency in the Republic of Ireland. ... This is an incomplete list of Irish by-elections, with the names of the incumbent and victor and their respective parties. ... Logo of the Irish Labour Party The Irish Labour Party (Irish: Páirti an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Brendan Halligan (born July 5, 1936) is an Irish economist and a former Irish Labour Party politician. ...

In the 1977 general election he was elected to the 21st Dáil for the new constituency of Dublin Ballyfermot. With the party's loss of power in 1977, the new leader, Garret FitzGerald appointed Mitchell to the Party's Front Bench as spokesman on Labour. In 1981, following a dramatic increase in party support, Garret FitzGerald on his appointment as Taoiseach caused some surprise by excluding some of the older conservative ex-ministers from his cabinet. Instead young liberals like Mitchell were appointed, with Mitchell receiving the high profile post of Minister for Justice, taking responsibility for policing, criminal and civil law reform, penal justice, etc. The Fine Gael-Labour government collapsed in January 1982, but regained power in December of that year. Mitchell again was included in a FitzGerald cabinet, as Minister for Transport. The Irish general election of 1977 was held on June 16, 1977. ... This is a list of the 144 members who were elected to the 21st Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (legislature) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Dr. Garret FitzGerald (Irish name: Gearóid MacGearailt) (born February 9, 1926) was the seventh Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; July 1981 to February 1982, and December 1982 to March 1987. ... In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. ... Dr. Garret FitzGerald (Irish name: Gearóid MacGearailt) (born February 9, 1926) was the seventh Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; July 1981 to February 1982, and December 1982 to March 1987. ... The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet. ...

Mitchell, who was seen as to the left of Fine Gael was however out of favour with John Bruton when he became Fine Gael leader in 1990. When Bruton formed the Rainbow Coalition in December 1994 Mitchell was not appointed to any cabinet post. John Gerard Bruton (born May 18, 1947) was the ninth Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland. ... The 27th Dáil was elected on November 25, 1992 but didnt meet until the new year when the 23rd Government of Ireland was appointed. ...

Mitchell contested and won Dáil elections in 1976, 1977, 1981, (February and November) 1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1997. He ran for his party as its candidate to become a member of the European Parliament in the 1994 and 1998 elections. He also was Director of Elections for Austin Currie, the Fine Gael candidate, in the Irish presidential election, 1990. Austin Currie (born 11 October 1939) is a former Irish politician, being elected to the parliaments of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. ... In the Irish presidential election in 1990 the Irish Labour Party let it be known that it would for the first time run a candidate. ...

In 2001, Bruton was deposed as Fine Gael leader, and replaced by Michael Noonan. Mitchell served as his deputy from 2001 to 2002. Mitchell also chaired the key Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee. The Committee's work under Mitchell's chairmanship was widely praised for its inquiry into allegations of corruption and widescale tax evasion in the banking sector. Michael Noonan (born May 21, 1943) is an Irish politician and was Leader of the Opposition and Leader of Fine Gael from February 2001 to June 2002. ... The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of the Republic of Ireland1. ...

Though regarded in politics as one of Fine Gael's "survivors", who held onto his seat amid major boundary changes, constituency changes and by attracting working class votes in a party whose appeal was primarily middle class, Mitchell lost his seat in the June 2002 general election when he failed to be elected in Dublin Central. That election witnessed a large scale collapse in the Fine Gael vote, with the party dropping from 54 to 31 seats in Dáil Éireann. MItchell had earlier had a liver transplant in an attempt to beat a rare form of cancer which had cost the lives of a number of his siblings. Though the operation was successful, the cancer returned. Though he appeared to be making a recovery, Jim Mitchell ultimately died of the disease in December 2002. The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday 17 May 2002, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. ... Dublin Central is a parliamentary constituency in the Republic of Ireland, located in the heart of the capital city, Dublin. ...

His former constituency colleague and rival, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, described Jim Mitchell as having made an "outstanding contribution to Irish politics." His brother Gay Mitchell remains a Fine Gael TD. The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet. ... Patrick Bartholomew Ahern (Irish name: Pádraig Parthalán Ó hEachthairn) (born 12 September 1951), commonly called Bertie Ahern, is an Irish politician. ... Gay Mitchell is an Irish politician and Member of the European Parliament for Dublin since 2004. ... Fine Gael (IPA , though often mispronounced (approximate English translation: Family of the Irish) is the second largest political party in Ireland. ...

Political Career

James Gerard Collins (born October, 1938) was a senior Irish politician. ... The Minister for Justice, Equality & Law Reform is the chief minister in charge of law and order in the Republic of Ireland. ... Seán Doherty (August 29, 1944 - June 7, 2005), was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... John P. Wilson (born 1923) was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... The Minister for Transport is the chief person at the Department of Transport in the Irish Government. ... Raymond (Ray) MacSharry (born April 29, 1938) is a former Irish politician. ... John P. Wilson (born 1923) was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... The Minister for Posts & Telegraphs was responsible for Irelands postal and telecommunications services since the foundation of the State until 1984, the department was one of the largest civil service departments in Ireland. ... The Minister for Communications was the minister in the Irish Government created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1983 to replace the Minister for Posts & Telegraphs. ... John P. Wilson (born 1923) was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... Nora Owen (born June 1945), was a senior Irish politician. ... Fine Gael (IPA , though often mispronounced (approximate English translation: Family of the Irish) is the second largest political party in Ireland. ... Richard Bruton (born 1 March 1953) is a Fine Gael politician in Ireland, and has been a Teachta Dála for Dublin North Central since 1982. ... Michael Noonan (born May 21, 1943) is an Irish politician and was Leader of the Opposition and Leader of Fine Gael from February 2001 to June 2002. ... The Opposition Spokesperson on Finance in the Republic of Irelands parliamentary system is the member of the official Opposition Front Bench who is primarily responsible for marking the Minister for Finance. ...

External links

• Jim Michell's electoral history (ElectionsIreland.org)
• Irish Examiner report on Jim Mitchell's death

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

This page incorporates information from the Oireachtas Members Database There is a tradition in Irish politics of having family members succeed each other in the same parliamentary seat. ...